US Politial Prisoner still imprisoned 30 years later

[City of Mills]

For those who don't know his background, here are some quick facts about American Indian Leonard Peltier:

http://www.freepeltier.org/quick_facts_peltier.htm

I have my own personal story - I was at a powwow in Massachusetts several years ago. One of the vendor booths was an informational booth providing information about Leonard Peltier and the government's phony case to convict him. The booth also had bumper stickers and buttons for sale to raise money for his defense fund. Well, a few hours into our celebration the local police arrive and order the vendor to take down his stand, accusing him of inciting a political demonstration.

We would not stand for that, so the elders began trying to reason with the police, as they were interrupting our dancing and no one on the premises seemed bothered by the vendor or his information. The police refused to budge and repeated their demand for the vendor to take down his booth. While this discussion was happening, we moved the host drum directly in front of the booth and a crowd soon surrounded the drum and vendor, and we began the powwow once again. Before long, backup arrived and the very chaotic scene unfolded - cops screaming at us, we screamed back and held our ground for hours, eventually the vendor packed up in order to avoid inciting a real riot. We were not invited back to the powwow site the following year.

[SouthernDem2004]

1. Pffft, He is where he belongs.

[SouthernDem2004]

2. The truth.. Link:

http://www.noparolepeltier.com/court.html

[HawkerHurricane]

3. Dueling websites

are always fun.

[City of Mills]

6. Your links help me establish misconduct

Regarding his Canadian Extradition.

http://www.noparolepeltier.com/canadaletter.html

Let me quote some direct text, my emphasis added:

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"In the case of Mr. Peltier, the extradition judge noted in his reasons for judgment that with respect to the two murder charges there was both direct evidence and circumstantial evidence. The direct evidence was found in two affadavits sworn by Myrtle Poor Bear, who claimed to be an eyewitness to the shootings.."

and later:

The order for committal was mad on June 18, 1976. Following that, Mr. Peltier became aware that there was a third affadavit that predated and CONTRADICTED the two produced at the extradition hearing. In the third affadavit, Ms. Poor Bear stated that she had not seen the shooting but had left the Pine Ridge Reserve before the shooting of the F.B.I. agents occurred.

and later:

Mr. Peltier appealed his committal for extradition to the Federal court of Appeal in October 1976. At the beginning of the hearing, counsel for Mr. Peltier made a motion before the Court to introduce the third Poor Bear affadavit as fresh evidence. Mr. Peltier's counsel argued that had this affadavit been before the extradition judge, it might have induced the judge to change his view on committal on the two murder charges. they also argued that the withholding of the third affadavit showed misconduct on the part of the U.S. authorities. The Federal Court of Appeal dismissed the motion and the hearing continued. At the end of the hearing, the Court upheld the order for committal in unanimous judgment, without reasons.

...

After considering the submissions, the Minister of Justice exercised his discretion to order Mr. Peltier's surrender, having sought and received assurances that Mr. Peltier would not face the death penalty if convicted and having satisfied himself that Mr. Peltier would receive a fair trial in the United States (satisfied himself???!?!?!?). Mr. Peltier was then surrendered to the United States.

Subsequent to his return to the United States, a jury convicted Mr. Peltier on two counts of first degree murder. Myrtle Poor Bear did not testify at Mr. Peltier's trial.

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The jury never heard from Myrtle Poor Bear, whose affadavits formed the ONLY DIRECT EVIDENCE linking Leonard to the shooting:

http://www.dickshovel.com/poor.html
This is an excerpt from an "offer of proof" hearing in which Ms. Poor Bear was questioned (remember though, the Jury was not allowed to consider this testimony):

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Taikeff: Do you know a person named Leonard Peltier?

Poor Bear: No...

Taikeff: Did you ever see him in your life?

Poor Bear: No.

Taikeff: Were you ever at the Jumping Bull area on the Pine Ridge Reservation?

Poor Bear: No.

Taikeff: Did you ever live with Leonard Peltier?

Poor Bear: No.

Taikeff: Last night did you tell me you were frightened?

Poor Bear: Yes, I did.

Taikeff: What were you frightened of?

Poor Bear: I don't know. I am scared of the Government.

Judge Benson: What was the answer?

Taikeff: I don't know. I am scared of the Government.

Taikeff: Did anyone from the Government ever say anything to make you afraid?

Poor Bear: The agents are always talking about Anna Mae .

Taikeff: What did they say about Anna Mae?

Poor Bear: Oh, they just would talk about that time she died.

Taikeff: What did they say about it? You can tell the judge, it's all right (Defense Counsel confer).

Taikeff: May counsel approach, your honor?

Judge Benson: You may.

Taikeff: (At the bench) Your honor, I would ask that your honor briefly advise her that she is under oath and you want to hear what she has to say providing it is the truth and that she has nothing to fear by telling the truth...She is very frightened, Your Honor. She told me last night she is afraid she is going to be killed, and that is why she is so upset at this particular moment.


Shortly thereafter, Taikeff resumed his questioning:
Taikeff: What did tell you about the American Indian Movement?

Poor Bear: They told me they were going to kill me.

Taikeff: Did Mr. Wood ever say anything about the subject of getting away with killing people?

Poor Bear: I think he did.

Taikeff: Do you recall what he said?

Poor Bear: He said that they could get away with killing because they were agents.


When Assistant Prosecutor Lynn Crooks cross-examined Poor Bear, the following exchange occurred:
Crooks: Has anybody threatened to do anything to you if you did not change your story?

Poor Bear: No

Crooks: Nobody even suggested it?

Poor Bear: No...

Crooks: Why were you signing these affidavits ?

Poor Bear: I don't know.

Crooks: Well, did Bill Wood threaten to harm you or hurt you if you didn't sign?

Poor Bear: (No response.)

Crooks: Can you answer that question?


After a 45 minute recess the hearing resumed.
Taikeff: Your honor, I would like the record to reflect a 45 minute pause measured by the courtroom clock between the last question and the following question.

Crooks: Can you answer the question, Myrtle?

Poor Bear: I was forced to sign both of those papers.

Crooks: By whom?

Poor Bear: They said my family members were going to be hurt if I didn't do it. By David Price and Bill Wood...


In redirect examination, Taikeff followed up:
Taikeff: Do you remember Mr. Crooks, that's the man with the dark glasses, asked you a couple of times this afternoon about whether you were threatened by Agent Price or Agent Wood..?

Poor Bear: Yes, I remember.

Taikeff: Do you remember when he asked you that question you remained silent for a very long time every time he asked you that question?

Poor Bear: Yes.

Taikeff: Why did you remain silent and not answer his question?

Poor Bear: Because they did threaten me.

Taikeff: Miss Poor Bear, will you please tell us whether Agent Price ever threatened you?

Poor Bear: Yes, he did.

Taikeff: What did he say to you?

Poor Bear: He told me they were going to plan everything out and if I didn't do it I was going to get hurt.

Taikeff: Did anybody else ever say that to you from the FBI?

Poor Bear: Bill Wood.

This testimony corresponded well with a sworn statement Poor Bear had made in Canada on May 11, 1977, that:

I remember Dave Price and Bill Wood, the two FBI agents, telling me about Anna Mae Aquash. Dave described her body to me. He said from what he had heard she had been burnt and her clothes put back on her and that after her clothes were put back on she was shot...he showed me pictures of the body and said that if I don't cooperate this is what may happen to me...the two FBI agents constantly reminded me of what happened to Anna Mae Aquash. And every so often the FBI agents showed me pictures of Anna Mae Aquash's body and I was really scared...Bill Wood said that all the way along he knew that the body found on Pine Ridge was Anna Mae's body but that he had had her hands severed from her body and sent to Washington for identification and to verify his own observations.

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Thanks for giving me the opportunity to prove the case against Peltier is complete, utter, transparent BS!!!

[SouthernDem2004]

7. Did you read her affidavits?

http://www.alphacdc.com/treaty/poor_bear_affidavit.html

[City of Mills]

8. She didn't write them, they were written for her

and she was coerced to sign them.

It's called fabricated evidence. Oh wait, the government wouldn't fabricate evidence. My bad.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&safe=off&q=%22Myrtle+Poor+Bear%22+%22affidavits%22+%22fabricated%22&spell=1

[SouthernDem2004]

9. Well if you think any evidence that disagrees with your opinion is

fabricated then there is no point in continuing.

Peace

[City of Mills]

10. OK, fair enough

I can't prove the evidence is fabricated, any more than you can prove it isn't. However, I will share with you this:

http://www.noparolepeltier.com is a website put together by ex-FBI agents with a lot of time on their hands. See:
http://www.noparolepeltier.com/faq.html#1

Amnesty International calls for the release of Leonard Peltier
http://web.amnesty.org/library/index/ENGAMR511601999

[jilln]

4. Good for you

for sticking to your ground. No matter what ANYONE thinks of the case, the vendor had every right to be there and standing up to corrupt authority is ALWAYS the right thing to do.

[RC]

5. We white Europeans invade their land,

kill off most of the inhabitants, imprison and impoverish the rest.

Read the story of Leonard Peltier and the history that lead to his arrest. The American Indians didn't start anything at Wounded Knee. If left alone no one would have heard of it. In fact it would have been just another day.

Do your own research, it is readily available.

http://www.google.com/