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<font class="Apple-style-span" face="arial, helvetica, clean,
sans-serif">Mohaman Koti Wins Article 78 Appeal. </font><b
style="font-family:arial, helvetica, clean,
sans-serif;line-height:1.22em;">Support letters needed ASAP</b><br
style="line-height:1.22em;">
<div class="moz-forward-container">
<p><span><span class="Apple-style-span"
style="border-collapse:collapse;line-height:15px;"><br
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</span></span></p>
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id="aolmail_AOLMsgPart_2_fe6361c2-bbea-4ad4-93c6-af1e8064e53b"
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class="Apple-style-span" face="arial, helvetica, clean,
sans-serif">New York State political prisoner Mohaman Koti
won his Article 78 appeal of his May 2013 parole denial,
which was a split decision.</font>
<div style="font-family:arial, helvetica, clean,
sans-serif;line-height:1.22em;margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;"><br
style="line-height:1.22em;">
</div>
<div style="font-family:arial, helvetica, clean,
sans-serif;line-height:1.22em;margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;">He
will have a de novo hearing, but was informed by Ms. Papaleo
at Mohawk that the hearing will be in 10 days. We feel this
is a deliberate attempt by DOCCS to have him go to the
hearing without having time for people to write letters of
support for him.</div>
<div style="font-family:arial, helvetica, clean,
sans-serif;line-height:1.22em;margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;"><br
style="line-height:1.22em;">
</div>
<div style="font-family:arial, helvetica, clean,
sans-serif;line-height:1.22em;margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;">We
will be visiting Mr. Koti on Saturday, June 28th. We have
been in touch with his lawyer, Susan Tipograph, to see if
this de novo hearing can be postponed.</div>
<div style="font-family:arial, helvetica, clean,
sans-serif;line-height:1.22em;margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;"><br
style="line-height:1.22em;">
</div>
<div style="font-family:arial, helvetica, clean,
sans-serif;line-height:1.22em;margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;">Start
writing those parole support letters now.</div>
<div style="font-family:arial, helvetica, clean,
sans-serif;line-height:1.22em;margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;"><br
style="line-height:1.22em;">
</div>
<div style="font-family:arial, helvetica, clean,
sans-serif;line-height:1.22em;margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;">Address
them to:</div>
<div style="font-family:arial, helvetica, clean,
sans-serif;line-height:1.22em;margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;"><br
style="line-height:1.22em;">
</div>
<div style="font-family:arial, helvetica, clean,
sans-serif;line-height:1.22em;margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;"><span
style="line-height:1.22em;color:rgb(0, 0,
0);font-family:'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica,
sans-serif;font-size:13px;">Tina M. Stanford, Chair<br
style="line-height:1.22em;">
New York State Parole Board</span></div>
<div style="font-family:arial, helvetica, clean,
sans-serif;line-height:1.22em;margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;"><span
style="line-height:1.22em;color:rgb(0, 0,
0);font-family:'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica,
sans-serif;font-size:13px;">New York State Division of
Parole</span><br style="line-height:1.22em;color:rgb(0, 0,
0);font-family:'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica,
sans-serif;font-size:13px;">
<span style="line-height:1.22em;color:rgb(0, 0,
0);font-family:'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica,
sans-serif;font-size:13px;">1220 Washington Ave, Building
2</span><br style="line-height:1.22em;color:rgb(0, 0,
0);font-family:'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica,
sans-serif;font-size:13px;">
<span style="line-height:1.22em;color:rgb(0, 0,
0);font-family:'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica,
sans-serif;font-size:13px;">Albany, New York 12226-2050</span><br
style="line-height:1.22em;">
</div>
<div style="font-family:arial, helvetica, clean,
sans-serif;line-height:1.22em;margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;"><span
style="line-height:1.22em;color:rgb(0, 0,
0);font-family:'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica,
sans-serif;font-size:13px;"><br
style="line-height:1.22em;">
</span></div>
<div style="font-family:arial, helvetica, clean,
sans-serif;line-height:1.22em;margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;"><span
style="line-height:1.22em;color:rgb(0, 0,
0);font-family:'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica,
sans-serif;font-size:13px;">Copied below is a brief bio of
Mr. Koti that you can use to write your letters.</span></div>
<div
style="line-height:1.22em;margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;"><font
class="Apple-style-span" face="'Trebuchet MS', Arial,
Helvetica, sans-serif"><br>
</font></div>
<div style="font-family:arial, helvetica, clean,
sans-serif;line-height:1.22em;margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;"><span
style="line-height:1.22em;color:rgb(0, 0,
0);font-family:'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica,
sans-serif;font-size:13px;">Make sure to keep a copy of
your letter. Good idea to send them priority mail, because
you have a tracking number.</span></div>
<div style="font-family:arial, helvetica, clean,
sans-serif;line-height:1.22em;margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;"><span
style="line-height:1.22em;color:rgb(0, 0,
0);font-family:'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica,
sans-serif;font-size:13px;"><br
style="line-height:1.22em;">
</span></div>
<div style="font-family:arial, helvetica, clean,
sans-serif;line-height:1.22em;margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;"><span
style="line-height:1.22em;color:rgb(0, 0,
0);font-family:'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica,
sans-serif;font-size:13px;">BACKGROUND:</span></div>
<div style="font-family:arial, helvetica, clean,
sans-serif;line-height:1.22em;margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;"><span
style="line-height:1.22em;color:rgb(0, 0,
0);font-family:'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica,
sans-serif;font-size:13px;"><br
style="line-height:1.22em;">
</span></div>
<div style="font-family:arial, helvetica, clean,
sans-serif;line-height:1.22em;margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;"><span
style="line-height:1.22em;color:rgb(0, 0,
0);font-family:'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica,
sans-serif;font-size:13px;">
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal"
style="line-height:15pt;margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:6pt;margin-left:0px;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;"><b
style="line-height:1.22em;">Mohamman Geuka Koti</b></div>
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal"
style="line-height:15pt;margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:6pt;margin-left:0px;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;">Born
on October 11, 1926, in Charleston, South Carolina,
Mohaman Koti grew up in a very talented and skillful
family, which consisted of carpenters, intellectuals,
and business owners. With these accomplished people
around, one would expect him to have had an easy
upbringing, but this was not the case. Because of the
ever increasing racial conflicts, injustices and class
struggles that were prevalent during his time, Mohaman
Koti, like other social reformers during his time,
forfeited the opportunity to enjoy an established life
by joining a liberation movement that would help the
poor and disenfranchised advance socially, politically,
and economically. His decision to help struggling people
improve the quality of their lives resulted in his
initial and current incarceration, and subsequently
rendered him a political prisoner after his 1978 arrest;
his name appears on the Jericho list of Political
Prisoners.</div>
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal"
style="line-height:15pt;margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:6pt;margin-left:0px;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;">In
1978, the police arrested Mr. Koti after a shooting
incident that occurred in Manhattan. The factual
circumstances surrounding the incident are not very
clear, but what is clear is that during a physical
confrontation with the police, where shots were fired,
an officer was inadvertently injured. Fearing that
police would kill him, he took refuge in a woman’s
apartment where he arranged his surrender after
telephone calls with FBI agents and his lawyer, Susan V.
Tipograph.</div>
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal"
style="line-height:15pt;margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:6pt;margin-left:0px;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;">During
court proceedings, he turned down a plea offer which
would have given him a prison sentence of 7 1/2 to 15
years in state prison. Instead, he proceeded to trial
and received a sentence of 25 years to life. Currently,
Mohaman Koti is 88 years old, and has been in prison for
36 years. He is the oldest person serving time in the
New York State prison system.</div>
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal"
style="line-height:15pt;margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:6pt;margin-left:0px;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;"><b
style="line-height:1.22em;">Medical History</b></div>
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal"
style="line-height:15pt;margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:6pt;margin-left:0px;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;">At
88 years of age, and after 36 years in prison, Mr.
Koti’s health is failing him, and each day his life
fades away; he suffers from a variety of physical
difficulties and diseases that threaten his existence.
He suffers from a disease called Myasthenia gravis, also
known as MG. This disease, chronic in nature, causes his
immune system to react against his own tissues.
Moreover, it renders his voluntary muscles weaker than
normal, and causes him to tire more frequently than
healthier people his age. Because of Myasthenia gravis,
the muscles that control his arms and legs are affected,
as are the muscles that regulate his breathing. Other
symptoms include double vision, trouble swallowing,
drooping head, poor posture, difficulty chewing and
problems with talking. In addition, weakness and
paralysis tends to worsen when Mohaman Koti exerts
himself, while his muscle function tends to improve with
rest.</div>
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal"
style="line-height:15pt;margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:6pt;margin-left:0px;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;">There
is no cure for Myasthenia gravis, and 10% of people with
the disease die. Having this disease increases Mohaman
Koti’s potential for fatality, because he also suffers
from asthma, prostate cancer, diabetes, and heart
disease, which he takes 20 different types of medication
to control. He is regularly in the prison hospital for
these ailments, and frequently goes to outside hospitals
for treatment. In the previous year, he spent five
months in the hospital for a stomach virus, and three
more months after surgery to remove a hernia; he lost
approximately 30 pounds during these hospitalizations.</div>
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal"
style="line-height:15pt;margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:6pt;margin-left:0px;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;">Despite
his old age, his 36 years of incarceration, and his
physical ailments and medical complications, Mohaman
Koti uses what little strength he has left in his
ever-weakening body to keep pushing forward. Despite
repeated parole denials and the tremendous pain and
suffering each denial inflicts upon him, he continues to
meet each day with a smile. In all honesty, he has not
allowed the fatal punches of prison to beat him in the
ground. However, without family support, due to
abandonment and death, the following questions about his
life arise: How much more life does he have left in his
soul? How much more physical and mental strength does he
have left to effectively fight against the crippling
conditions of prison? How much longer will he be around?</div>
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal"
style="line-height:15pt;margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:6pt;margin-left:0px;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;">These
questions are more likely to produce negative rather
than positive responses, and they are the reasons why we
are reaching out to you, asking for your support in
obtaining Mohaman Koti’s release from prison through
medical clemency. Moreover, with the approval of medical
clemency, we would like to arrange an assisted living
situation for him, where supervision concerns and
medical care would be facilitated. Given his age and
serious medical conditions, it serves no benefit to
society or correctional administrators to keep Mohaman
Koti in prison by denying him parole. It is illogical to
say that a fragile 88-year-old man would be a threat to
anyone in society. Furthermore, having served 36 years
on a 25 year to life sentence, along with the services
he has given to the poor and the disenfranchised before
and during his incarceration, suffice it to say that he
has paid his debt to society. Moreover, to keep denying
parole because of his political views is a shameful act
that breathes new life into the corpse of injustice.</div>
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal"
style="line-height:15pt;margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:6pt;margin-left:0px;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;">In
light of all that has been said throughout this bio, we
humbly ask that you support us in obtaining medical
clemency and an assisted living situation for Mohaman
Koti. With your support, Mr. Koti could live his last
years in an environment free of stress, hostility, and
neglect. So, please support us in making Mr. Koti’s life
more manageable.</div>
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal"
style="line-height:15pt;margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:6pt;margin-left:0px;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;">Mr.
Koti went up before the parole board for the sixth time
in May 2013 and was once again denied. However, this was
a split decision and Mr. Koti won a de novo hearing.
DOCCS is trying to rush through this hearing so that Mr.
Koti will not have any supportive parole letters to show
to the board.</div>
</span></div>
<div style="font-family:arial, helvetica, clean,
sans-serif;line-height:1.22em;margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;"><span
style="line-height:1.22em;color:rgb(0, 0,
0);font-family:'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica,
sans-serif;font-size:13px;"><br
style="line-height:1.22em;">
</span></div>
<br>
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<div class="moz-signature">-- <br>
Freedom Archives
522 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
415 863.9977
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="http://www.freedomarchives.org">www.freedomarchives.org</a>
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