<html>
  <head>

    <meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8">
  </head>
  <body bgcolor="#CCFFFF" text="#000000">
    <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
              style="line-height:1.22em;">
          </span></span></p>
      <div
        id="aolmail_AOLMsgPart_2_fe6361c2-bbea-4ad4-93c6-af1e8064e53b"
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;">
        <div dir="ltr"
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="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>
        </div>
      </div>
      <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>
      </div>
      <br>
    </div>
    <br>
  </body>
</html>