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23 Nov, 9 tweets, 3 min read
Brandon Bernard. Sentenced to death at 18 as an accomplice. Attorneys declined opening statements. Called no witnesses at penalty stage. 11 of 12 jurors were white. 5 of them now don't want death. His prosecutor has called for mercy. Bill Barr wants him executed on Dec. 10. More: Image
Before this year, no federal execution had taken place since 2003. In July 2020, Barr & Trump resumed federal executions. Since then, they've killed 8 people. Brandon Bernard has now received an execution date. He is currently scheduled to be killed on December 10, 2020. Image
Brandon was just 18 when he was convicted as an accomplice-did not pull the trigger-in a murder in Texas. Didn't realize that anyone was going to get shot. He was arrested, convicted, & sentenced to death all within 1 year. On death row since 2000. He's almost 40 now.
If the crime had been committed just a few months earlier, Brandon's age would've made him ineligible for death. Since his incarceration, Brandon has become a model for others & mentor for at-risk youth. Incredibly, he has received zero infractions in his two decades caged.
Brandon's prosecutor who helped put him on death row: "I have come to appreciate that a teenager who takes part in committing a terrible crime may transform over the years into a thoughtful adult. Brandon is just such a person." indystar.com/story/opinion/…
Juror GM: "I have always thought about whether there was anything I could do to try to change Mr. Bernard's death sentence to a life sentence. I never thought this opportunity would come. I pray that President Trump rights this wrong & commutes his sentence to life imprisonment.
Juror JF: "I support clemency for Brandon. My understanding now, as I am older, w/ more life experiences, about teens & our brain & social development factors in to my current wishes for clemency. I do not want Brandon to be executed for bad decisions he made when he was a teen."
TAKE ACTION: Let President Trump know that you think Brandon’s death sentence is unjust by asking him to commute Brandon’s sentence. helpsavebrandon.com/send-a-letter-…
For more information on Brandon Bernard and his family, please visit this site: helpsavebrandon.com Image

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More from @ScottHech

Scott Hechinger Profile picture
23 Nov
Chris. Father of 3 in Chicago. Couldn't even go outside bc of electronic monitoring. No walks. Errands. Not even the doctor when his son broke his arm. In August, his mom had to go to hospital so he *had* to pick up kids. Arrested. Now jailed. During COVID.themarshallproject.org/2020/11/22/whe…
During COVID, the alternative to jail for disproportionately Black & Brown communities: "Expanded use of home confinement & electronic monitoring, especially for pretrial defendants who have not been convicted & who would not be confined at all if they could afford bail."
"In Chicago, an epicenter of the rise in surveillance, the number of people on electronic monitoring jumped from 2,417 before the pandemic to 3,365 by mid-June and has remained in that range. At one point, the agency ran out of ankle bracelets."
Read 9 tweets
Scott Hechinger Profile picture
22 Nov
NYT: “Moral & public health failure.” While many jails saw population drop during first few months, the numbers of people in jails began climbed again over the summer. In 88 counties, jail populations are *higher now* than they were before the pandemic. nytimes.com/2020/11/21/opi…
“More than 196,600 coronavirus infections had been reported among state & federal prisons. More than 1,450 of those died. The case rates among inmates are more than 4x as high as those of the general public, & the death rate is more than twice as high.” Just reported cases.
“The real numbers are assumed to be higher. The virus ripples outward from these hot spots, engulfing the families and communities of inmates and workers. The coronavirus does not respect prison walls any more than it respects state or national borders. It will not be confined.”
Read 4 tweets
Scott Hechinger Profile picture
21 Nov
Imagine. You’re locked in a confined space w/ dozens. 23 hrs movement restricted. No masks. Forced to share toilet. Either no soap or soap you can’t afford. Many likely have symptoms. Complain: you’re retaliated against. Medical care denied. This is US jails/prisons right now.
Our systems, system actors, prosecutors & judges, & our laws, lawmakers & leaders, across the country have largely done nothing to respond to human suffering inside jails/prisons even in a pandemic. Even in this remarkable time, it is strict adherence to the cruel status quo.
Leaders like @NYGovCuomo, @NYCMayor, & @LoriLightfoot responding w/ urgency to COVID for those outside, choose to ignore human suffering inside jails and prisons where social distancing is impossible, soap and sanitizer is denied, and medical attention is abysmal.
Read 10 tweets
Scott Hechinger Profile picture
19 Nov
This is Luis Reyes. Caged on Rikers for a year for just a curfew violation. Now charged w/ stealing a package to support his substance use disorder. Suffers from mental health issues. Faces *years* in prison. Cy Vance won't offer treatment instead. More: nydailynews.com/new-york/ny-ma…
Luis Reyes has been in and out of court since he was 16. Suffering from profound mental health issues. Hopelessness. Homelessness. Substances. Horrors. He's saddled w/ a criminal record. He needs help. Not more hurt.
If Luis Reyes were arrested in Brooklyn, it would even be a question that the DA's office would offer him treatment instead of prison. Despite the crime being classified as "violent," it wasn't. Took a package from a lobby. And he already suffered in Rikers.
Read 17 tweets
Scott Hechinger Profile picture
18 Nov
ATTENTION: In August, New Orleans advocates, communities, & defenders, won for justice. City council mandated public defender funding be commensurate w/ DAs. Now: The Mayor is ignoring it. Proposes no change. In fact, *PD budget is getting slashed.* More: thelensnola.org/2020/10/26/may…
As the Mayor proposed, New Orleans will spend more than $240,000,000 in 2021 to arrest, prosecute and incarcerate its citizens, and just $1,626,442 to protect innocence, fight against wrongful arrest, protect against wrongful convictions, and to hold power accountable.
Despite a massive win in August for budget parity, under the Mayor's plan, the Orleans Public Defenders appropriation went from 85% (proportion of number of people they represent) of the DA to just ONE-THIRD. This is not what ensures a fair, equitable, and just legal system.
Read 7 tweets
Scott Hechinger Profile picture
14 Nov
If only our leaders listened. In April, four men caged in Miami tried to save Charles Hobbs. Guards ignored them. He died. Today, as COVID again explodes, leaders across the country still ignore those incarcerated. They spoke out then. I hope we listen now:
Follow me: The violence and indifference inside courts and jails, built to silence people, blocked by physical walls of jail/prison, and insulated by the legalese of the daily process in court, is largely invisible even though it’s no less real. Even more so during the pandemic.
Back in April and continuing to today, there was no cell phone footage inside Metro West Detention Facility in Miami where thousands are caged pre-trial. No photos. Loved ones had long been cut off from visiting and phone calls were not happening.
Read 16 tweets

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