IS IT TIME TO FREE NATIVE AMERICAN ACTIVIST LEONARD PELTIER?

[G_j]

Last edited Fri May 20, 2016, 12:54 PM - Edit history (1)

http://www.newsweek.com/time-free-native-american-activist-leonard-peltier-460866
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As he wages a four-decade legal battle in a case clouded with conflicting testimony, political influence and doubt, he also struggles with declining health, including diabetes, a heart condition, multiple jaw surgeries and loss of vision and motor function due to a stroke.


In the first month of 2016, Peltier was diagnosed with an abdominal aortic aneurysm—a swollen aorta that can amount to a tiny ticking time bomb if left untreated. Sometime during our visit, he turned to me and said, “If you don’t get me out of here, I’m going to die—and it won’t be of old age.”

Unless President Obama grants him clemency, Peltier’s prediction will almost certainly come true.

The long and complicated case history reveals a pattern of misconduct by the FBI, including the coercion of an alleged eyewitness, suppression of potentially exculpatory evidence and deep concerns about the agency’s political motivation for so zealously pursuing the case.

The U.S. Parole Commission has acknowledged to Peltier the “lack of any direct evidence that you personally participated in the executions of two FBI agents."

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[dembotoz]

1. it was time some decades ago

[uppityperson]

2. Long past time. eom

[DLevine]

3. Yes, long overdue. nt

[yourpaljoey]

4. Yes.

[hlthe2b]

5. I've signed more petitions for Peltier's release than about any other issue..

It is tragic that he is the victim of political cowardice. He should have been released under Clinton, IMO.

[G_j]

6. I've also made more calls to the WH

about this than any other issue..(4 presidents)

[RebelOne]

23. Me too over many years.

[thereismore]

7. I signed a petition at one time. Yes it is time to show mercy to an ailing man. nt

[niyad]

8. it is long past time. the fact that this man is still in prison is disgusting.

[libodem]

9. Way past time

[silvershadow]

10. k&R nt

[Zen Democrat]

11. I was angry in 2001 when Clinton pardoned Marc Rich and not Leonard Peltier.

He should have been out years ago.

[Akicita]

18. C'mon. You know why one got the pardon and the other didn't.

[JDPriestly]

12. K&R. If Bernie is elected, I will bet you that Bernie will pardon Peltier as he should.

Obama should have pardoned him already.

I should add that the killing of a law enforcement agent is a very serious crime. Someone killed the agent and, either that person should come forward, or the person who knows who did it should speak out.

If Peltier did not kill the agent, who did?

That question should also be answered. Was the situation so chaotic that no one knows?

The burden of proof is guilty beyond reasonable doubt.

Main article: Reasonable doubt
This is the highest standard used as the burden of proof in Anglo-American jurisprudence and typically only applies in criminal proceedings and when considering aggravating circumstances in criminal proceedings. It has been described, in negative terms, as a proof having been met if there is no plausible reason to believe otherwise. If there is a real doubt, based upon reason and common sense after careful and impartial consideration of all the evidence, or lack of evidence, in a case, then the level of proof has not been met.

Proof beyond a reasonable doubt, therefore, is proof of such a convincing character that one would be willing to rely and act upon it without hesitation in the most important of one's own affairs. However, it does not mean an absolute certainty. The standard that must be met by the prosecution's evidence in a criminal prosecution is that no other logical explanation can be derived from the facts except that the defendant committed the crime, thereby overcoming the presumption that a person is innocent unless and until proven guilty.

If the trier of fact has no doubt as to the defendant's guilt, or if their only doubts are unreasonable doubts, then the prosecutor has proved the defendant's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt and the defendant should be pronounced guilty.

The term connotes that evidence establishes a particular point to a moral certainty which precludes the existence of any reasonable alternatives. It does not mean that no doubt exists as to the accused's guilt, but only that no reasonable doubt is possible from the evidence presented. Further to this notion of moral certainty, where the trier of fact relies on proof that is solely circumstantial, i.e., when conviction is based entirely on circumstantial evidence, certain jurisdictions specifically require the prosecution's burden of proof to be such that the facts proved must exclude to a moral certainty every reasonable hypothesis or inference other than guilt.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legal_burden_of_proof#Beyond_reasonable_doubt

[Akicita]

19. I agree Bernie is his best chance. His only chance if Hillary is elected is if a billionaire takes

up his cause. Trump probably couldn't care less in any case.

[ISeeA BrightFuture]

13. ACTION --> SIGN THE FREE LEONARD PELTIER PAGE & PETITION

https://m.facebook.com/freeleonardpeltierpetition

[freebrew]

14. Absolutely...nt!

[PufPuf23]

15. Long past time eom.

[Puha Ekapi]

16. President Obama...

...so far has been too chicken shit to release him, and I have no doubt that Hillary will do the same. Goddamn politicians that lack the courage to do what is actually the right thing because of political consequences.

[DI Freighter Watcher]

17. Past time

It was way past time in 1990 when I first read his story. This is another example of the indifference the justice system has for actual justice!

[rdking647]

20. im torn

i dont think theres much doubt that he was involved in the killings

he admitted firing at the cops in his memoirs. he gave several different alibi's.
the other evidence points to a pretty strong case that he was involved.

on the other hand hes been in jail for 40 years and is in ill health.

My gut feeling is Obama should grant him clemency but not a pardon.

[leftstreet]

21. DURec

[Enthusiast]

22. Kicked and recommended! nt

[PBass]

24. Kicking this up again for new DU signatures.

Please like and share the Free Leonard Peltier page on Facebook, and sign the Change.org petition.

Thanks!