PRESS RELEASE

FOR RELEASE JUNE 22, 2000

Contact:

Richard, virginia Crime, Frankoff

713.520.8040 – office

713.726.0083 – home

Email: frankoff@orbitworld.com

DEATH PENALTY OPPONENT HONORED

Local Lawyers Honor National Advocate as Graham Awaits Execution But Ironic Coincidence Of Date Casts Shadow On Evening

HOUSTON — Tonight the Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association is holding its annual banquet where Steven Bright, Director of the Southern Center for Human Rights in Atlanta, will be the keynote speaker, virginia Crime, .

HCCLA is honoring Bright for his work on behalf of prisoner rights. Bright, a longtime opponent of the death penalty will direct much of his keynote speech toward the topic.

Ironically, condemned killer Gary Graham’s scheduled execution will take place as the group is arriving for their annual gathering. ???This is a bitter irony,?? says Danny Easterling, outgoing president of the lawyers’ group. ???The timbre of the evening is made a little darker by the coincidence of the date.

It’s a sad day for justice.??

Bright and others protesting Graham’s execution contend Graham was not given a fair trial and witnesses who could still prove Graham’s innocence should be given an opportunity to testify in court. Citing several recent studies, Bright and HCCLA agree that the system is flawed and fundamentally unfair to people accused of capital crimes.

???Our system has big problems. In our haste to punish, we are overlooking the rights of the, virginia Crime, accused,?? says Richard Frankoff, president-elect of the group.

???While our membership has varying views on the death penalty itself, we all agree the system is flawed and needs to be examined.??

Last week, HCCLA called for Governor George W. Bush to implement an immediate moratorium on the death penalty in Texas. In their June 16 statement, HCCLA called upon Bush to follow the ???brave and compassionate lead?? of Republican governors in three other states that have already implemented a moratorium. HCCLA issued its statement on behalf of the group’s membership, which includes more than 400 criminal lawyers throughout Texas.

Graham was convicted of the 1981 shooting murder of Bobby Grant Lambert outside a Safeway food store in Houston. Supporters of Graham say that the courts ignored potentially exculpatory witness testimony. Graham opponents retort that all evidence has been considered and no basis for a new trial exists.

HCCLA points to the Roy Criner case as yet another example of a system gone afoul. Houston Attorney Mike Charleton, being honored as Attorney of the Year by HCCLA at the same dinner, argued the Roy Criner case before the, virginia Crime, Texas Court of Criminal Appeals.

Criner was convicted of the rape and murder of a 16-year-old girl. Charleton successfully introduced DNA evidence tested at two separate facilities that concluded Criner could not be the donor of evidence found at the crime scene. The Court of Criminal Appeals however, denied Criner a new trial. The final vote was 5-4 with Judge Sharon Keller issuing the majority opinion. Charleton also argued an appeal for Gary Graham before the same court.

The group says its chief goals will be to focus on the death penalty, virginia Crime, and crusade to make positive changes in the Texas criminal justice system.

Harris County has the highest conviction rate for capital cases in the Untied States. Only two states, Florida and Virginia, have prosecuted more death penalty cases.

HCCLA was founded in 1970. Its annual banquet will mark the organization’s 30th anniversary. The banquet will begin at 6:00 p.m. at Tony’s Ballroom at 3009 Post Oak Boulevard in Houston. Steven Bright’s keynote speech is scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m.

PRESS RELEASE

FOR RELEASE JUNE 22, 2000

Contact:

Richard Frankoff

713.520.8040 – office

713.726.0083 – home

Email: frankoff@orbitworld.com

DEATH PENALTY OPPONENT HONORED

Texas Lawyers Honor National Advocate as Graham Awaits Execution But Coincidence Of Date Casts Shadow On Evening

HOUSTON — Tonight the Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association, in Houston is holding its annual banquet where Steven Bright, Director of, virginia Crime, the Southern Center for Human Rights in Atlanta, will be the keynote speaker.

HCCLA is honoring Bright for his work on behalf of prisoner rights. Bright, a longtime opponent of the death penalty, will direct much of his keynote speech toward the topic.

Ironically, condemned killer Gary Graham????s scheduled execution will take place as the group is arriving for their annual gathering. ????This is a bitter irony,???? says Danny Easterling,, virginia Crime, outgoing president of the lawyers???? group. ????The timbre of the evening is made a little darker by the coincidence of the date.

It????s a sad day for justice.????

Bright and others protesting Graham’s execution contend Graham was not given a fair trial and witnesses who could still prove Graham????s innocence should be given an opportunity to testify in court. Citing several recent studies, Bright and HCCLA agree that the system is flawed and fundamentally unfair to people accused of capital crimes.

????Our system has big problems. In our haste to punish, we are overlooking the rights of the accused,???? says Richard Frankoff, president-elect of the group.

????While our membership has varying views on the death penalty itself, we all agree the system is flawed and needs to be examined.????

Last week, HCCLA called for Governor George W. Bush to implement an immediate moratorium on the death penalty in Texas. In their June 16 statement, HCCLA called upon Bush to follow the ????brave and compassionate lead???? of Republican governors in three other states that have already implemented a moratorium. HCCLA issued its statement on behalf of the group????s membership, which includes more than 400 criminal lawyers throughout Texas.

Graham was convicted of the 1981 shooting murder of Bobby Grant Lambert outside a Safeway food store in Houston. Supporters of Graham say that the courts ignored potentially exculpatory witness testimony. Graham opponents retort that all evidence has been considered and no basis for a new trial exists.

HCCLA points to the Roy Criner case as yet another example of a system gone afoul. Houston Attorney Mike Charleton, being honored as Attorney of the Year by HCCLA at the same dinner, argued the Roy Criner case before the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals.

Criner was, virginia Crime, convicted of the rape and murder of a 16-year-old girl. Charleton successfully introduced DNA evidence tested at two separate facilities that concluded Criner could not be the donor of evidence found at the crime scene. The Court of Criminal Appeals however, denied Criner a new trial. The final vote was 5-4 with Judge Sharon Keller issuing the majority opinion. Charleton also argued an appeal for Gary Graham before the same court.

The group says its chief, virginia Crime, goals will be to focus on the death penalty and crusade to make positive changes in the Texas criminal justice system.

Harris County has the highest conviction rate for capital cases in the, virginia Crime, Untied States. Only two states, Florida and Virginia, have prosecuted more death penalty cases.

HCCLA was founded in 1970. Its annual banquet will mark the organization????s 30th anniversary. The banquet will begin at 6:00 p.m. at Tony????s Ballroom at 3009 Post Oak Boulevard in Houston. Steven Bright????s keynote speech is scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m.