[Ppnews] Angola 3 Update - Albert's Tuesday hearing

[Political Prisoner News]

A3 Update
28 February 2009
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Action Alert  
[http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1102482063000&e=001MxYVQ0Q87rPWuMtJ98rr7oAXeK2Rl5UbPoETFaXSupiR12jOlfQ_o4KtaQFkUkfWRU7IyO0798WbLIAgUgKejFFjgU7LxOtiZCMSJhfNnRU3sO6IMl72Cg==]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

International Coalition to Free the Angola 3
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Albert's 5th Circuit Hearing Tues March 3rd

Where, When & What to Expect

Albert's hearing is scheduled for this Tuesday morning, March 3rd in  
room 223 of
the East Courtroom of the US Court of Appeals located in New Orleans  
at 600 Camp Street at 11am.

As you may recall, last July a Federal Judge (Brady) overturned Albert  
Woodfox's
conviction.  The State appealed this decision to the 5th Circuit Court  
of Appeals and March 3rd are the oral arguments for that appeal.

The oral arguments themselves are a very short and formal process.   
Albert's attorneys will explain to the court why Judge Brady did the  
right thing, and the State will try to argue he made a mistake in  
overturning the conviction.  Each side will argue for 20 min, and then  
the court will take anywhere from 1-6 months to issue their decision.

If the 5th Circuit agrees with Albert's attorneys and upholds Judge  
Brady's ruling, then the State has 120 days to either retry or release  
Albert.  They have already vowed to retry him.  If the 5th Circuit  
agrees with the State, then the conviction is reinstated and Albert  
would have to start the appeals process all over again with a  
different claim if he wants to try to gain his freedom.

There are several other possible scenarios that could play out but  
those are the
two most likely outcomes.  Albert will not be at the hearing but it is open to
the public.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A3 Action Solidarity Vigil at Lafayette Square

Join A3 Supporters 9am Tuesday Morning in New Orleans

Local supporters are gathering in Lafayette Square (a park) across  
Camp Street from the Courthouse at 9am for a solidarity vigil on  
Albert's behalf.

tshirts  
[http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1102482063000&e=001MxYVQ0Q87rO1QrsxPna_l7l4Zx2qDIU6f6YYY3wZ1QhMdTIrhBa-NDyKOcB0m68d9BjD8aAaac62NHu2lUfNh40D-KsnSmgQbEU3knj3NQhi_BOlfdXlXIV_O97kN0onJ8ZNPI-RzNzcVLDyfvoxiQ==]

Organizers are asking participants to wear black (or an A3 T-shirt if  
you have one).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Know The House Rules

Tips If You Plan to Attend the Hearing

Unlike Albert's recent bail hearing, Tuesday's oral arguments will be  
held in Federal Court which has very strict and formal codes of  
conduct.  A few quick tips:

1.  The courtroom only holds 50 people on a first come, first serve  
basis, so begin to go through security around 10:15am to be sure to  
get in and get a seat in time.

2.  If you participate in the vigil, bring a change of clothesbecause  
no buttons, T-shirts or signs of any kind are allowed inside the  
courthouse.

3.  Dress formally and expect to be searched. No cellphones or  
electronic devices of any kind are allowed.

4.  Finally, Federal Marshals are allowed to remove spectatorsfor even  
the most
minor of perceived slights or disruptions. So please be extra careful  
to not talk, whisper, or communicate with each other once you step  
foot in the courtroom.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Looking forward to seeing many of you who are traveling to New Orleans  
for this
event.  Both Herman and Albert are optimistic that this might just be  
the defining legal moment where justice prevails.  Stay tuned!

until soon,

Tory Pegram
A3 Campaign Coordinator
odsllc at gmail.com [mailto:odsllc at gmail.com]
504.338.2631

www.angola3.org  
[http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1102482063000&e=001MxYVQ0Q87rPWuMtJ98rr7oAXeK2Rl5UbPoETFaXSupiR12jOlfQ_o4KtaQFkUkfWRU7IyO0798WbLIAgUgKejFFjgU7LxOtiZCMSJhfNnRU3sO6IMl72Cg==]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~