Reggie Clemons Needs More Letters!

November 18, 2010 at 11:22 AM

This post is part of our Write for Rights series

Over 3,000 Belgian citizens have handwritten and mailed in letters appealing for at least a commutation in the death sentence of Reggie Clemons, an American who was sentenced to death in St. Louis, Missouri as an accomplice in a 1991 murder. Can YOU help that number grow even bigger, and prevent the execution of a man who has maintained his innocence for almost 20 years?

As part of this year’s Write-a-thon, Amnesty International have another chance to write for (and to) Reggie Clemons. His case illustrates many of the flaws that plague the Missouri capital punishment system—there was no physical evidence, and there were only two witnesses to the crime, both of whom offered self-serving testimony. Other disturbing factors include alleged police brutality, possible racial bias, prosecutorial misconduct, and (as seemingly always in death penalty cases) inadequate legal representation.  You can check out the Justice for Reggie campaign or our Reggie Clemons page for more information, including our May 2010 report.

The Governor of Missouri needs to know that executing Reggie Clemons would be a grave violation of human rights, and Reggie needs to know that he has our support as he continues to pursue justice in his case.

Reggie’s is one of 12 cases that need attention. You can help defend human rights in all these cases this December by signing up for the Write-a-thon. One letter can make a difference. With hundreds, or thousands of letters, we can make an even greater impact. Please take part in the Write-a-thon, and encourage others to do so as well.

AIUSA welcomes a lively and courteous discussion that follow our Community Guidelines. Comments are not pre-screened before they post but AIUSA reserves the right to remove any comments violating our guidelines.

6 thoughts on “Reggie Clemons Needs More Letters!”

  1. Retaining innocent victims in captivity is illegal and against the US Constitution. Certain States, as in Arizona and Texas, have stolen their lives. The death penalty is state MURDER. All innocent prisoners should be freed from capitivity, especially those on death row. Sometimes framed, as in the case of Debra Milke, the prisoners are innocent of any murder, and thus harmless to society.
    This would also spare tax-payers' money!

  2. Whether I agree with the death penalty or not, this case highlights the ridiculously opressive US penal regime, that seems, to an outsider, to mete out heavy-handed ludicrous sentences left, right and centre.

    Even if he 'did do it', in the UK he'd get parole. In most civilised countries we accept that people make mistakes, horrendous ones, but we never give up on the person, prison is about reform as well as punishment. If, after so long, this man still believes he was mis-tried, then he should have a new trial with all evidence out in the open. He may have done it, he may have not – but no logicval person who could have commuted their sentence with a plea bargain would have fought this long ….

    • 'In most civilised countries…' I find it hard to believe that the UK is now a 'civilized' country country. The only reason that the sun sets on the Brittish Empire is you've been kicked out all of your colonies with only a few still remaining like Northern Ireland, the Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, and Diego Garcia. The kind of brutality used to civilize your colonies and retain them ranks just below American Imperialism and its use of the Atomic bomb on the people of Japan. The fact that your Monarchy is never rich enough to do without taxes paid for by the English working class is in it self a mockery of economic justice. Our Congress, if it chose to, could hire a bunch of circus clowns for less then what your parliament pays to the Royal Family. There is a reason we have an eighth amendment to our constitution and it has to do with the actions of your King like all of the first ten amendments that make up the Bill of Rights. Its only been a few years since your government ended Internment without trial in Northern Ireland and went to war against Argentina over the Falkland Islands. I hardly think that now is the time to call yourselves civilized given your armies participation in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

  4. Who do I send a letter to about Reggie Clemmons? I want to write a letter but need the address of where to send it.

  5. Please take the time and do this. Every letter counts and it's the least we can do. We have to stand up for each other and offer all the help we can.