Reginald Blanton's case is one riddled with injustices. The Initial
suspect could not be found. The only two witnesses were forced to sign
statements against Reginald, under threats of being charged with the
crime. These witnesses were Reginalds brother, Robert, and Robert's then
pregnant girlfriend. Prosecutors racially excluded African Americans from
serving on his jury. The shoe print on the victims kicked in apartment
door did not match the shoes Reginald wore the day of the crime. Reginald
was wrongly convicted of murdering his friend and robbing him of jewelry
that already belonged to Reginald! His appellant Attorney refused to
represent his legal interest, ignored all of Reginald's letters pleading
this attorney to file what amounted to innocence claims and because of
this failure, all Reginalds innocence claims were procedurally barred
from ever being heard.
REGINALDS OWN WORDS
7 years, 7… Long… years I've struggled to be heard; struggled through
my isolation like a flower fighting to grow through concrete. My only
hope… that some rain may come before the sun makes me wither away. The
sun? People's misconception that the criminal justice system works;
peoples misconception that I can't be a man behind bars, inside concrete,
on Death Row. An innocent man on top of that. The silence and
indifference is hot, scorching! My state Habeas attorney refused to file
any of my innocence claims I wrote to him about; pleaded to him about,
over the course of the year, he, what the system calls, represented me. I
swear I don't know who that "me" is. Because it wasn't Reginald W.
Blanton. So I compiled the carbon copies I had of these letters together
and filed it in a petition to the court. It was my cry: LOOK! My
representation "is not representing me. He won't file my innocence claims
which have merit because most of it is already recorded!
But the court ignored me. Not a word–though I sent it to the judge,
court clerk, DA's office, and my own attorney, certified mail/ return
receipt. Then I filed the same petition to the next court (C.C.A) and
they ignored me. I even filed a grievance to the State Bar against my
State Habeas attorney and they acted as if they read someone else's
grievance, stating my grievance didn't allege any misconduct, classifying
it as an inquiry. I wasn't inquiring about anything. I was showing them
the significance of my claims and how the attorney failed to file them.
Now as a result of my State Habeas attorney's refusal to represent
my legal interest at the state Habeas stage of my appeal, all my
innocence claims have been procedurally barred. My case now sits in the
Supreme Court which will be heard shortly.
7 long years, at just 27 years old, I've fought hard. And over the
years my supporters and I have contacted, lord knows how many
Organizations across the world, from California, to New York on to United
Kingdom and Europe, and almost everywhere in between, and they have all
said the same thing: Don't have the resources; don't have the time; don't
have! don't have!
Proving I'm innocent after I'm murdered wrongfully by the State will
not resurrect me, nor my mama or my wife; because they will surely die
inside if I lose my life.
Will you, too, burn me with your silence, your indifference, or will you
contact my wife who will put you in contact with my court appointed
Federal attorney who is fighting, against the seed of judicial time, to
save the life of the quadriplegic appeal my previous state Habeas
Attorney left behind? Now this is an "inquiry".
My wife, Sandie, can be contacted at:
reggieblanton@hotmail.com
<mailto:reggieblanton@hotmail.com> or
lawofparties@hotmail.com
<mailto:lawofparties@hotmail.com>
My myspace page is
www.myspace.com/freereggieb<http://www.myspace.com/freereggieb>
Everything I Am,
because I have nothing left
Reginald "Omari" Blanton
REGINALD'S PETITION