New Law Shreds Rights: New Pennsylvania Legislation Sucker Punches Inmate Speech

[Judi Lynn]

October 22, 2014
New Law Shreds Rights

New Pennsylvania Legislation Sucker Punches Inmate Speech

by LINN WASHINGTON Jr.


The serious injustice endured by Pennsylvania prison inmate Lorenzo ‘Cat’ Johnson, detailed yesterday in Part I of this series, is the subject of a website and numerous other postings on the Internet. Those Internet postings detail gross misconduct by police and prosecutors that have kept Johnson imprisoned for a murder that evidence indicates he neither committed nor had anything to with.

Johnson served 16-years of a life sentence before a federal appeals court ordered his release in October 2011 after ruling insufficient evidence existed to maintain his conviction. Prosecutors never claimed Johnson was the killer only that he was present when the killing occurred.

However, a perverse appeal by Pennsylvania Attorney General’s office prosecutors forced Johnson’s return to prison in June 2012 –- following six-months of freedom.

Those websites supporting Johnson’s release, which contain documents and other evidence detailing Johnson’s wrongful conviction, are in danger of being wiped under terms of legislation recently approved by Pennsylvania’s Republican-dominated House and Senate.

More:
http://www.counterpunch.org/2014/10/22/new-pennsylvania-legislation-sucker-punches-inmate-speech/

[1StrongBlackMan]

2. This isn't from the Onion? ...

I haven't read the statute (only the editor's summation), but not only is the bill a violation of the 1st Amendment; it is clearly unconstitutionally vague and likely to produce lawsuit after law suit ... How does one determine what conduct/activity “... perpetuates the continuing effects of the crime on the victim."

Arguably, a still incarcerated, death-row inmate, appealing his/her death sentence “perpetuates the continuing effects of the crime on the victim”, because if successful, he/she makes the news by CONTINUING TO LIVE, whether free or behind bars.

[marble falls]

3. The verdict is more important than the facts.