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No Death Penalty for
Zolo Agona Azania

Zolo Agona Azania
How you can help
The state of Indiana is trying for the third time to get a death sentence for Zolo Agona Azania.
Opponents of the death penalty, social justice activists, human rights advocates, and people of all faiths from around the world are working to prevent a new death sentence for Zolo. Here are some ways you can join us in this struggle.
- Contact the No Death Penalty for Zolo Committee:
No Death Penalty for Zolo Committee
P.O. Box 478314
Chicago, IL 60647
usa
Email: crsn (at) aol (dot) com
www.zoloazania.org
UNPRECEDENTED COURT VICTORY
On May 1, 2005, Judge Steve David granted Zolo's motion to bar the State of Indiana from seeking the death penalty for the third time. The Court found that "fundamental principles of fairness, due
process, and speedy justice" were violated in
Zolo's
case. Judge David also pointed out that "the State
bears most of the responsibility for the delay
between
the defendant's 1982 conviction and the currently
pending penalty proceeding." In 1993, the Indiana
Supreme Court overturned Zolo's original death
sentence because the prosecution had failed to
turned
over a gunshot residue test. In 2002, the Indiana
Supreme Court overturned Zolo's second death
sentence because "the jury pool selection process
was
fundamentally flawed," including the
unconstitutional
exclusion of Blacks.
WE MUST DEFEND THE RULING
The Lake County prosecutor has appealed this ruling, despite opposition from Indiana State Representative Charlie Brown, Jane Bohman, Executive Director of the Illinois Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, Father Charles Doyle of the Duneland Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, the No Death Penalty for Zolo Committee and many others in Indiana and around the world.
The State of Indiana should not continue to seek the
death penalty against a defendant after decades of
obstruction and obfuscation by police, prosecutors
and
court officials. Both the Indiana Constitution and
the
U.S. Constitution guarantee all of us a right to a
fair trial. This is not a "legal technicality," as
Danielle Braff described it in the Post Tribune on June 1, 2006, but
the basis of our justice system.
SHOW YOUR SUPPORT IN THE COURT:
When Zolo's case is heard in the courts we need to be there. We have to demonstrate that there is support for Zolo. Those who demand that Zolo be killed are well organized and are trying to mobilize public opinion to pressure Indiana's judges. Without our presence in the courtroom their "law and order" pro-death penalty ideology will go unchallenged.
The oral arguments scheduled for June 9 were postponed to June
27th
at 10:30am. We will be there at the Indiana Supreme
Court, 200 W. Washington, Room 317, Indianapolis,
IN. Zolo's legal team will argue to the Indiana
Supreme Court that it should uphold the May 2005 ruling
preventing the State of Indiana from seeking the
death
penalty for the third time.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
- Invite someone from the Committee to discuss Zolo's case at your church, home, civic organization, etc.
- Join the Committee and work with us to save Zolo's life.
- Send a donation to the Committee
- Download and Distribute the flyers below:
- Write a letter to the Indiana newspapers, or your local paper
- Write a letter to Lake County Prosecutor Bernard A. Carter
asserting that he must give up his current plans to execute Zolo
because it is not in interests of justice and or in the interests of
the people of Lake County, and in fact is a waste of their resources. Thoughtful and respectful letters are most effective.
The Honorable Bernard A. Carter
Building B, 1st floor
2293 N. Main Street
Crown Point, IN 46307 USA
-
Write a letter to Zolo. Zolo would appreciate letters from supporters. He can currently be reached at:
Zolo Agona Azania
#4969
P.O. Box 41
Indiana State Prison
Michigan City, IN 46361
Below are some addresses to which you could write letters to the editor.
We need to create a political climate where the Indiana courts must give Zolo a fair and just hearing, despite the racism, prejudice, and bias which has so far characterized Zolo's case. Without any pressure from our side they will find it easier to sentence him to death a third time.
Thankfully many supporters have written thoughtful letters to the newspapers and other media and helped to support Zolo in sucessfully overturning two previous death sentences.
The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette, and the Indianapolis Star have written favorable editorials and printed letters supporting justice for Zolo. The Fort Wayne The News-Sentinel is much more reactionary and their editorial called for Zolo's execution.
- The Gary Post-Tribune
1433 E. 83rd Ave.
Merrillville, IN 46410-6307
Email: editor@post-trib.com
-
The Journal-Gazette
c/o Laura Emerson
P.O. Box 100
600 W. Main Street
Fort Wayne IN 46801-0088 USA
Email: jghabayeb@fortwayne.infi.net
Telephone: 219-461-8428
http://www.journalgazette.net/
-
Indianapolis Star
c/o Editor
P.O. Box 145
307 N. Pennsylvania St.
Indianapolis, IN 46206-0145 USA
Email: stareditor@starnews.com
Telephone: 317-444-6177
http://www.starnews.com
-
The News-Sentinel
c/o Editor
P.O. Box 102
600 W. Main Street
Fort Wayne IN 46801 USA
Email: nsletters@news-sentinel.com or nsweb@news-sentinel.com
Telephone: 219-461-8444
Fax: 219-461-8817
http://www.news-sentinel.com/ns/
-
South Bend Tribune
225 W. Colfax Ave.
South Bend, IN 46626
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Northwest Indiana Times
601 W. 45th Ave.
Munster, IN 46321
Telephone: 219-933-3200
Email:letters@nwitimes.com
-
Evansville Courier & Press
300 East Walnut St
Evansville, IN 47713
Telephone: 812-424-7711
-
The Editor
The Chicago Sun-Times
401 North Wabash Avenue
Chicago, IL 60611
Telephone: 312-321-3000
Fax: 312-321-3084
-
The Editor - Steve Mills
The Chicago Tribune
435 North Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL 60611
Telephone: 312-222-3232
Fax: 312-222-4674
"Even though I am seeking help from anywhere and everywhere I can get it, my
personal freedom campaign is not the Movement per se. Higher progressive efforts
at publicly critical resistance are needed now. We must organize, educate, and
be proactive. I do not have any doubt that We shall overcome, and there is
Victory for us!" - Zolo Azania, in a March 15th, 2004 letter to Presente! (a progressive artists
group in Boston, Massachusetts)
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