Allen attorney alleges Edmondson, Clemency Board members lied to ensure execution

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		Allen attorney alleges Edmondson, Clemency Board members lied to ensure executionxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The following is an e-mail from Joann Bell
(Posted 1-7-01)

HELP SAVE WANDA JEAN ALLEN
From:   aclujb@mindspring.com (Joann Bell, ACLU)

    Friends,
    PLEASE read the message below from Steve Presson, attorney for Wanda Jean
Allen. Time is short, as her execution is scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 11th,
at 9:00 p.m., CST.
    PLEASE -- in and out of the state of Oklahoma - call, FAX, email, and
write the governor, asking that he grant a 30 or 60 day reprieve, and direct
the pardon and parole board to revisit the issue of clemency for Wanda Jean.
    Important issues are at stake here -- not just for Wanda Jean but for
others on death rows across this country.

CONTACT:    Frank Keating, Governor of Oklahoma:
    Room 212 State Capitol Bldg. Oklahoma City, OK   73105
    PHONE: 405-521-2342
    FAX:     405-521-3353
    E MAIL: governorkeating@email.com
            governor@gov.state.ok.us
            dan.mahoney@gov.state.ok.us

----Original Message---------------------------
From: Smpresson (Steve Presson, W.J.A.'s attorney)
    Friends:
    At Wanda Jean's clemency hearing last month, the state lied about Jean's
educational level in response to our contentions that she is mentally
retarded. The state said that Jean had graduated from high school and had a
junior college degree or certificate.
    With documentation in hand that this information is a lie, we are taking
some action, and request help from you.
    Please write, call, fax, or visit the Governor's office, asking him to
grant a 30 or 60 day reprieve while at the same time directing the Pardon and
Parole Board to reconvene and consider Jean's clemency request in light of
accurate information about her mental condition.
    Add to this the fact that P&P Board Member Currie Ballard obviously did
not read the clemency materials, as he said in media interviews that he saw
no evidence of mental retardation (it was in his packet). Ballard told the
media that he based his rejection of the mental retardation evidence on the
fact that "Jean had graduated from high school and had a college degree."
    It is outrageous that the Attorney General would deceive the Board, and
that the Board would rely on the deception, and the Governor should act to
make sure a new hearing is held.
    We have filed suit against the Pardon and Parole Board for not giving us
a fair hearing. A hearing on our emergency request for a stay of execution
will be held next week in Oklahoma City, the day before the execution. It is
likely the judge will deny our request, so we have lodged our papers in the
10th Circuit.
    Hopefully we can get some action from the circuit on what is going to be
a minimal amount of due process in a death penalty clemency hearing. Surely
the state telling lies to the Board cannot be fair or due process.
    The circuit and the Supreme Court have never defined what level of due
process is necessary for clemency actions.
    Anyway, keep us in your thoughts and prayers. We are prayerful for Mark,
Jim, and Annie Fowler, for Eddie Trice, Floyd Medlock, Dion Smallwood, Billy
Fox, Loyd LaFevers, D.L. Jones, their families, their attorneys, their loved
ones, and for this wonderful support community. Thank you.
    sp (Steve Presson)

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