Post by Anja Nieser on Oct 1, 2006 5:45:00 GMT -5
Exonerated man talks of, against death penalty
The New Mexico Coalition to Repeal the Death Penalty brought the Juan
Melendez speaking tour to Roswell on Tuesday so people could meet someone
who has been in death row and to promote dialogue on the controversial
issue of the death penalty.
Melendez was on Florida's death row for 17 years, 8 months and 1 day after
he was wrongfully convicted of a murder in 1984 that he did not commit.
He was released from a Florida prison in 2002 after a Florida Circuit
Court judge ruled no physical evidence linked Melendez to the murder and
ordered a new trial. Prosecutors later dropped their case against
Melendez.
Melendez spoke at the Eastern New Mexico University-Roswell Performing
Arts Center and later at Iglesia Hispana Presbiteriana Church.
"In 1984, I was wrongfully convicted of murder in the state of Florida and
sentenced to death," Melendez said. "The case was based on testimony of 2
questionable witnesses. There was no physical evidence against me."
He said one witness had said Melendez had confessed the crime to him and
another man who was implicated in the murder made a deal with prosecutors
to testify against Melendez.
"Basically, they convected me on what the witnesses said and hearsay,"
Melendez said. "They didn't convect me on any physical evidence. Now, I
work with troubled or high risk kids on a planting field in Puerto Rico
and tell my story."
Melendez is on a speaking tour of southeastern New Mexico, sponsored by
the New Mexico Coalition to Repeal the Death Penalty.
He said the death penalty is a law made by humans and humans make
mistakes.
"Keep in mind my case is not unique," Melendez said. "One-hundred, 23
people have been exonerated from death row in the United States. Soon the
124th person will be exonerated from death row. My story is not unique.
People don't have all the details about the death penalty. Once people
know all the details it will open up their minds that it is cruel."
According to the Web site of the New Mexico Coalition to Repeal the Death
Penalty, the state of New Mexico has spent more than $100 million for
death penalty prosecutions, which has resulted in the execution of only 1
man during the past 30 years and exceeds $1-$2.5 million a year in public
defender costs.
"Murder is a horrible, horrible thing," coalition director Kathleen MacRae
said. "It is wrath with emotions on all sides. When an individual or
community suffers from a murder, It has a big impact. We completely
understand peoples feelings. We work with a lot of victims' families. When
people have to go through a process of seeking death for the loved one
that was murdered for 20 years, they suffer for 20 years."
MacRae said the coalition believes life in prison means life in prison
without parole and the money saved in executions or death penalty costs
can be used for the victims' families to cope with the loss of loved ones.
"When you just ask people if they support the death penalty, in New Mexico
people will say 60 % of the time yes," MacRae said. "When given an
alternative like life without parole and giving restitution to murder
victims' family members, 66 % support it. They understand that the system
is imperfect and the victims deserve reparations for the pain and
suffering that family has gone through."
She said the organization's most important function is to "educate people
about the realities of the death penalty and promote rational dialogue on
this controversial issue."
Melendez will continue his speaking tour today on the ENMU-Portales
campus, Thursday in Carlsbad at San Jose Catholic Church and Friday in
Hobbs at First Presbyterian Church. For more information, contact the New
Mexico Coalition to Repeal the Death Penalty at www.nmrepeal.org or (505)
986-9536.
(source: Roswell Daily Record News)
The New Mexico Coalition to Repeal the Death Penalty brought the Juan
Melendez speaking tour to Roswell on Tuesday so people could meet someone
who has been in death row and to promote dialogue on the controversial
issue of the death penalty.
Melendez was on Florida's death row for 17 years, 8 months and 1 day after
he was wrongfully convicted of a murder in 1984 that he did not commit.
He was released from a Florida prison in 2002 after a Florida Circuit
Court judge ruled no physical evidence linked Melendez to the murder and
ordered a new trial. Prosecutors later dropped their case against
Melendez.
Melendez spoke at the Eastern New Mexico University-Roswell Performing
Arts Center and later at Iglesia Hispana Presbiteriana Church.
"In 1984, I was wrongfully convicted of murder in the state of Florida and
sentenced to death," Melendez said. "The case was based on testimony of 2
questionable witnesses. There was no physical evidence against me."
He said one witness had said Melendez had confessed the crime to him and
another man who was implicated in the murder made a deal with prosecutors
to testify against Melendez.
"Basically, they convected me on what the witnesses said and hearsay,"
Melendez said. "They didn't convect me on any physical evidence. Now, I
work with troubled or high risk kids on a planting field in Puerto Rico
and tell my story."
Melendez is on a speaking tour of southeastern New Mexico, sponsored by
the New Mexico Coalition to Repeal the Death Penalty.
He said the death penalty is a law made by humans and humans make
mistakes.
"Keep in mind my case is not unique," Melendez said. "One-hundred, 23
people have been exonerated from death row in the United States. Soon the
124th person will be exonerated from death row. My story is not unique.
People don't have all the details about the death penalty. Once people
know all the details it will open up their minds that it is cruel."
According to the Web site of the New Mexico Coalition to Repeal the Death
Penalty, the state of New Mexico has spent more than $100 million for
death penalty prosecutions, which has resulted in the execution of only 1
man during the past 30 years and exceeds $1-$2.5 million a year in public
defender costs.
"Murder is a horrible, horrible thing," coalition director Kathleen MacRae
said. "It is wrath with emotions on all sides. When an individual or
community suffers from a murder, It has a big impact. We completely
understand peoples feelings. We work with a lot of victims' families. When
people have to go through a process of seeking death for the loved one
that was murdered for 20 years, they suffer for 20 years."
MacRae said the coalition believes life in prison means life in prison
without parole and the money saved in executions or death penalty costs
can be used for the victims' families to cope with the loss of loved ones.
"When you just ask people if they support the death penalty, in New Mexico
people will say 60 % of the time yes," MacRae said. "When given an
alternative like life without parole and giving restitution to murder
victims' family members, 66 % support it. They understand that the system
is imperfect and the victims deserve reparations for the pain and
suffering that family has gone through."
She said the organization's most important function is to "educate people
about the realities of the death penalty and promote rational dialogue on
this controversial issue."
Melendez will continue his speaking tour today on the ENMU-Portales
campus, Thursday in Carlsbad at San Jose Catholic Church and Friday in
Hobbs at First Presbyterian Church. For more information, contact the New
Mexico Coalition to Repeal the Death Penalty at www.nmrepeal.org or (505)
986-9536.
(source: Roswell Daily Record News)