Journey of Hope from Violence to Healing in East Alabama, Thank you Bill Pelke!

Yesterday was truly a great day for East Alabama. We had already had 2 earlier events, bringing the total of events in this area to 5. Of course many others were held all over Alabama and are still being held before this very successful journey ends on the 6th in Montgomery.

Weekly Report from the Board Meeting at Holman

Today our interaction had to be brief because I am on my way to the Auburn Unitarian Universalist meeting of the Journey Of Hope with Bill Pelke. After that, we go to Roanoke and then Valley in the evening. Nevertheless, there was time to talk to each member, (small group meeting today), Board plus Sub-Board meeting next week. All are well and as always I received lots of positive energy from hearing their voices.

I am grateful for my Holman family! See you next week! Esther

Recent U.S. Supreme Court Decision Highlights Representation Problems in Alabama 

Weekly Report from the Board Meeting at Holman

Among the topics discussed: the Alabama State Conference of the NAACP, Alabama Arise and Witness to Innocence have agreed to collaborate with Project Hope to Abolish the Death Penalty in 2012 to work towards abolition in Alabama. We are very grateful to all three organizations and welcome Witness to Innocence to Alabama. Actually, Witness to Innocence has already been active in Alabama, still we are grateful to be one of its focus states for 2012.

 
OUR VIEW: U.S. Supreme Court sends much-needed message to Alabama about how it treats poor defendants charged with capital crimes
Published: Monday, January 23, 2012, 5:45 AM
 By Birmingham News editorial board  

The U.S. Supreme Court sent the state of Alabama at least two messages last week when justices ruled against the state in the case of Death Row inmate Cory Maples, who missed a deadline to appeal after his lawyers dropped his case without telling him.

Our thanks to Callie Greer, Advisory Board Member and Brandon Fountain, Development Officer

Forgiveness key in group’s fight against death penalty

Jan 20, 2012 - JACKSONVILLE - There are some images that Bill Pelke can’t erase from his memory.

Weekly Report from the Board Meeting at Holman

The great Cory Maples news broke during the meeting and of course all were delighted. It was a day of positive news from the commutation in Delaware to the news that Witness to Innocence has chosen Alabama as one of its focal states for 2012. WTI and phadp will be collaborating with the AL State Conference of the NAACP and Alabama Arise in bringing WTI speakers to Alabama.

All this on top of Senator Hank Sanders' announcement of an abolition bill and the Journey of Hope in Alabama! Are we on a roll or what?

U.S. Supreme Court rules in favor of Alabama Death Row inmate Cory Maples

 By Mary Orndorff -- The Birmingham News 

 
WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Supreme Court today said Alabama Death Row inmate Cory Maples should not be blamed because of a paperwork error that caused him to miss a deadline for appealing his death sentence.

CHRISTMAS IS FOR CHILDREN

Friends,

As always with any successful event there are many to thank who helped make it so. We thank our wonderful speakers in the order in which they spoke:

Callie Greer, mother of a murder victim, GBM, advisory board member of phadp and a dear, dear friend. Callie, you are extraordinary!

Chief Leon Frazier ret. the first Alabama law enforcement member to sign on to a moratorium and also a special and eloquent friend.