07.26.08
Posted in Statements at 9:46 am by Justice for Jason
This afternoon [7/24/08] before the hearing got started we gave the new prosecutor a letter detailing all the items we’ve received so far and all the items that we’ve yet received and to which we feel we are entitled. (Both state and federal law requires a prosecutor to turn over any and all evidence to a defendant if it may prove at all helpful to the defendant’s case.) We also asked the prosecutor to agree to drop the curfew that was originally imposed on Jason in February and amended in April. After providing her with a letter from Jason’s employer, she agreed to do so. Given the fact that she is new to the case, she asked that we continue the actual pre-trial hearing until 9/8, which we agreed to do.
Once the judge arrived we informed the judge of what we’d agreed to and we gave the agreements his blessing.
Between now and 9/8/08 the prosecutor will be working to find the items we’ve requested, and we’ll be working on preparing for the 9/8/08 hearing. On that date, we’ll report to the court on the state of discovery (i.e. the process by which evidence to be used at trial is generated), and tell the court what pre-trial motions, if any, we plan to file.
Of course, the big news from today [7/24/08] is the turnout. The fact that Jason’s supporters managed to fill up the old courtroom [150+ people] will be the buzz in the courthouse for the next week. Although it’s impossible to quantify the impact of such a turnout, I think it’s important to give you one example of how it matters. Courts are busy places and an understandable goal of the judges and clerks is to move cases. When you fill up the courtroom with supporters, judges and clerks not only take notice. They literally have to stop, if only for a few seconds, when those supporters exit en masse at the conclusion of a hearing. The message it sends to the court is, “this is not just another hearing because this is not just another case.”
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07.02.08
Posted in Statements at 5:42 pm by Justice for Jason
Save the date & ask for time off work…
Pre-Trial Hearing for Jason Vassell
Thurs. 7/24/08, 2pm
Hampshire Superior Court (15 Gothic Street,
Northampton MA)
For info about carpools from the Boston area, contact justiceforjason@gmail.com
This will be an important pre trial hearing for Jason Vassell, and it will provide an opportunity for opposing counsel to come up with a roadmap for how Jason’s case will be tried. Jason’s lawyers will be asking the Commonwealth to provide certain evidence and will agree to turn over other evidence that may come into our possession. At the present time, it is unclear who will be prosecuting Jason’s case as the Assistant District Attorney who was assigned to it has left or is about to leave the District Attorney’s office. The physical presence of friends, family members, and other supporters would be greatly appreciated!!
Background: On Sunday, February 3, 2008, two white men—not university students—appeared at the window of the dormitory room of Jason Vassell, a twenty-three year old African American student at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The two men subjected Vassell to racial invective and threats of violence. They kicked in Vassell’s window and later gained access to an outer vestibule of the dorm, where they attacked Vassell, breaking his nose and causing a serious concussion. The injured Vassell, defending himself with a small pocketknife, wounded his assailants.
At present, caught up in a protracted and costly legal process, Jason Vassell—an otherwise decent, gentle, young black man and law-abiding citizen described by his professors as a serious, respectful, and diligent student—finds himself in a Kafk-esque nightmare. Removed from school he faces two charges that could, if the prosecution succeeds, subject him to 30 years in state prison.
If you haven’t yet done so, please sign the petition calling for the charges again Jason to be reconsidered: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/justiceforjason/ .
To contribute to Jason’s defense, you may write a check to Esmie James, Mr. Vassell’s mother.
Mail checks to “Justice for Jason,” PO Box 197, Amherst MA 01004
www.justiceforjason.org
http://umass.facebook.com/group.php?gid=8053969667&ref=nf
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