Friday, November 18, 2016

Rodricus Crawford: Louisiana; New York Daily News columnist Shaun King explains why, after getting to know many of the attorneys and activists who have been fighting for Rodricus, "Without fail, each of us believed this case to be the absolute worst death row sentence in the country right now."..." That this young man could’ve actually been executed makes me sick. I’m fully convinced that had Rodricus Crawford been white, and his infant son died in his sleep, he would’ve received sympathy and counseling. He would’ve received flowers and compassion. That his very lowest moment on this earth was turned into a punishment he did not deserve is further evidence of just how outrageously bent toward the criminalization of blackness our justice system truly is."


COMMENTARY: "Louisiana court vacates death sentence for grieving dad Rodricus Crawford," by Shaun King, published by The New York Daily News on November 18, 2016. Wikipedia informs us that "Jeffery Shaun King (born September 17, 1979) is an American writer and civil rights activist. He is noted for his use of social media to promote religious, charitable, and social causes, including the Black Lives Matter movement. He is the senior justice writer for the New York Daily News."

SUB-HEADING:  "Rodricus Crawford was granted a new trial by Louisiana Supreme Court on Nov. 16, 2016."

SUB-HEADING: " Not a single soul in his family believed Rodricus Crawford killed his son."

GIST:" On February 16, 2012, something truly terrible happened that could only be described as any parent’s worst nightmare. Rodricus Crawford, a young father in Caddo Parish, Louisiana woke up and noticed that his son, Roderius, who had just turned one a week earlier, was lifeless.


Rodricus, who was sleeping on the pullout couch, immediately yelled out for help. An uncle called 911. Various family members took turns performing CPR and it seemed like nothing they were doing was making one bit of difference. When the EMTs showed up, they refused to allow Rodricus to get in the ambulance with the baby and were slow to leave. It had already taken far too long for them to get there. They were so disrespectful to the family that it caused a stir there in the community. Within minutes, police arrived. Thinking they might take Rodricus to the hospital, they instead arrested him and took him to the jail. His only son had died and instead of comforting him as the grieving father that he was, he was interrogated and harassed. Not a single soul in his family believed Rodricus Crawford killed his son. When police called in the boy’s mother, who lived a few doors down, for questioning, she didn’t believe it either. Rodricus loved the boy with his whole heart — everybody in the community knew that. No motive existed.  Over the next year, what unfolded in Louisiana, under the leadership of its then-Acting District Attorney Dale Cox, was like a bad movie. With no motive and no witnesses, Rodricus Crawford was charged and convicted of murdering his son. Black jurors were routinely struck from the jury pool. Even though an expert testified that the young boy likely died of complications to undiagnosed sepsis and pneumonia, which the family thought was just a small cold, Cox was convinced that Rodricus had deliberately smothered him to death. A cut on the boy’s lip, which multiple family members testified was caused by a recent fall in the bathroom, was used as the justification of the smothering claim. Anybody who has ever had children knows far too well how often kids fall and hurt themselves, but it was completely ignored. Evidence be damned. It didn’t matter. Dale Cox doggedly pursued the death penalty every chance he got and juries regularly bought it lock, stock and barrel. Before Dale Cox resigned in disgrace after this conviction, he was being widely blasted for his many heinous decisions and practices. He openly told the jury in the Crawford case that Jesus wanted them to sentence the young man to death. Really. Well, after serving three long, hard years on death row, the Louisiana Supreme Court just decided late Wednesday to vacate the entire sentence. In their 36-page opinion, multiple justices said they would’ve never convicted Crawford of any crime at all. Another justice stated that the way black jurors were targeted and removed was illegal. The parish has yet to decide if they will try the case again, but we can only hope that they don’t. Strangely, Crawford is still in prison, still on death row, and will likely be there at least until Tuesday when he has a hearing. His family and legal advisors communicated with me that he will even be forced to pay a $5,000 bond — which they communicated to me that they don’t have. I first learned of this case in July of 2015 from a masterful longform article in The New Yorker written by Rachel Aviv. Over the past year, I’ve gotten to know many of the attorneys and activists who’ve been fighting for Rodricus. Without fail, each of us believed this case to be the absolute worst death row sentence in the country right now. That this young man could’ve actually been executed makes me sick. I’m fully convinced that had Rodricus Crawford been white, and his infant son died in his sleep, he would’ve received sympathy and counseling. He would’ve received flowers and compassion. That his very lowest moment on this earth was turned into a punishment he did not deserve is further evidence of just how outrageously bent toward the criminalization of blackness our justice system truly is."
 
The entire commentary can be found at:
 
PUBLISHER'S NOTE:  I am monitoring this case/issue. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog for reports on developments. The Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic" section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be found at: http://www.thestar.com/topic/charlessmith. Information on "The Charles Smith Blog Award"- and its nomination process - can be found at:  http://smithforensic.blogspot.com/2011/05/charles-smith-blog-award-nominations.html  Please send any comments or information on other cases and issues of interest to the readers of this blog to: hlevy15@gmail.com. Harold Levy; Publisher; The Charles Smith Blog.