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Post by William Ruddock on Jun 28, 2011 13:42:06 GMT -5
Please post your general questions here. The moderator will attempt to answer them.
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Post by bobbyo1011 on Jul 1, 2011 21:59:33 GMT -5
This is a particularly good forum. We will have to figure out how the raise the public profile of Erick's case to persuade more people to visit the website and find out about Erick's case. Rome wasn't built in a day and it is better to light one candle than to curse the darkness. Erick is extremely lucky to have such a passionate advocate for him like you Bill.
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Post by janadu175 on Jul 2, 2011 6:32:10 GMT -5
I visited with Erick on 6/30/11. He is anxious and hopeful for questions.
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Post by bobbyo1011 on Jul 2, 2011 7:53:35 GMT -5
I guess it is easy for us who have our freedom to "take our time" in trying to seek and obtain justice for Erick. However, it is different if you are the one in the prison cell with no clue as to when or if you will ever be released.
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Post by bobbyo1011 on Aug 2, 2011 11:31:44 GMT -5
I got a question from Naysayer on my 631politics.com thread (under Empire State forum) asking about the letter that detectives asked Erick to write and which he wrote. Is that letter available? My answer was that I believed that the letter was just as coerced as the so-called "confession" Erick wrote. However, the doubters are not as easy to dismiss either as being fictional.
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Post by William Ruddock on Aug 2, 2011 13:18:23 GMT -5
The letter was written in large part after Erick was arraigned. Though it was presented at trial, the Appeals court declared that the letter should never have been presented to the jury because it was not voluntary. Of course the appeals court went on to say "harmless error."
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Post by bobbyo1011 on Aug 2, 2011 13:51:32 GMT -5
Bill:
I appreciate your timely answer and have passed that along. I agree with your assessment about the "harmless" error. I had a very similar experience with none other than Sonja Sotomayer days before she was appointed to the United States Supreme Court. Mine merely destroyed me and my family financially in a civil proceeding. Erick's has kept him in prison.
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Post by William Ruddock on Aug 2, 2011 19:03:39 GMT -5
Bobby: You are not the only one to be disappointed by Sotomayer. Jeffrey Deskovic spent an extra five years in jail with the decision of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, dated April 26, 2000, and barely two pages long. It was co-written by Sonia Sotomayor. “We have considered all of petitioner-appellant’s remaining arguments and find them to be without merit,” the ruling said. Those familiar with the case know that Jeffrey too gave a false confession to a crime he didn't commit. Source: www.nytimes.com/2009/06/10/nyregion/10dna.html I encourage doubters of false confessions to check out Jeffrey's site: www.jeffreydeskovicspeaks.org
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Post by janadu175 on Aug 4, 2011 10:01:21 GMT -5
I have a question? were there indeed dirty wine glasses in the sink at the crime scene?
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Post by bobbyo1011 on Aug 4, 2011 10:38:50 GMT -5
Great question Jan! If there were dirty wine glasses in the sink, were they collected and/or were they photographed by the crime scene processors? This could very well help develop an alternate theory of who really murdered Timothy Gray that Erick will need to gain a retrial.
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Post by janadu175 on Aug 4, 2011 10:57:31 GMT -5
I want Erick exonerated for this... not a retrial. some one else will be tried and convicted and appropriately punished.
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Post by bobbyo1011 on Aug 4, 2011 14:25:19 GMT -5
Again, another excellent point. It would be good to point out who really murdered Timothy Gray. I understand why the Gray family must be angry with Erick. However, I do not believe for one second that they would want an innocent person to be in prison for murdering Tim. I am sure they would want the true killer to be apprehended, tried and convicted for murder of Tim Gray, as all of us do, including Erick, no matter who it turns out to be.
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Post by William Ruddock on Aug 4, 2011 21:57:27 GMT -5
Janadu... I want to answer your question but cannot seem to find the answer. I know there were dishes dirty dishes, but I don't believe they were collected as evidence. So they are probably lost to time and space..
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Post by aunthula on Aug 5, 2011 5:28:40 GMT -5
Bill, If I remember correctly the wine glasses may have been mentioned in cross by Mark Sacco. It was in a part of the trial when they were discussing DNA evidence, or lack of. Mr. Sacco asked (I think Detective Bowdish), if certain items were tested for DNA, the prosecutor, Mr. Rossi, then countered that they could NOT TEST, all that was collected, they had to pick and choose! This was not at all like CSI on television! If the cigarette butt lying next to the body of Tim Gray was collected, was it determined NOT to test it? If I learned anything from watching the proceedings, and being able to review the statements, and autopsy results, information is definitely manipulated by "the law enforcement community".
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Post by bobbyo1011 on Aug 5, 2011 12:24:37 GMT -5
So, Aunt Hula, there is no photographic evidence of 2 unwashed wine glasses left in the sink? I am assuming crime scene photos were taken of the entire scene even if everything was not collected. DNA testing may or may not relevant because the prosecution could say that the DNA may have been deposited at any time.
However, the presence of the 2 wine glasses does present a potential alternative theory I believe Erick may need to prove his innocence. I think you know where I am going with this.
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