Supporters of Frances Newton to Converge in Austin on Saturday; Will Demand the Sept. 14 Execution Be Stopped!

Contact: Gloria Rubac, Committee to Free Frances Newton, 713-503-2633, FreeFrances@hotmail.com

HOUSTON, Texas Christian Wire Service -- The Committee to Free Frances Newton is heading to the state's capital on Saturday, August 27, to let the governor of Texas know that the execution of Frances Newton must be stopped.

The bus will leave Houston's SHAPE Community Center at 9:30 AM sharp, carrying a full bus of advocates for Newton, including her mother, Jewel Nelms.

A protest will begin at 2:00 PM at the intersection of 5th and Lamar Streets in Austin, where participants will gather on all four corners to spread the word about Newton's innocence. They will be asking Austinites to sign postcards to the governor, handing out flyers, selling tee shirts and giving DVD's of Newton out to those who can show it at their school, church or organization.

At 2:30 there will be a march on the sidewalks to the Governor's Mansion. After a protest around the mansion, there will be a rally with music, spoken word and speakers.

Joining Frances' mother at the rally will be other death row families, including Barbara Acuna, mother of Robert Acuna, the last juvenile sent to death row by Harris County before the Supreme Court ruled last fall that juveniles could no longer be executed. Also, Delia Perez-Meyers, brother of innocent death row prisoner Louis Perez will join in the support for Newton. Music and African drumming will be provided by "Tropic Blue" from Houston.

"There is new evidence that a court has never heard and there are too many unanswered questions," said committee organizer Njeri Shakur. "Now, after denying it for 18 years, the Houston District Attorney just admitted they had a second gun in the case. Frances could not have murdered her family if the Houston Police said she had not fired a gun. These questions must be heard in a court of law with Frances having competent attorneys."

The protest and rally is being co-sponsored by the Austin Campaign to End the Death Penalty, the Texas Moratorium Network, the New Black Panther Party and the Texas Death Penalty Abolition Movement.

When Houstonians get back on the bus around 5:00 PM, they hope that the governor will understand that he can not allow Newton to be executed and that the people of Texas expect him to do the right thing!

The media in Austin will be given a press packet including copies of the DVD with D.A. Roe Wilson admitting to a Dutch journalist the there is indeed another gun that was never admitted into evidence.

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Source : Christian Communication Network

http://www.earnedmedia.org/cffn0826.htm