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Tony Medina

My name is Tony Medina. On January 5, 1996 I was arrested for running a stop sign. By August 1, 1996 I was listening to a judge ( WHO I LATER FOUND OUT 6 YEARS LATER, WASN’T EVEN SWORN IN AS A JUDGE WHEN HE SAT OVER MY TRIAL ) tell me I was sentence to death. As I turned around to look at my parents, his words just kind of echoed around in my head. How could this be happening to me? I wasn’t guilty of doing what they said I’d done so how could I be going to death row? Over the last 9 plus years I’ve learned the answer is all to common in Texas and especially in Harris county where I come from. The police and District Attorney’s office work together using intimidation, threats, even physical violence when they can get away with it, to solicit perjured testimony and false statements from witnesses and jailhouse snitches. They offer people facing years of prison a “get out of jail free card” if they will lie on the stand. They also suppress evidence, burying it so deep that if it’s ever found, it’ll be years later, when it is almost impossible to get it recognized by the courts. If you think I am exaggerating, PLEASE do your own research on the internet. The truth is out there waiting to be found. Still not sure? On November 20&21st. Lise Olsen, a Houston Chronicle reporter, told the story of Ruben Cantu, a INNOCENT man murdered by the state of Texas in 1993 after the police and the D.A.’s office used these same tactics to set him up for a crime he did not committ.

The sad truth is, since 1993 it’s got a lot worse. New laws have been passed that makes it harder for us to raise issues in our appeals. My story is like so many others. I couldn’t afford a decent lawyer so I was appointed 2 attorneys by the state. One was so sick he had miss parts of my trial for chemo- therapy treatments and passed away from cancer weeks after I came to death row. BOTH attorneys had case loads so over- whelming that a nationally recognized trial lawyer has said there was no way they could have given me half the representation I needed. The second lawyer was so ineffective he over looked several pieces of evidence that would have proved essential to my defense. The police forced me to sign a statement I had not written. And the D.A.? What didn’t they do. They put witnesses on the stand they knew were lying. They suppressed key evidence which proved someone else committed this crime. They hid evidence that allowed a convicted criminal who lied on her jury form to sit on my jury.

I’m sorry, I meant to keep this short, but speaking about he miscarriage of justice they called my trail gets me angry. The fact is, I am INNOCENT of this crime. I did a lot of wrong things in my life I will admit, but I did not do what I’m on death row for. YET, without help I may end up like Ruben Cantu, MURDERED. If you’d like to help me or just find out more about my situation you can go to: www.tonymedina.de or contact me by letter (address below).

All the people at Death Row Speaks, I want to thank you for allowing me to post these words. For letting me speak. When the death penalty is finally abolished, it will be due to people like you who have opened your lives to us on death row and walked beside us as we fought to live.

Address:

Tony Medina #999204
Polunsky Unit
3872 FM 350 South
Livingston, TX. 77351
U.S.A.

Read Tony's Poem / Essay / Case Information

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