Your Black World: The Case Of Jamie & Gladys Scott: Justice Denied

The State of Mississippi versus Jamie Scott and Gladys Scott: My First Encounter with Justice Denied

By: Nancy R. Lockhart, M.J.

http://www.freewebs.com/nlockha/index.htm

Originally Appeared In Black Commentator

While driving the moving truck from South Carolina to Chicago, Illinois in July of 2005, many things ran across my mind as I took the solo trip. I pondered receiving the Master of Jurisprudence degree from Loyola University School of Law and later a career as a governmental regulatory compliance manager. It never dawned on me that I would receive a brutal education in social justice; an education that would prove to be more valuable than sheepskin from any institution. This would become an education that re-directed every thought flowing as I drove that big truck from South Carolina. I left Chicago with the Master of Jurisprudence and absolutely no desire to follow my original dreams.

I secured a position as a Community Services Consultant with Rainbow/PUSH Coalition while completing my studies. I will never forget the frigid, Chicago morning when I opened a letter from Mrs. Evelyn Rasco, a mother and widow. She told the story of her daughters, and said she had written Rainbow/PUSH for 11 years, without a response. She redirected her strategy this time and wrote Congressman Jackson in a plea to get the letter to his father’s (Rev. Jackson) office. The letter was hand delivered. I called Mrs. Rasco and promised to get back in touch. Her approach is consistently that of a persistent mother – determined to secure help for her two daughters, who are serving double life terms each, in the state of Mississippi, for armed robbery.

Allegedly, 9, 10, or 11 dollars was stolen. No one was injured, murdered or taken to the hospital. Though often discouraged, I’ve found out, through my interactions with Mrs. Rasco, that she is rich in perseverance and her belief in God.

The following months would comprise of in-depth research efforts, on my part, on behalf of the Scott sisters. After reading the transcripts, as well as other documents, many times, I spoke with various legal experts – one of whom passed away before completely assisting with the case. Subsequently, I was convinced that a grave injustice had been wrought from the judicial bench. This injustice has proven to be the misrepresentation of poor Black women seeking justice in Mississippi’s legal system. Justice was denied. I left Chicago with a commitment to somehow free Jamie and Gladys Scott.

The parents of Jamie and Gladys Scott had felt that life for the family would be better in Mississippi than in Chicago. They had left the Chicago South Side and moved to Mississippi. Instead of finding a more peaceful, safe environment, they found a racist town where the white man’s spoken word is the law and justice for poor Black people, absent.

On December 24, 1993, Scott County Sheriff’s Department arrested the sisters for armed robbery. In October of 1994, Jamie and Gladys Scott were sentenced to double life terms in prison. That’s double sentences each! Neither sister had prior convictions. Three young Black men confessed to the robbery, but implicated Jamie and Gladys in the crime. The three young men, all related and ranging from ages 14 to 18, confessed to committing the crime. Coercions, threats and promises later led these men to turn state’s evidence on the Scott Sisters. The 14-year-old testified that he signed a written statement without an attorney present. He was told that he would be sent up to Parchman Farm – the notorious Mississippi Penitentiary/Plantation – if he did not cooperate. In addition, he was told that he would be “made out of a woman” (raped by men) at Parchman. The 14-year-old witness had spent 10 months in jail and was, at this point, ready to get out. His confession was a condition of entering a plea agreement for strong-armed robbery, which does not carry a life sentence. The 14-year-old never read the statement. He only signed it.

In 1998, one of the Patrick Men wrote an affidavit telling the truth – that Jamie and Gladys were not involved. The court never heard the affidavit. There are presently three affidavits which state that Gladys and Jamie had nothing to do with this robbery.

According to the Request for Commutation of Sentence and/or Pardon prepared by attorney Chokwe Lumumba, the Scott Sisters challenged their convictions on direct appeal; arguing that there was insufficient evidence to convict them, and the guilty verdict was against the overwhelming weight of evidence, which should exonerate them. The court of appeals found no error and affirmed the convictions on December 17, 1996. As a result, they filed a Petition for Writ of Certiorari to the Supreme Court, which was denied on May 15, 1997. They consequently filed an Application for Leave to File Motion to Vacate Conviction pursuant to the Mississippi Post Conviction Collateral Relief Act. The Supreme Court also denied that application.

The attorneys from the lower court failed to interview and subpoena witnesses for the hearing. The jury never heard the testimony from the victims. Their attorney only called one witness, when there were several. The sisters did not testify on their own behalf, because both their attorneys advised them not to. The attorneys failed to interview and subpoena the witnesses.

The affidavits of 3 witnesses were newly discovered evidence, and were unknown during the lower court trial. Attorney Chokwe Lumumba submitted a request for commutation of sentence and pardon to the governor. It was denied.

Gladys and Jamie’s older brother is presently serving in Iraq for the US Army, while Americans have wrongfully placed his sisters in prison on double life terms. No one was murdered, injured or taken to the hospital.

Their children have suffered the most from justice denied.

To assist with the struggle for exoneration of the Scott sisters, please visit:

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/Free-Jamie-Gladys/index.html

http://www.freewebs.com/nlockha/index.htm

http://www.squidoo.com/WRONGFUL-CONVICTION-OF-JAMIE-AND-GLADYS-SCOTT

http://www.scribd.com/doc/5974654/The-Wrongful-Conviction-of-Jamie-and-Gladys-Scott

Your Black News: YBW Speaks To Nancy Lockhart On The Case Of Jamie & Gladys Scott

Interview with Legal Representative, Nancy Lockhart, by Tolu Olorunda.

If “innocence until proven guilty” were the law of the land, Jamie and Gladys Scott would be free human beings walking the face of the planet. Unfortunately, the cases of Mumia Abu Jamal, Troy Davis and Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin have taught us otherwise. The Scott sisters were convicted of double armed robbery in 1994, but contend their innocence till this very day. Despite sworn affidavits and testimonies of police coercion/intimidation/threats, Jamie and Gladys remain a statistic in the prison industrial complex. Having been denied all appeal requests, the Scott sisters have undergone moments of helplessness and hopelessness. Thankfully, before long, that feeling of despondency was replaced with a glimmer of hope. The instrument of hope, in this case, came in the personage of Nancy Lockhart. Lockhart is a legal analyst, and a graduate of Loyola University. She has, over the past few years, dedicated her life and service to the case of the Scott sisters. With the level of altruism Ms. Lockhart displays, it’s no wonder Jamie and Gladys have something to be thankful for. I recently spoke with Ms. Lockhart on the case of the Scott sisters, and what the path toward justice would entail:

Thanks for joining us, Nancy. Can you start by granting some perspective on the case of Jamie and Gladys Scott?

Well, the Jamie and Gladys Scott case is about two sisters, who were charged, in 1993, with two counts of armed robbery – which carries a double life sentence. There’s sworn and signed notarized affidavits which states that Jamie and Gladys had absolutely nothing to do with the robbery. The affidavit says that the “Patrick Men,” are the real robbers who robbed the two victims, held a shotgun to them and took their wallets. The jury did not hear that testimony initially. This affidavit was given about 4 years later, by Mr. Christopher Patrick, and he stated that he was coerced and threatened into signing his first testimony against the Scott sisters. Both sisters had appeals, which were denied. The appeal is so far from the truth of what happened in the court transcript of the trial. For instance, the appeal says that the Scott sisters held the gun to the victims, but that is not in the transcript.

In your years of working toward justice for Jamie and Gladys, what kind of media coverage have you been offered?

There has not been any media coverage. I found out about this case, as a paralegal, by working with Rainbow/PUSH coalition. I pretty much got a letter from the Scott sisters, saying that she was simply writing for help with her daughters. When Rainbow/PUSH was unable to handle the case, I continued with case, and began searching for an attorney. What I realized quickly was that the cheapest attorney I could find was about $250,000. I’m doing this voluntarily, because their mother doesn’t have the money to afford a lawyer, and their father died of a heart attack, as a result of the burden this case brought. So after two years, I realized that we needed to change the strategy and work toward gaining some publicity.

Do you have any idea why Rainbow/PUSH declined to pursue the case any further?

I have no idea. I received a letter from Mrs. Roscoe – the sisters’ mother – saying she had written Rainbow/PUSH for eleven years and didn’t get any response. So I just felt that it was only right that I contacted her about it. I called her and told her that I would investigate the case myself, and I had some of my professors at Loyola University look up the case, and they really felt an injustice had been served. Through that, I was encouraged and submitted it to Rainbow/PUSH, but it pretty much fell through the cracks. At this point, we are working to get Amnesty International, ACLU and other justice advocacy groups to help publicize this case.

What is the legal status of the case at this point, and how many appeals are pending for the case of the Scott sisters?

There are no appeals left. There was a post-conviction relief filed, but the Scott sisters were not exonerated. They’ve been imprisoned for 14 years, and come out for parole in 6 years.

Some would argue that since they are due for parole in 6 years; why not work toward that objective – which seems to be more feasible. What is your response to that?

My response is that there is no guarantee that they would receive parole. I look at the Troy Davis case, and that proves my point. In 6 years, if the parole and pardon board says no, we would have to wait out till the next cycle.

What is your next strategy in the fight for justice, on behalf of Jamie and Gladys?

Well, my next strategy is to be in-touch with social justice organizations who will, at least, review the case.

As a legal analyst, what is the possibility that Jamie and Gladys Scott will be eventually exonerated?

I feel that if this case can get the publicity that it so desperately needs, they would be exonerated. I think the world needs to know about this case and what has happened to them. At this point, they are literally dying in a Jail Cell in Mississippi.

You spoke of offering your legal expertise for free. In your assessment, how critical is it for Black Attorneys and legal experts to display the kind of selflessness you exude?

It is a dire need and it is extremely critical. We need more Black Attorneys, private investigators, and investigative journalists. As a former teacher myself, I would hope that Black students are encouraged at a young age, to aspire toward these goals.

How can the general public join you in this fight for justice?

They can email me at thewrongfulconviction@gmail.com. They can also visit our Facebook page, which has been a big blessing in this case. We have been blessed with the generosity of interested activists. One individual is donating a website for Jamie and Gladys, and a programmer would donate his services to program the site.

For more info on the case of Jamie and Gladys Scott, pls. visit:

http://www.mississippi-justice.com/Gladys__Jamie.html

http://www.scribd.com/doc/5974654/The-Wrongful-Conviction-of-Jamie-and-Gladys-Scott

This interview was conducted by Tolu Olorunda, Staff Writer for YourBlackWorld.com