[Sundaycommunity] Fwd: Catholic Network for Women's Equality Fwd: Statement from Lisa Montgomery's attorney

Thu Jan 14 10:50:56 PST 2021

So disheartening.
Catherine

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Rosemary Ganley <rganley209 at gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 14 Jan 2021 at 13:09
Subject: Catholic Network for Women's Equality Fwd: Statement from Lisa
Montgomery's attorney
To: CNWE <cnwe at googlegroups.com>

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Mary Hunt <mhunt at hers.com>
Date: Thu, Jan 14, 2021 at 12:20 PM
Subject: Fwd: Statement from Lisa Montgomery's attorney
To: WATER List <water-l at hers.com>
Cc: Women-Church Convergence reps reps Convergence <
w-ccrepresentatives at googlegroups.com>, Sisterly Group Kirkridge <
sisterly at googlegroups.com>, Dignity Women <dignitywomen at gmail.com>

Let this get lost in the morass of immorality, this is a reminder that
injustices continue despite pandemic, insurrections, and the like. MEHunt

Begin forwarded message:

*From: *"Cornell Center on the Death Penalty Worldwide" <
reply at petitions.moveon.org>
*Subject: **Statement from Lisa Montgomery's attorney*
*Date: *January 13, 2021 at 8:54:02 PM EST
*To: *mhunt at hers.com
*Reply-To: *Cornell Center on the Death Penalty Worldwide <
talkbacks at moveon.org>

*The following is a statement released by Lisa Montgomery's attorney late
last night.*

The craven bloodlust of a failed administration was on full display
tonight. Everyone who participated in the execution of Lisa Montgomery
should feel shame. No one disagrees that Mrs. Montgomery was the victim of
unspeakable torture and sex trafficking. No one can credibly dispute Mrs.
Montgomery’s longstanding debilitating mental disease – diagnosed and
treated for the first time by the Bureau of Prisons' own doctors. Our
Constitution forbids the execution of a person who is unable to rationally
understand her execution. The current administration knows this. And they
killed her anyway. Violating the Constitution, federal law, its own
regulations, and longstanding norms along the way.

The government stopped at nothing in its zeal to kill this damaged and
delusional woman. After we, her attorneys, contracted COVID-19 during our
travels to visit her after her execution was scheduled, the government
fought tooth and nail against any delay to allow us to recover so we could
represent her effectively. Then they violated the law in multiple ways in
rescheduling her execution for the final days of the Trump Administration.
As courts agreed Lisa’s case presented important legal issues warranting
serious consideration – including whether she was competent to execute –
the government hammered onward with appeals.

By insisting on an execution during a pandemic, this administration
demonstrated its reckless disregard for human life of innocent citizens.
Executions are super-spreader events. The government knows this. Yet, they
put the lives of every single person who must participate in these “events”
as well as every one of those persons' friends, families, neighbors,
co-workers, and who knows how many other people. Because this
administration was so afraid that the next one might choose Life over
Death, they put the lives and health of US citizens in grave danger. In the
midst of all this litigation, Lisa’s request for clemency remained before
President Trump. It was supported by thousands of organizations and
individuals – faith leaders, anti-violence advocates, conservative leaders,
international organizations, and many more. But the President did nothing.
He had not even the decency to formally deny – or even acknowledge – Lisa’s
clemency application, though it is hard to imagine a case more deserving of
executive intervention than this one.

Lisa Montgomery’s execution was far from justice. She should never have
faced a death sentence in the first place, as no other woman has faced
execution for a similar crime. And Lisa was much more than the tragic crime
she committed, a crime for which she felt deep remorse before she lost all
touch with reality in the days before her execution. Lisa was also much
more than the horrors inflicted upon her, the sexual violence and abuse she
endured at the hands of those who were supposed to love, nurture, and
protect her.

Lisa was a loving mother, grandmother, and sister who adored her family.
She was a devout Christian who loved Christmas and created beautiful angels
for those lucky enough to receive her gifts. Lisa often became trapped in
the prison of her mind, losing touch with reality for periods of time. But
when not gripped by psychosis, she was a gentle and caring person whom I
was honored to know and to represent.

Lisa Nouri, Amy Harwell and I represented Mrs. Montgomery for eight years.
We loved her very much and she loved us. She honored us with her truth and
trusted us to share it in a way that not only told her story, but that
could help other women.

Even though President Trump could not be the hero we asked him to be, we
are here to say to every woman and girl who has been the victim of violence
and degradation: You matter. Your pain matters. You are more than a victim.
You are a survivor. Do not let anyone humiliate or shame you. You deserve
to be loved.

In the past week, we have seen just how far President Trump and his
administration will go in their disdain for justice and the rule of law.
This failed government adds itself to the long list of people and
institutions who failed Lisa.

We should recognize Lisa Montgomery’s execution for what it was: the
vicious, unlawful, and unnecessary exercise of authoritarian power. We
cannot let this happen again.

*-Kelley Henry, attorney for Lisa Montgomery*
*-January 13, 2021*
------------------------------

Cornell Center on the Death Penalty Worldwide started this petition on
MoveOn. If there's an issue close to your heart that you'd like to campaign
on, you can start your campaign here
<https://sign.moveon.org/petition/new?source=petition_email_footer>.

You're receiving this message because you signed the TELL PRESIDENT TRUMP
TO STOP THE EXECUTION OF LISA MONTGOMERY
<https://sign.moveon.org/petitions/tell-president-trump-to-stop-the-execution-of-lisa-montgomery>
 petition on the MoveOn.org <https://moveon.org/>petition website. MoveOn
Civic Action does not endorse the contents of this email or the petitions
posted on MoveOn's public petition website. If you don't want to receive
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*May you walk in joy as love calls us on.*
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