Stop the Execution of Willie Marcel Shannon

PAY ATTENTION, DEATH PENALTY OPPONENTS!

SCHEDULED EXECUTION FOR TEXAS DEATH ROW INMATE WILLIE MARCEL SHANNON

Willie Marcel Shannon was convicted and sentenced to death for the carjacking and murder of Benjamin Garza in November 1993. He has spent 13 years on death row from where he has maintained spiritually uplifting communication with his friends and family.
Mr. Shannon is a person with a peaceful, not a violent nature. He deeply regrets what happened and maintains that he never intended to harm Mr. Garza during the struggle over a gun.

We are concerned because Mr. Shannon did not receive appropriate legal representation. His trial attorney did not call a single witness to his defense, sending even Mr. Shannons parents away with the explanation their testimony was not needed.
Another attorney wasted critical time by waiting until the last moment to inform Mr. Shannon that he had to close his death penalty practice, leaving him without any counsel. Neither attorney filed the motions that could have qualified Mr. Shannon for a lesser sentence and, as in many other cases, the Houston crime lab handled DNA samples inappropriately.

Most importantly, we consider it a great injustice that Mr. Shannons federal habeas petition was dismissed as time-barred, denying him merits review of his claims of ineffective assistance of counsel at the penalty phase of his capital murder trial.
Mr. Shannon never had those claims reviewed by a Federal court.
For many years, he had no choice but to have insufficiently trained court-appointed attorneys speak and file motions on his behalf. It is high time for the State of Texas to provide adequate legal counsel for all, regardless of age, gender or financial status.
On July 21 2006, the judge in a dead silent Harris County courtroom could not hold back tears as he read the death warrant for Mr. Shannon, a valuable human being.

We all have a choice to make by asking ourselves where we stand and what our obligations are as human beings to the rest of humanity.

Our sympathy goes out to the family of Mr. Benjamin Garza and all victims of violent crimes and accidents. They need our enduring love and understanding to help them heal.
We should never forget their pain and sorrow. However, nothing not even the execution of Mr. Shannon can bring back the life that was lost. We do not find logic in the idea that by creating another grieving family the needed closure is brought about. We should value all human life, showing sincere love and forgiveness and allowing the possibility of transformation of spirit, which is essential to humanity. The death penalty devalues all human life, is fallible and irrevocable. Over one hundred people have been released from death row on grounds of innocence since its reinstatement in the US. Furthermore, the death penalty is tainted with race and class bias: more than 95\% of the over 3,700 sentenced to die could not afford a private attorney and 55\% are people of color. Finally, the death penalty is a violation of our most fundamental right.

We, the undersigned, reject capital punishment. We appeal to you to stay Mr. Shannons execution and request a review of the issues in his case by the court. We hope that Mr. Shannon will receive a new and fair trial and the possibility of clemency.

If you prefer to write directly to the Board of Pardons and Paroles as well as the Governor of Texas, Rick Perry, please sign this petition first and direct letters to the following addresses:

Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles
Executive Clemency Section
P.O. Box 13401, Capitol Station
Austin, Texas 78711

Phone: (512) 406-5852
Fax: (512) 467-0945

Please urge the Board of Pardons and Paroles to recommend to the Governor an Executive Clemency for Mr. Shannon as soon as possible.

Office of the Governor
P.O. Box 12428
Austin, Texas 78711

Phone: (512) 463-2000
Fax: (512) 463-1849

Urge the Governor to grant clemency with prior recommendation of the majority of the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles. The Governor may issue a one-time 30-day reprieve of execution, and the Governor may require the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles to investigate.

Do not execute Willie Marcel Shannon!