August 25, 1996

 

The Hon. Lee Yeakel, Chief Justice
3rd Court of Appeals
Price Daniels Building
209 W. 14th Street
Austin, Texas 78701

Dear Justice Yeakel:

I am part of a growing number of advocates for the immediate release of Lacresha Murray. It has become abundantly clear that an innocent child has been in jail for two years because of a faulty, incompetent (at best) and corrupt (at worst) legal system.

Your honor, you have the power and authority to reverse this case for any or all of the following reasons:

  1. There is not,  and was not sufficient evidence in this case to indict Lacresha Murray.

  2. The illegal and coerced statement forced from an unprotected 11-year-old American child is an abomination and alien to everything America is supposed to stand for in its legal system. The letter and intent of the law was blatantly violated in this case.

  3. The judge who sat on this case, as the former campaign manager and long-time friend of District Attorney Ronnie Earle, had an obvious conflict of interest.  That conflict of interest operating in both trials served to deny Lacresha Murray an unbiased judge, a fair jury and a fair trial.

Allowing this conviction to stand would send the message that in Texas anyone, even an innocent child,  can be railroaded -- picked up, hidden away from her family, falsely accused without evidence, deviously interrogated without assistance, prosecuted, and sent to jail.

Those who work in the justice system are the servants of the people. There are laws they too must obey, designed to protect the innocent as well as punish the guilty, and those laws are not to be misused by politicians as a tool for political gain.

Thank you for your time and attention.

Sincerely,