Lynne Stewart Denied Compassionate Release

by Stephen Lendman

Numerous previous articles discussed her. She's one of America's best. She's a role model for others.

She's wrongfully imprisoned. She got 10 years for acting responsibly. She served others honorably, ethically, and heroically.

She did so for 30 years. Doing the right thing matters. It's its own reward. She defended clients prosecutors wanted wrongfully imprisoned. They have no chance for justice without advocates like her.

Obama wants her silenced. He wants justice denied. He reflects the worst of America's dark side. No pun intended. He wants Lynne dead.

She's a breast cancer survivor. It reemerged. It spread. It's Stage Four. It reached her lymph nodes, shoulder, left arm pit, bones and lungs. Her brain and other body parts are vulnerable.

She's dying. She's denied proper care. America's 1984 Sentencing Act grants prisoner rights. They include reduced sentences "for extraordinary and compelling reasons."

None rise to the level of life threatening illness. Lynne's condition demands compassionate release. Former Attorney General Ramsey Clark said she "meets every legal, rational and humane criterion for" it.

FMC Carswell warden Jody Upton recommended it. She did based on Lynne's Stage 4 condition.

Delay and denial reflect appalling cruel and unusual treatment. Washington blackguards prioritize it. Gross injustice reflects it. Heroic figures like Lynne suffer.

It's premeditated first degree murder. Lynne shouldn't have been imprisoned in the first place. Doing so reflects police state justice. Viciousness defines it.

America's best are targeted. Whistleblowers exposing government wrongdoing are called terrorists. Rule of law principles don't matter. Witch hunt justice threatens everyone. Thousands appealed for compassionate release. They did so forthrightly and honorably.

On June 21, Lawyers' Rights Watch Canada wrote Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) director Charles Samuels, Jr. They did so on Lynne's behalf. They urgently requested he act.

Warden Upton's April 26 recommendation was "fully vetted by the Federal Bureau of Prisons," it said. "Urgently needed medical treatment arranged at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre in New York will begin immediately on Ms Stewart’s release."

"Inexcusable delays, denials and inappropriate delivery of medical treatment while in prison have worsening Ms Stewart’s health to the point where further delay may result in death."

As Bureau of Prisons director, "you are charged with the duty of overseeing the proper administration of prisons and ensuring the safety and security of all inmates."

"A primary part of this duty is to take effective measures to prevent and punish threats to the lives of inmates."

Lynne's life "is currently threatened not only by her illness, but also by further delay."

"We urge you to immediately sign the Motion for Release on Compassionate Grounds and take all other steps to ensure the prompt filing and hearing of the motion."

Yours sincerely,

Gail Davidson

Executive Director

Lawyers’ Rights Watch Canada

Lynne's compassionate release was denied. It was done duplicitously. Reasons given didn't wash. Lies substituted for truth.

On June 25, her web site headlined "URGENT ALERT - LYNNE STEWART DENIED COMPASSIONATE RELEASE BY FEDERAL BUREAU OF PRISONS DIRECTOR."

Her husband Ralph Poynter got a three-paragraph pro forma letter. It's from Kathleen Kenney. She's Federal Bureau of Prisons/Washington DC general counsel.

It says Compassionate Release denied. Allegedly it's on grounds that Lynne's "health is improving."

Saying so is maliciously false. Her cancer continues to metasticize. She remains in isolation. Her white blood cell count's extremely low. She risks life threatening general infection.

She weakens daily. Her life hangs in the balance. She could go any time. Blackguards running America don't care. They're brutes. They're sadists. They're monsters. They're heartless. Stepped-up public pressure is urgent.

"We call upon all committed to the effort to secure Lynne Stewart’s release and to save her life to stand by for further notice of the response from Lynne, her husband Ralph Poynter, and her family and her lawyers - announcing the next actions that we, her supporters, will launch in response to this appalling betrayal of compassion and justice."

Lynne deserves everything people of conscience can do. Reversing this monstrous miscarriage of justice is crucial. Every day Lynne's imprisoned, we suffer with her.

We're all Lynne Stewart. Her struggle is ours. Denying her justice forsakes everyone.

A Final Comment

"Disappointed but Not Devastated," said Lynne. She's holding up best she can. She's one of America's best. She deserves praise, not prison.

She spent years helping society's most disadvantaged. Doing so reflects high honor and virtue. She's a role model for others. Supporters won't quit until she's free.

"I know we are all disappointed to the marrow of our bones and the depths of our hearts by the news that the Bureaucrats, Kafka like, have turned down my request for compassionate release," she said.

"Let me say, that we are planning ahead. The letter from the BOP (soon to be posted on the website) is flawed, to put it mildly."

"Both factually and medically it has major problems. We intend to go to court and raise these in front of my sentencing Judge Koeltl."

"At the first sentencing, he responded to a query by one of the lawyers that he didn't want me to die in prison - we'll see if he can now live up to that."

"He is of course the same Judge who increased my sentence to 10 years - but this IS very different, and we can only hope that we can prevail. Stay tuned for what we need from you. We will never give up."

"In the meantime, once again, I grieve for my children and grandchildren who love me so much and had such great expectations of enjoying life together again in our beloved NYC and not just trying to, in the prison visiting room."

"My Ralph, too, whose dedication and love are only exceeded by the work he does on my behalf - but he is a born fighter and although he hurts, it all comes more naturally to him."

"But for everyone else, I hope that your affront at this crass bureaucratic denial of the request which you by your signatures and letters and phone calls demanded."

"How far can we let this go? When a 73-year old woman who IS dying of cancer (maybe not on their timetable,) her life of good works ignored is shunted aside."

"She does not present circumstances considered extraordinary and compelling ... at this time," said BOP. We must show them that I cannot be ignored, that YOU cannot be ignored."

"Fight On - All of Us or None of Us. An affront to one is an affront to all."

Love Struggle,

Lynne Stewart

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

His new book is titled "Banker Occupation: Waging Financial War on Humanity."

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanII.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.

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