Prosecutor forces key witness to lie at retrial. Kawan Stack gets life without parole at age 23
Stack says he had bought items on the street since the age of 14 and sold them to support his own addiction. He grew up without a father and often saw his mother being beaten by boyfriends.
Police found several items stolen in a burglary in Stack’s apartment including a ring, watch, gold chain, telephone and an amp, all of which he claimed he bought from a "clucker", an addict who will do anything for drugs.
Stack’s trial ended in a mistrial when the owner of the property was caught perjuring herself in court. But before the retrial, she recanted and refused to testify again.
The prosecutor then threatened to charge her with falsifying a police report and she ultimately agreed to stick with her original false testimony.
On retrial, Stack was convicted of two counts of possession of stolen things and sentenced to life without parole as a third-strike offender. He was shocked by the sentence and says he was never informed that another conviction could result in a life without parole sentence.
Stack says that he has been reformed, is now humble and wiser, and has purpose and vision. "... A man should have a chance at being redeemed." He has completed anger management, substance abuse and self-help programs while incarcerated.
His fiancée and mother stay in regular contact with him.
Read full story at ACLU Special Report. A Living Death: Life Without Parole for Nonviolent Offenses.
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As voters, citizens, taxpayers and bystanders, we as a society have inhumanely punished thousands of nonviolent people. Currently Washington DC and 30 states have compensation statutes for wrongfully convicted inmates. Congress’ recommended amount is $63,000 for each year served. On the other hand, overly sentenced victims who in many cases have suffered equally or worse typically receive $20 and a bus ticket if they are fortunate enough to ever be released.
Select the link below to donate directly to Stack to help him with legal and other expenses. Most of these inhumanely sentenced inmates don't remember the last time they were able to buy personal items or snacks from the commissary. No donation is too small. JPAY is used for state inmates and Western Union for federal.
No Harsh Justice inmate has ever been convicted of a violent crime.
Donate to Stack's Legal Fund (Select Louisiana, Inmate ID=302763)
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