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<font size=3><br><br>
</font><font face="Bookman Old Style, Bookman" size=4>News Bulletin:
November 19, 2004<br><br>
<b> U.S. Parole Commission Weighs Continuing
Supervision of <br><br>
<div align="center">Former Puerto Rican Political Prisoners<br><br>
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On September 10, 2004, Edwin Cortés, Elizam Escobar, Ricardo Jiménez,
Adolfo Matos, Dylcia Pagán, Alberto Rodríguez, Ida Luz (Lucy) Rodríguez,
Alejandrina Torres, and Carmen Valentín marked the fifth anniversary of
their historic release from U.S. prisons. When president Clinton commuted
their disproportionate sentences, he deemed they had served two-thirds of
their sentences, making them eligible to serve the remaining third under
the supervision of the U.S. Parole Commission. Their supervision would
last until 2008 or 2009, unless the Parole Commission terminated the
supervision earlier. After the fifth anniversary, the Parole Commission
may not continue supervision unless it is determined, after a hearing,
that such supervision should not be terminated because there is a
likelihood that the person will engage in conduct violating any criminal
law. <br><br>
Today we learned that the Parole Commission has decided that it will not
accede to early termination of supervision, but that it will proceed to
hearing, in spite of the fact that both of the supervising U.S. Probation
Officers recommended early termination; in spite of the fact that there
is no evidence that any of these men and women will engage in conduct
violating any criminal law; and in spite of the fact that we provided the
Parole Commission with extensive documentation of their successful
integration into civil society, including letters of support from their
employers, as well as elected officials and civic and religious leaders
from Puerto Rico and the U.S.<br><br>
Hearings will be scheduled in San Juan and Chicago, to be presided over
by representatives of the Parole Commission. Their regulations provide
for due process, including that the right to be apprised of the evidence
and the right to confront and cross-examine adverse witnesses. We have
already formally requested that we be apprised of the evidence they
intend to introduce against each of the former political prisoners; and
we have indicated our intention to exercise the right to confront and
cross-examine any and all adverse witnesses.<br><br>
Jan Susler<br><br>
Attorney for Edwin Cortés, Elizam Escobar, Ricardo Jiménez, Adolfo Matos,
Dylcia Pagán, Alberto Rodríguez, Ida Luz (Lucy) Rodríguez, Alejandrina
Torres, and Carmen Valentín<br><br>
People’s Law Office<br><br>
1180 N. Milwaukee<br><br>
Chicago, IL 60622<br><br>
773/235-0070 ext 118<br>
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<font size=3 color="#FF0000">The Freedom Archives<br>
522 Valencia Street<br>
San Francisco, CA 94110<br>
(415) 863-9977<br>
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