CALIFORNIA'S

DIRTY LITTLE

SECRET

By, Kenneth Gay
3

californts’s Direy Little Secret

One of the most frequently ssked question s, why has it taken
30 yedes %0 process your appeal thcough state courtl ver o
e Shencion”Ie Sinpla, eraud: The detatls of how this fraud is
Seclted, {2 complicated.

Ta'dedt: 1o fully nderatand hov the sppesl process has baen
sleered, Lt is necessury o understand how Lt is Supposed to operate.
e er Mornal sircunstanies, once you are comvicteds. an attorney. and
wis Srfene il Geteraine that type-of tppeal to 1 sadto Uit
ece: The iypes of appesl ars Dicect Appesi, chich challenges the

niad ot Leials o any-ceher, irfogulactsies Shic
the Course of the trisl. Or a UrLt of Habeas Corpus.
T Challanges the conviction based upon neuly
Zace, ‘or congtitutions] violations. Such ss 4
frocecutor uho withheld svidenca. Or 2 judge that sade a dscision
D trety o eatablished lav. These sppeals aust be £1ied vithin on
oo of che Sastancing. Ocdinacily, "The appeal veuld be lled fothe
Lot ot Mhis 1o o faducal Sours that monitecs the outcones of
senie criafucl ol fo enduti matthe accured conselcfona]
Cihte vere Taspacted. This is the uay death penalty sppeals vere
FeSiessnd peior to Juse 6, 1989: v ew

he dfsteict courts; and the Colifornis Supreme Court
covecatng 19 of al1 capital cases they rovieued: In 1986 Republican
Poiiiietns Comvinced victin cights geoups that if slected they would
B4 the State of the Libaral suprane court and Jusp start the death
Fenalty. Governor Caorge beukesisn, and his Republican colleagy
Bin'Lotiren, vere clested. As che naviy elected Attorney General, it
Ua7 Ban”Lungren's responeibility to acgue on behalf of the state’in
Favor of axecutions. Within theee yeacs of their election, Deukaejain
o4 fungren vere abis to unsest justices, Rose Bird, Cru: Ranoso, and
SoEeph Groginiron the Callfatnia Supress Coure. e goveooe qulckly
Tepioced the justices uith his own ppointments. Justices, Eagleson,

n; ond Auuaiiss. ey quickly Tovecse the crend of ine Former

‘e new.cours 793 06 a1l copital cases they revieued.
Hovavar, capital cases vers still being sent to the federal district
NNt Souathing had o bo done to atop these casos from belng
verturned in the ficst plsce.

OnSuna 6, 1989 the' California Supreme Court justices created
Folicy 3 Uadet the United States Constitution any nev Laus must be
ipproved by the legisiature. The justices kneu they had tremendous
1EBcay “unduc the néuly elected Atiorney Ganeral, vho ould not
Chailtage their new Lavs. So they violoted separation
ancted Fotiey 3" Tnid poric) gave the Galicoehi sop
Coplete control aver skl aspects of capital cases. Ci
Tomger bo.sent to the fadecal disteict Courts for review. Thus,
Pt ively Dlocking, fedarsl court review of state court teisis. ALL
apital cates vould e sant dicectly to the Californis Supreme Court.
bt peTie, e Tt the colit fompiett omteolloter Thelyoe of
Tppeetckat whuld be*Eiled. The attorney and his cliant vould shiy be

ovad o file a Dirsct Appesi. The bl of Habeas Corpus vould be
Seterrea’ntil afeer the OlFect Appesi was sdjudicated, This vas o
Violation of the constitutionsl prohibition sgainst the suspension of
the Uit of Habens Cocpus-

These new levs could not have been enacted without the
cooperation of the Govecnor and the Attorney Genaral. As cembers of
the'axecutive beanch it vas their responsibility to challenge any
Luws ‘that did not couply vith the state and fedaral constitutions.
Bk sote Seportanty’ e new”iaut Cold not have"bets cracted
“ithout the cooperation of the appellate defense attorneys.

This type of
discovered v

Ocdinarily, attorney's uould be rendonly selesced fr
Quet§ieo fowyers. 1e'a a 4% chatlen

pion to

I cnactnane o
Fo1iey 3\ int) Created the Colifocnia Appeliste Projact. (GAF) Fros
this point Forvard, s11 Lavyer s vho capressnted condenied innates
vould'Rave to sign'a contraitual sgrecmnt ith CAF to defer. their
Tagad teuning. ind conply Vith che neuly srested policies. The new
polices gave spaciflc Giractions an what Lasuns to e xaised Any
frvestigations s £iltogs requled prior approval of the couts. o
exchange, the sftorney’s vould. be recarded CLth generous selariss:
‘The Republicans Who conspired to create this 11lepel sppeilate
procass-belloved”thae they Veke oty 5o uae, this demish of ighis o
Sipedite srecutions. Wmat they to Cealize vas, by sltaring the
Constitution, they damaged the effectivensss of Lt. in pther
crccytons e oteure IRy thun elghe yedcs O sontencing: 1F the
sev i bort T bihert To e Sotebttitine sod sy iy ol
appeais. the sppesls would be sxpadited into fadera .
court Yould likely Caverss their decision
fhetine nov. By altering. the constitution

Srdinarily cost
execution’ This vas sccomplished within eisht vears. As 4 re
bolicy 3. ‘many sttorneys vho once were villing to tackie capitel
e 00 longer ¥illing to represent the condemned. Suddenly.

& Shortage of quelified attorneya. A condeaned prisoner how
vaits for as long &s seven years on death o avaitim the
appointaant of counsel. Onca counsel is sppointed, he or she is

iced to file only the Direct Appeal. o' iavestigation into the
constitutional violations, or other legal strategies is permitted by
it coges. The avectze deiay i the iatesedyation sna EiTi of the
Vrieof Habeas Corpus 1s 17.3 years. Much of the documents.
win and foransic evidence that vas available shortly after
Teial Lo hov lost. As 8 Fesult. 13 people have been execated at &
cost of neatly two billion doliars

* Alarcon. neacly tvo trillion doll.
Capital punishegnt over the past tventy-four y
Foue billion & TSN conplete copy of Justice
Alarcon's report ‘A Roadaap to End o
California's Legtslature’s Multi-sillion Dollar Dabacle.
Etp: //uwe.ocg/cc a /documents/CCPAJFinalRaport .paf -~

Thece are 145 Habeas Corpus, capital attorneys in Californis
Thece ace 730 condeaned brisoners. Each of these attorneys
3220 paz hour, five days par veak, for 27.6 years. A Dire
betef ind the teply ace all filed vithin the Ficet
thers is no other vork to be done. What attors

“ho vould not.
ippeilate proces
owel ent theaselvas. It has aluays been 8
‘any Lndividuni has
Constitutionally guarantaed Tight to rapresent hisself if he should
chose te do-so. The Californis Supceme Court justices rook
Stap of prohibiting all e

pent

most prolific
Wstory t prosper foc tuenty-fout yeats and
Counting. The question on everyone s mind is, ho could this type of
Eeaud oxist for #o longl Firat and forenast, the Clifornia ot

Association has strict rules sgainst attornéy encrosching upon other
Stiorney'a clients: Ro decent, honast atiornty would put his license
o The Tine to Tepresant a mutderer. Evaryone sise 1nvolvad has

greatly benefited fron the fraud. With the exception of the victins
Sho'Vare pronisad exacutions, and thosa' fau ianocant. Lndividuis on
desehro oo T 2 S0 et 1% M et ca
adiudicated‘To the tuderal Sourta. I3 of a1l cases that sventually
£achthe Tedaral courts ace ceversed: This demsnsirates and Confiims
EheCalifornla Supeeme Coure’s violation of federal iee:

The attorney's uho participate in this fraud, and ihe California
Supcane Court. Justices, e drvolved o s Fraudul The
colet has sppraved ten el
fou Tamates: AL Direct Appe

0d the'sene Case citi
Uication of these clafes
£ 0f a1 Diract

1 31 Genfats quoth
danied T e o

cost of 20 plue atilion per

e sims"of money fron tha-state ah
1776 G W diateibutes 1 to

nd support s
state Attorney Ganerl's office hires additional staft (pore
Lawyers) Uho argue.in favoc of the 10 <laims spproved by the coutr
Sime clatns, sase fesu Citings. The Attorney Ceerel
Sonme et hagEr el e Sround tha state have the Righest
Conviction rates in the nation: This is,because the trisl judste and
Gofendant s tights during telal in
Srder to obtain a conviction: They knou that thair decisions will not
be revicued by the Californis Suprene Court for 27.6 years. Long
SFLes thay have ratited fros the' practics of Lau:
The Federal district coucts benafit in tvo ways. First, they
the bad guys revarsing dosens of death penaliy ceses.

aren’t sec

The cases trickie in over dec. ace'divided up thto 29
dfsericrs.
Secandly, they collect huge smounts of faderal
When o case

support feserilyFundod capttal Tauye
Foderal court, naw

col attoene

appointed. Becovss the state
ectul, the

Tadocally funded snvestigation vill
cancies vith state
then Tule that the case
o Siate court to 3ive that jurisdiction an
oppoctunity to corzect the problans: Neamuhils, the federal sourt,
SR0"the'Ledecal Tavyars, continue to Collect faderal doliers on s
Gase they ‘are ot actuaily working on: Foue billion usaccounted for.
This retuen o state Court to give then an opportunity to correct the
problens usually Fequires en additional fiftetn years. Wmich means
fhe state and the fadersl government is collecting money fros ssch
£ the same tioa: Thers is no oversight.
Condamosd inmates also benefit fron this illegal appellate
procest: The ineate sust wait seven yeas for the sppointeans of
Soumel: Do peans Tor it bttetarniad (0 oe 08 1S vegts cor
Biaieet of abeascorpen fo berfiled! 37,8 ynce 1o et 3 4
fron the Utata court. Evaryday that a condenned prisoner 1ives he
banerits. Soae candeancd ifmares have bean mere since the dea

13 Toaf

while aweit

ng cederal court ceview

suicide. Wmile snother 130 of us languish hers. Our constirutionally

guscanteed £ight to Due Process, Equal Protection, and the Fight fo
5 the federal courts, sl violated and discerdsd by s hamdful of

desice for executions. It drove a
fov dishonest polttici; « theix oath and the United State
Constitution. As result sveryone settied into a foutine that ignor
the cights of the victiss, snd neglects the fact that when rights are
sussar{ly dened, the possibility of convicting an innocence person
Tncreases.

The ultisate question s o st iy should you care?
You shoeld core Sedtugs the'Founding fathers uodarstood hou poverful ‘
Yo Jovernacns appafstus 1s. S they instiiled into the constitution ‘

{ndibidual Fignte, dasigoed to even the playing Cield. Due Proce
Equal Protection. and the right to Access Lhe courts aren't just
Tucky anough never to be 4

Felo Cerns saanefor o fou poop
Bekotod: Then Soverament offLcials steip auay. these Fighs,

frcotcarate people for profit, and take avay their ability fo
e ange thi Tagality o their Incacceration, it Lo called, slaveey.
81108 happen-to =4, there is o resson to believe it camnot

heppen t0 yo
P o think this does not concern you, cemesber these vords,

ALL thal s nesded for evil to prosper is for good men to do nothing.
“GET TNVOLVED!"

San Quentin, CA 94976
* DesthRoulnaste.org/Legal

Policy 3

The Califorala Supreme Court (CSC) created these "lavs” in 1986
wltnout teglatarite s judictol canncil Spproval. viclatin
Separation’of povers, These las violate

Protection, and Block access to the fedaral court:

ellate “Stratesy” out of the hands of the sppe
cs Croated an sppellate process that
I speci fic appeals are’ fiicd: what fssues
ppcoved foc investigative funding, snd effectively

Suspends the veit
been ilad

us nev lavs, defens
the direct supecviston of the Colifornis
e fabeas Sofput Resource: Concer (CRC)
Eieonty" the i
4p to"seven yea
Appeal say take as s
it

Wabons Corpus Uneil after the Direct Appesi has

counsel, vorking under
[cAP), and
C to

Y +to Samplate: Than, oo
th8a" (s TLcnae counsol appotneed for the sollateral shalie
Gocpus. The CSC has comitied to sdjudicacing the Direct Appeal
e e I S
11" Gnce the Somiction has besn affiraed, and th 3
the svidence against petitioner is ‘overihelning

“ho Ei1ea"s subssquent Habeas Corpus perition must estabiish that the
Sonstitattonal vislation coateibuted to. the convictisn: The Harsiess ‘
Ferer Standsrd. 1. Once.the conviceion Ls affirned, defense covnsel

£3 Cequired to fiie s welt of Cart. to the United States Suprome

Court ‘Natucatly, the Cart. Pecition containg no canstitutional

CTaisi baceuse The'Soliateral challonge has yer to be hescd by the

&

" The State and United stat
11

appotntaent of counsel for five to s
colnsel specifically for Dicect App
and Filing of th Cotpus Peritisn for an
e avera entencing to- th
This delay of

ten .
Filing of the Habess
Snvestigation and

I

he

prosent: 2 Corpus Petition hos a dovastating offect
50 the sppellaes ability o present clains that are supported by
“vidence. The late filing of the collatersl challenge also creates
procedural defaults. Giving rise to the Naraless Ercer Standard. Put
Snother uay, if the appellee filed a Habeas Corpus Petition first,

challenging the constitutionality of his conviction, the CSC would
only consider chather the violation otcurred. 1€ the chvet detessines
that a'violation occuered, the CSC would automaticatly veverss the
conviction, because the evidence, and entire record of the trial,
Shich only'cones. nto play dhen the Direct Appost 15 (1ied, would not
Be'at fRsles

573 Taault of these now lave, a1l appellate dofense counsel
have datfhetately and. ntentionally surcenerad the fIgnes of el
Clients in oder to abtain appointaent.

X\ This fact s supported by the fact that defense counsel allows
3L stratepic decisions to be mede by the CSC. The type of appent o
Do tiled, Gnd hen: hat Larues will be iovesiigates, svon prier
sppcovaiof the G, ang vhat fssues w1l uitinately be prebented for
adjudication. This lomplete reliance upon the CSC. (or a1} secmiopic
duzisions gives the CSE cosplete authoriy to cewder whatever
drcivtons Thor olonse, Lnouing that thele cutinga: shich. ste contrary
tovalT astablished fodeal Tov Will not bt reviesed by the Uioss
States Supreme Coutt on's ueit of Cert, becayss the constisotiosa
violationt are exciuded from the weit: Elfactively blocking sicash to
the foderal'Caurt. Tnis type of absolute contral Suet che Hetioes
steatony” ot Qeiense countel vas oubiaved in T6Eh Contory Eoyiomt. 1t
el St e

To eniuca that the Ci¢ wicked deads procead vithout
intectecance, il Sticney's wno sccept these datd ponalty cases
st sisn's dontractual aycecsant prosising to folloo thes |1iegal
and unconstitutionsl appeliste protadutes. Furthetmore, sii dosth rov
fomates"are 1002 excluded from Filing amy potitions in thels oes
defange: The 5 tng the xioronys” ey oint v 1eries

vpeline's of any Fights tha snsace that helr appeals ave pro
I3 tinely and ‘Sonstisutionally eifective napner,

Howhars'Tn theUnited Statas of America 15 this type of
violation of civil: legal, conseitutiomal, asd hondn Lonts
gecurring, with the excepiion of Ca1ifornia. Some capltil sppelles’s
ave bech delayed in'the CSC for a2 much a3 35 yeacs: This brosten
vould N0t exist without the participation of the fedural disirice
couses. Despite the fact that Califbrnia (alled to quglity for
inclusion {0 the Ml Terrorist, Effactfve death Fesalty hee (AEDPA).
the oderal disieics coutis.of Californis have Contiaved oo
Spply the - Exhaustion Heqotrasent. ~ nce the appellee completes the
G Tppesl procesa, and pracacds into fadesol Sourt, thar soces then
scants fonding, ‘and fow Federal counsel investigates the validisy ne
the state’s dacisions. Neturally, besause the siate court. process
SycLded ovidance ani delayed the prosess, ne sviderce.any oo
claime‘ace prosentid. This cequires ail chains not previosly
adjudicated by the siate court o ba'returadd for ebtuscise) There
222 dosens of fedaral Habass Corpus Petitions that ats statied
{delayed) in Coderal court, uhile the CSC takes an avetase of fiftaon

¥ears to exhavst theso new'claing.
Curcently, the CSC'maintains » 987 affirmance rate of all Nirect
Appeals. And 1t naturally'follous that they have 8 535 affirsance

rate of all Habeas Corpus Fetitions. The highest in the nation. once
these cases arg adjudicated in foderal sourt, after heing detayes for
theee decade, 737 of them ace reversed. Proving that the CSC
adjudications are contrary to well established foderel Javs:

According to Justice Authuc L. Alarcon, four billion dellacs of
tax payers money i3 “Unaccounted for." The California degth pensity
is 0 mult(-billion dollar sabestlensnt scam. With 5o much noney, sad
pelitics intecfering with the judicial process, it is mo sonics thie
Tiiegal sppellate schame has prosperad for 36 Jeacs!

But"[Es days are mesbered. .

Papyrus
@

f

>
M Collective

Mr. Kenneth E. Gay
D-15601 3 - EB - 93

San Quentin, CA 94974

South Chicago ABG
Zine Distro
P.O. Box 721
"~ Homewood, IL 60430