Here is the info Chris sent me (in case hes too busy to respond right now).....We need Letters of Character Reference on behalf of each of the three environmental protesters to present to Judge Collette before the sentencing hearing along with a Sentencing Memorandum for each protester. These letters should be sent to me no later than February 20, 2014, at my office: John F. Royal Law Office The Ford Building 615 Griswold St., Suite 1724 Detroit, MI 48226 The letters should be addressed to the Judge: The Honorable William Collette Ingham Circuit Court Judge Mason Courthouse 341 S. Jefferson Mason, MI 48854 Under no circumstances should any letters to be sent directly to the judge without going through me or one of the other attorneys of record. Everyone who writes such a letter needs to understand the purpose. Most pre-sentence letters which Judges receive are useless. The natural inclination of most people is to write letters about the incident from which the Defendant was arrested and convicted; these letters typically argue that in some respect or another the Defendant has not been treated fairly; she was well- intentioned; she is innocent, etc. Such letters are useless because the Judge presided over the trial and has formed his own opinions about what happened (which is clearly a negative opinion), and such letters are not going to change his thinking. Judges pay no attention to statements about the case itself that come from family and friends of the convicted Defendants. The critical thing to keep in mind is the purpose of the Sentencing Hearing. Until a person is convicted, their life history is for the most part irrelevant to the case: the only issue is the guilt or innocence of each of these three protesters. However, once someone has been convicted by a jury verdict, the Court is required to consider the conviction offenses in the context of the defendants’ entire lives. In other words, now is the time for each of the three protesters to get credit for all the positive contributions and good deeds each has done throughout her life. The Court’s Probation Department is preparing a Presentence Investigation Report (PSIR) which will contain verified background information on the life history of each of the three protesters. However, the Probation Department reports are very factual and will not really paint a picture for the Judge as to what type of person each of the protesters really is. This is where the Character Reference letters come in. We want to send the Judge a collection of letters for each of the three protesters that will really inform him and create a solid record as to the kind of person each of them is; and of the many positive accomplishments each one has made during her life. What we want are letters from people who have known each of the protesters in a variety of life circumstances over the years, and who can provide the Judge with specific instances of contributions each has made, positive things each has accomplished, and good deeds each has done. The best letters are those that tell specific anecdotes or stories and that create a picture of each person as a human being over and above what will be presented in the PSIR. Some examples are: A friend of a client of mine wrote a letter stating that late one night her car broke down in bad weather on a rural highway and she called the Defendant because she was scared staying by herself until the tow truck arrived. The Defendant dropped what he was doing, drove a long distance, and stayed with her until assistance arrive. Another example is a grandmother who wrote that her grandson (my client) worked as a tow truck driver, and drove a snow plow in winter weather. Her letter stated her grandson would always, without fail, show up without ever being asked and plow out her driveway whenever there was any snow fall. These are specific examples of the kinds of things that stick in the memory and that provide a clear picture of what a person is really like. These are the types of examples that we want to present to the judge regarding each of the protesters. Anything any of them has ever done in her life that is good, kind, selfless, empathic and shows concern for the well being of others can and should be addressed in these letters. If you have questions, call me at (313) 962-3738. AS PER MARCIA TRUTHSEEKER ON BEHALF OF LISA LEGGIO AND THE CONVICTED PROTESTORS
Posted on: Sun, 02 Feb 2014 18:08:15 +0000
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