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<dd>Zolo Agona Azania has been fighting for his life from<br>
<dd>Indiana's death row, for more than 24 years. He is<br>
<dd>one of the many persons of African descent who await<br>
<dd>execution as a victim of a racially biased criminal<br>
<dd>justice system. <br><br>
<dd>Twice Zolo has been sentenced to die and twice the<br>
<dd>death sentence has been reversed due to suppression of<br>
<dd>favorable evidence by the prosecution and systematic<br>
<dd>exclusion of Blacks from the jury pool. <br><br>
<dd>Now Zolo's legal team must argue to the Indiana<br>
<dd>Supreme Court that it uphold a May 2005 ruling<br>
<dd>preventing the State of Indiana from seeking the death<br>
<dd>penalty for the third time. <br><br>
<dd>The oral arguments scheduled for June 9 before the<br>
<dd>Indiana Supreme Court have been postponed to June 27th<br>
<dd>at 10:30am.<br><br>
<dd>The No Death Penalty for Zolo Committee is organizing<br>
<dd>a car caravan from Chicago. We urge people to show<br>
<dd>your support for Zolo--and against the death<br>
<dd>penalty--and help us pack the courtroom to show the<br>
<dd>Justices that we will not allow the state to impose<br>
<dd>the death penalty for the third time upon Zolo Azania.<br>
<dd>If you plan to join us, or if you need a ride, please<br>
<dd>call 773-435-6716. If you want to travel to the court<br>
<dd>house on your own, the address is: Indiana Supreme<br>
<dd>Court, 200 W. Washington, Room 317, Indianapolis, IN.<br><br>
<dd>The forces who want to Zolo Azania dead, including the<br>
<dd>Gary Indiana Police, are well organized and are<br>
<dd>already mobilizing their friendly press contacts.<br>
<dd>There have been a few editorials in the Gary<br>
<dd>Post-Tribune (see below) calling for Zolo to be<br>
<dd>killed. <br><br>
<dd>We need to respond with letters to the editor<br>
<dd>supporting Zolo and against the death penalty.<br>
<dd>(contact info and sample letter below). <br><br>
<dd>:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::<br><br>
<dd>Death-penalty effort renewed against killer <br><br>
<dd>June 1, 2006 <br><br>
<dd>by Danielle Braff<br>
<dd>Post-Tribune staff writer <br><br>
<dd>He killed an elderly Gary man in 1972 during a home<br>
<dd>invasion and murdered a Gary police officer in 1981,<br>
<dd>but with good behavior, Zolo Azania will be eligible<br>
<dd>for parole in five years if the latest appeal is<br>
<dd>unsuccessful. <br><br>
<dd>Azania, formerly known as Rufus Averhart, was<br>
<dd>sentenced to the death penalty twice only to have it<br>
<dd>overturned by the Indiana Supreme Court because of<br>
<dd>legal technicalities. <br><br>
<dd>While Allen County Superior Court Judge Steve David<br>
<dd>barred further death penalty motions because the court<br>
<dd>decided too much time had passed since the crimes were<br>
<dd>committed, the state is making another attempt to give<br>
<dd>Azania a lethal injection. <br><br>
<dd>Tim Yaros, son of slain Gary police Lt. George Yaros,<br>
<dd>said the June 27 appeal will be critical because if<br>
<dd>it’s rejected, Azania could be back on the streets. <br><br>
<dd>“With good behavior, he could get out in 2011,” Yaros<br>
<dd>said. “Everything has gone his way. It’s going to be<br>
<dd>25 years since he killed my dad, and he’s still<br>
<dd>living. He killed him in cold blood.” <br><br>
<dd>Azania was convicted of killing George Yaros, 57,<br>
<dd>during a bank robbery at the Gary National Bank. Yaros<br>
<dd>responded to a bank alarm on 3680 Broadway, and was<br>
<dd>wounded in a hail of bullets fired at him. Azania<br>
<dd>stood over the Yaros’ body and fired a final shot,<br>
<dd>killing him. Yaros had been an officer for 30 years<br>
<dd>and was six months short of retiring. <br><br>
<dd>Nine years before the bank killing, Azania murdered<br>
<dd>Leonard Wick, 69, during a burglary at Wick’s home on<br>
<dd>2131 W. 9th Ave. in Gary. Azania was sentenced to<br>
<dd>prison for Wick’s murder but he was released July 8,<br>
<dd>1980. He killed Yaros Aug. 11, 1981. <br><br>
<dd>Azania was sentenced to 60 years in prison following<br>
<dd>Yaros’ death, which was the equivalent of life in<br>
<dd>prison at that time, Tim Yaros said. But he will be<br>
<dd>eligible for parol in five years if the death penalty<br>
<dd>appeal is not granted, Yaros said. <br><br>
<dd>“I won’t give up because my dad was my best friend,”<br>
<dd>Yaros said. “He would do anything for everyone.” <br><br>
<dd>Contact Danielle Braff:<br>
<dd>(219) 648-3079 <br>
<dd>dbraff@post-trib.com <br><br>
<dd>:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::<br><br>
<dd>Gary Post-Tribune <br>
<dd>1433 E. 83rd Ave.<br>
<dd>Merrillville, IN 46410-6307<br>
<dd>1-800-753-5533 <br><br>
<dd>Dear Editor,<br><br>
<dd>The article on Zolo Azania that appeared in your paper<br>
<dd>on June 1 was inaccurate and one sided. <br><br>
<dd>Far from "legal technicalities," or the mere passage<br>
<dd>of time, Indiana courts have reversed Zolo Agona<br>
<dd>Azania's death sentence because, in his case, the<br>
<dd>constitutional rights designed to protect all of us<br>
<dd>from being falsely convicted and sentenced were<br>
<dd>violated.<br><br>
<dd>As Indiana Circuit Court Judge Steve David wrote in<br>
<dd>May, 2005, "fundamental principles of fairness, due<br>
<dd>process, and speedy justice" were violated in Azania's<br>
<dd>case. Judge David also pointed out that "the State<br>
<dd>bears most of the responsibility for the delay between<br>
<dd>the defendant's 1982 conviction and the currently<br>
<dd>pending penalty proceeding." In 1993, the Indiana<br>
<dd>Supreme Court overturned Azania's original death<br>
<dd>sentence because the prosecution had failed to turned<br>
<dd>over a gunshot residue test. In 2002, the Indiana<br>
<dd>Supreme Court overturned Azania's second death<br>
<dd>sentence because "the jury pool selection process was<br>
<dd>fundamentally flawed," including the unconstitutional <br>
<dd>exclusion of Blacks. <br><br>
<dd>The State of Indiana should not continue to seek the<br>
<dd>death penalty against a defendant after decades of<br>
<dd>obstruction and obfuscation by police, prosecutors and<br>
<dd>court officials. Both the Indiana Constitution and the<br>
<dd>U.S. Constitution guarantee all of us a right to a<br>
<dd>fair trial. This is not a "legal technicality," as<br>
<dd>Danielle Braff described it in the Post Tribune, but<br>
<dd>the basis of our justice system.<br><br>
<dd>Sincerely,<br><br>
<dd>::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::<br><br>
<dd>Zolo would appreciate letters from supporters. He can<br>
<dd>currently be reached at:<br>
<dd>Zolo Agona Azania<br>
<dd>#4969 <br>
<dd>P.O. Box 41<br>
<dd>Indiana State Prison<br>
<dd>Michigan City, IN 46361<br><br>
<dd>For more info, contact:<br>
<dd>No Death Penalty for Zolo Committee<br>
<dd>PO Box 478314<br>
<dd>Chicago, Il 60647<br>
<dd><a href="http://www.zoloazania.org/" eudora="autourl">
http://www.zoloazania.org</a> <br>
<dd>
<a href="http://www.prairiefire.org/freezoloazania.html" eudora="autourl">
http://www.prairiefire.org/freezoloazania.html<br><br>
<br>
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