Uppity-Negro.com

From nuvo.net/Running out of time:

Darnell Williams is running out of time.

If the state of Indiana has its way, on Aug. 1 — one day after his 37th birthday — Williams will be the 11th person it has executed since 1981, the third this year.

The state is so intent on its deadline, Williams’ attorney [Juliet Yackel] says, that it doesn’t care whether he is directly responsible for the killings he stands convicted of committing. Despite the testimony and evidence presented against Williams at trial, the case against him was never what one would call a slam-dunk.

In a revealing transcript from the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, Assistant U.S. Attorney Steve Creeson admits that “[T]he evidence is not particularly, in my opinion, compelling showing defendant’s presence at the crime.”

What's too late to mention is a press conference with Juliet Yackel, Barry Scheck and a Williams juror at 11:30 this morning, mentioned at this Williams site.

It may not be too late to prevent Williams' execution.

Additional information is available from Amnesty International, which states:

Information newly discovered from the state serologist's notes suggest that the blood on the shorts may not have come from the victims and therefore could support Darnell Williams' claim that he was not present at the shootings. His appeal lawyers have sought to have the blood subjected to modern DNA testing techniques. The trial prosecutor has supported this request, stating in a 2003 affidavit that "in light of this new information, DNA testing should be utilized to determine the truth about the scientific evidence that played a key role in this capital case". He concluded that "if DNA testing shows that the blood on Williams' shorts is not that of the victims, the issues of the degree of Mr Williams' participation in the murders and his culpability for capital murder should be reassessed". The Northwestern Law School's renowned Center on Wrongful Convictions in Illinois also supports DNA testing in this case, as does the foreman from the jury that sentenced Williams to death. However, the courts have denied the request.

A postscript to the nuvo.net story adds, "To contact Gov. O’Bannon about Williams’ pending execution, call 317-232-4567 or e-mail fobannon@state.in.us."

You have slightly over a week to possibly make a difference.

Update: From an AP/Indianapolis Star article about the press conference:

A former juror who helped convict a man in a 1986 double slaying is expected to appear at a news conference today at the Statehouse -- alongside the attorney trying to prevent the man's execution.

That juror now thinks Darnell Williams should not be put to death for the crime.

Attorney Juliet Yackel will discuss the case at the news conference; she also will be joined by DNA expert Barry Scheck.

[. . .] Yackel wants the Indiana Supreme Court to allow DNA testing on blood found on the shorts Williams was wearing the night of the murders. Yackel has argued that the DNA test could show the blood did not come from either victim, which would be contrary to evidence presented at trial.

Also today, Williams was scheduled to testify before the Parole Board at the Indiana State Prison in Michigan City regarding his clemency application.

Yackel's legal team filed documents in federal court Tuesday seeking access to evidence in the case for DNA testing.

The requests for testing have been opposed by the Indiana attorney general's office.

Just to sum up, that request is supported not only by Williams' attorney, but also by several members of the jury and the trial prosecutor from the original trial.

Determining why they feel more strongly about putting a man to death for a crime he may not have committed than the current "attorney general's office" is left as an exercise for the reader.