Lynne Stewart's Struggle for Justice Continues - There's No Other Way
13 January 2013
By Stephen Lendman
Numerous previous articles discussed her case,
character, and dedication to rule of law principles.
She's an internationally recognized human rights
lawyer.
She tirelessly worked for justice. She devoted her
life and work to upholding principles too important to
reject. She knew the risks and took them. She did so
because it matters.
For 30 years, she defended America's poor,
underprivileged, unwanted, and forgotten. Without
advocates like her, they never have a chance for due
process and judicial fairness.
She was targeted for representing clients prosecutors
want convicted. One case made her especially
vulnerable.
At former US Attorney General Ramzy Clark's request,
she joined his Sheik Omar Abdel Rahman's defense team.
In 1995, he was wrongfully convicted of seditious
conspiracy, solicitation of murder, solicitation of an
attack on American military installations, conspiracy
to commit murder, and conspiracy to bomb in connection
with the 1993 World Trade Center attack.
He was bogusly accused. He was innocent of all
charges. It didn't matter. He never had a chance.
Prosecutorial injustice framed him. It's standard
Justice Department practice.
Defending Rahman got Lynne spuriously charged with:
"conspiring to defraud the United States;
conspiring to provide and conceal material support to
terrorist activity;
providing and concealing material support to terrorist
activity; and
two counts of making false statements."
Prosecutors claimed she violated US Bureau of Prisons
Special Administrative Measures (SAMs). A gag order on
Rahman was included.
Doing so prohibits discussing topics the Justice
Department (DOJ) rules outside "legal representation."
It also inhibits legal defenses.
Ramsey Clark issued press releases like Lynne. She
alone was targeted. At issue was silencing a powerful
legal advocate. Tactics included disbarring and
imprisoning her unjustly.
Doing so warned other lawyers not to defend clients
Washington wants convicted.
Her trial mocked justice. It was orchestrated to
convict. It reflected the worst of McCarthy-like
tactics. Inflammatory terrorist images were displayed
in court.
Jurors were manipulated and intimidated. Lynne was
called a traitor with radical political views. Heated
rhetoric substituted for truth and full disclosure.
On February 10, 2005, she was convicted on all counts.
She was automatically disbarred.
On October 17, 2006, she was sentenced to 28 months in
prison. At the time, she remained free on bond pending
appeal before the US Court of Appeals for the Second
Circuit.
In November 2009, she was ordered to surrender
forthwith and report to prison.
She appealed and lost. Second Circuit justices upheld
her conviction. They claimed 28 months was too
lenient. They remanded her case back to district court
Judge John Koeltl.
Pressure got him to increase Lynne's sentence to 10
years. She hopes Supreme Court justices will afford
her what lower courts denied.
On December 30, she sent a New Year's message. She
addressed her legion of supporters. She approached
2013 with "fear and trepidation."
She maintains "indefatigable hope." She continues
struggling against "those dread tentacles of
corporatism (that) try to strangle us."
It's no easy task fighting back. Lynne's imprisoned
for trying. She discussed her "personal challenges."
She's a breast cancer survivor. It reemerged. It's
spreading. It's treatable. More on that below.
She remains focused. She's determined not to allow
"any such problem deter (her) from someday getting
released" and being free.
She reflected on her "strong will." She calls it the
"focus that you all infuse me with!!"
She commented on her formidable challenge in getting
her "case before the Supreme Court. Will they deign to
hear us," she asked? Will we advance the sunlight or
only increase the shadows on our constitutional
rights?"
"We can only strive to present our issues in the best
possible way and 'fight like hell' " for justice.
There's "no predicting results, but in prison, HOPE is
the only currency."
On October 8, Lynne added another year. She's 73.
She's "counting down (her) 74th year," she said. Her
husband and lifelong human rights partner Ralph is 79.
Often her final comment is vintage Lynne. She urges
everyone to join the struggle for justice. "Organize -
Agitate, Agitate, Agitate!"
"Love Struggle!"
Write her and others in America's gulag. She can be
reached as follows:
Lynne Stewart #53504-054
Federal Medical Center, Carswell
PO Box 27137
Ft. Worth, TX 76127
Lynne's health compounds her problems. On January 23,
Press TV headlined "Jailed US lawyer of blind Egyptian
cleric denied cancer treatment," saying:
It reemerged. It "spread to her lungs and upper back."
"She "require(s) immediate expert treatment." She
requested transfer to a New York hospital. She's been
successfully treated there before. She was denied.
She's confined to prison-style treatment. It's
mediocre at best. Authorities want her silenced. They
don't care if she lives or dies.
Incarceration harms human health. Prison conditions
aren't compatible with healthy living. Serious
illnesses aren't adequately diagnosed or treated. Some
are entirely ignored.
Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP)
discussed "The Health and Health Care of US
Prisoners."
Few inmates with "active medical problems" are
monitored. Mental health problems are "ubiquitous."
Treatment is deplorable.
"Almost a million inmates report having 1 more chronic
medical (problems), and their access to medical care
appears to be poor."
"Providing inmates with health care is politically
unpopular. Former Surgeon General Richard Carmona said
Bush administration officials blocked release of his
report titled, "Call to Action on Corrections in
Community Health."
They did so fearing it "would increase government
spending on inmates." PNHP stressed that
"constitutional, public health, and human rights
imperatives of improving health care in prisons and
jails are clear."
In January 2009, PNHP headlined "US prisoners sicker
than believed and have poor access to care."
An American Journal of Public Health article discussed
a first-ever nationwide study. It said about 40% of
America's prison population (over 800,000 inmates)
have chronic medical conditions.
They include diabetes, heart and kidney problems,
asthma, and cancer. Researchers found "sick prisoners
have poor access to care." Many in need aren't
treated. Others get deplorable care.
Compared with comparably aged Americans, the incidence
of inmates' illness is much higher. Treatment is
sub-standard.
"Inmates with medical problems like diabetes, which
requires drug treatment (daily), often had their vital
medications stopped after their incarceration."
Lead study author, Dr. Andrew Wilper said:
"A substantial percentage of inmates have serious
medical needs. Yet many of them don't get even minimal
medical care. These prisoners are denied their
constitutionally guaranteed right to care."
Lynne is affected like others. Her struggle for good
health accompanies her appeal to be set free. Her
treatment reflects police state justice.
It symbolizes what's wrong with America. It spurns
rule of law principles. It imprisons its best and
brightest. It's contemptuous of fundamental civil and
human rights. Wealth, power, privilege and dominance
alone matter.
Ordinary people are largely denied. Prison inmates
lose all rights. Constitutionally guaranteed ones
don't matter. Ill inmates needing vital care get
sub-standard treatment or none.
Change more than ever is needed. Great struggles are
won in small steps. Supporting right over wrong
matters. Mass public outrage is needed. Activism gets
results. There's no other way.
Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be
reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. His new book
is titled "How Wall Street Fleeces America: Privatized
Banking, Government Collusion and Class War"
http://www.claritypress.com/Lendman.html Visit his
blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com and listen to
cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on
the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive
Radio Network Thursdays at 10AM US Central time and
Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are
archived for easy listening. http://www.progressiveradionetwork.com/the-progressive-news-hour.
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