Marty Tankleff to testify at New York State Senate Democratic Task Force on Wrongful Convictions

Marty Tankleff is scheduled to testify tomorrow at a New York State Senate Democratic Task Force on Preventing Wrongful Convictions in New York State.

Sen. Eric Schneiderman will preside over the second of a series of forums to be held around New York State by the Senate Democratic Taskforce on Criminal Justice Reform, called “Preventing Wrongful Convictions in New York State: Systematic Reforms to Convict the Guilty and Protect the Innocent.”

Sen. Schneiderman's office sent out the following background and schedule: 

At each forum, legislators and the public hear testimony from experts and exonerees on four reform measures—mandatory electronic recording of police interrogations, preservation of DNA evidence, eyewitness identification reforms, and the creation of an Innocence Commission—that have been proposed in the New York State Legislature to help prevent wrongful convictions.

Our first public forum examined proposals to record custodial interrogations in felony cases as a tool in preventing wrongful convictions. Wednesday's forum will focus on the possible benefits of creating an independent Innocence Commission to review all DNA exoneration cases in New York State and determine necessary policy changes to prevent wrongful convictions. The forum will also examine recent efforts by the New York State Bar Association to create such a commission.  We will be hearing from the Innocence Project, the President and members of the New York State Bar Association, individuals who were convicted of crimes of which they were later exonerated, and the defense community.  Notably, we will also be hearing testimony by Long Island’s Marty Tankleff, whose indictment is expected to be lifted today after a special investigation by the Attorney General’s office.

WHO: State Senator Eric Schneiderman, Chair and other state legislators

Testimony:

9:30 AM   
Alan Newton, Exoneree

10:15 AM  
Bernice Leber, President of the New York State Bar Association, and Barry Kamins, Chair of the NYS Bar Association’s Innocence Commission and Immediate Past President of NYC Bar Association

11:00 AM  
Martin Tankleff, Exoneree

12:00 PM  
Steve Saloom, Public Policy at Cardozo Law School’s Innocence Project

12:45PM   
Jonathan Gradess, Executive Director of the New York State Defenders Association

WHAT:      
Public Forum on Preventing Wrongful Convictions in New York State: Systematic Reforms to Convict the Guilty and Protect the Innocent

WHEN:      
Wednesday, July 2nd, 2008, 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

WHERE:    
Malcolm X & Dr. Betty Shabazz
Memorial & Educational Center
3940 Broadway (at 165th Street)
New York City

(A, C, or 1 trains to 168th Street, facility and subway stop are wheelchair accessible)

Testimony will be by invitation only, but this event is open to the public.

Comments

[Judge Stuart Namm (Ret)]

In honor of Marty's final release, and his testimony before the committee of the New York State Senate on his wrongful conviction, we have decided to cut the price of our ver compelling and thought provoking 56 minute documentary "A Question of Guilt?" in half to $14.95, so that everyone will be able to afford to see this story from its inception. The Creative Director, Judge Stuart Namm, recipient of the Justice Thurgood Marshall Award in 1993, was the first person, other than Marty's immediate family and attorney Robert Gottlieb, to publicly question Marty's conviction and to interview both Det. K. James McCready, and Shari Rother, Marty's half sister, on tape in a documentary. The documentary is available by sending a check or money order to Stuart or Nancy Namm at 101 Marshview Road, Hampstead, NC 28443 in that amount plus $3.00 for shipping. It is also available on the Internet at www.filmbaby.com under "A Question of Guilt?" and available for download at that site for a nominal fee. If you have any questions, you can reach me by e-mail at [email protected] .

Judge Stuart Namm (Ret)

[Teresa]

Marty,

I had business today in Harlem, and very fortunately was able to stop by the Malcolm X Center afterwards in time to hear your testimony. Your testimony today was very riveting and found your references to the language problems in interogations very interesting.

I grew up on Long Island and am the same age as you. To be quite honest I didn't follow your original trial but my mother did, and I did watch with her when you were convicted. That was a very heartbreaking moment. When the evidence was presented years later, I read more on your case and it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure that Jerry Steuerman was responsible.

I admire your strength and perseverance, I'm not sure I could've survived what you did. Your parents are certainly proud, and hopefully some day soon their killers will be brought to justice.

I wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors and would bet the farm that you will be one hell of a defense lawyer.

Cheers,
Teresa

[to be frank]

marty did you do it?

you did confess .... why confess?

why did you do it?

money? hate?

[to be frank]

jerry did it or he has motive and guilt !!!

this is a bad feeling case !!!

God bless the non guilty person you know who you are ...