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For Immediate Release - Justice for Gwen, Part I
Members of the transgender community can rest more easily as a Hayward, CA jury brings back convictions against Michael Magidson & Jose Merel in the re-trial of the murder of Newark teen, Gwen Araujo.
Media Contacts:
Cecilia Chung, 415-902-0216
Deputy Director
Christopher Daley, 415-771-7304
Director
For Immediate Release
Justice for Gwen, Part I
Transgender Law Center applauds convictions and calls on Alameda County DA to continue efforts for conviction of Jason Cazares
San Francisco, CA September 12, 2005 - Members of the transgender community can rest more easily as a Hayward, CA jury brings back convictions against Michael Magidson & Jose Merel in the re-trial of the murder of Newark teen, Gwen Araujo.
"These verdicts have been a long-time coming," said Cecilia Chung, Transgender Law Center Deputy Director. "Of course, our hearts go out to Gwen's family and friends as they continue the long wait for Cazeras to be held accountable for his action on that night. Our community will continue to stand along side Gwen’s family until the final justice is served.."
After several days of deliberation, the jury found defendants Magidson and Merel guilty of 2nd degree murder. They were unable to reach a verdict on Cazeras. The verdict followed a re-trial that starkly contrasted with the 2004 trial. As attorneys for the three defendants moved away from the unified front used last year, their overall reliance on "transgender panic" tactics subsided as well.
"TLC applauds the nearly unprecedented efforts of the Alameda County District Attorney's office in twice prosecuting this case and in securing these verdicts," said Christopher Daley, Director of TLC. "Gwen’s murder in 2002 was a stark reminder of the high risk that transgender people face for violence. The actions of Gwen’s family and friends, the D.A office and community members over the last three years are significant steps toward reducing that risk.”
-- 30 --
The Transgender Law Center, an independent non-profit, was founded in 2002. TLC uses direct legal services, education, community organizing, and policy and media advocacy to transform California into a state that recognizes and supports the needs of transgender people and their families
Cecilia Chung, 415-902-0216
Deputy Director
Christopher Daley, 415-771-7304
Director
For Immediate Release
Justice for Gwen, Part I
Transgender Law Center applauds convictions and calls on Alameda County DA to continue efforts for conviction of Jason Cazares
San Francisco, CA September 12, 2005 - Members of the transgender community can rest more easily as a Hayward, CA jury brings back convictions against Michael Magidson & Jose Merel in the re-trial of the murder of Newark teen, Gwen Araujo.
"These verdicts have been a long-time coming," said Cecilia Chung, Transgender Law Center Deputy Director. "Of course, our hearts go out to Gwen's family and friends as they continue the long wait for Cazeras to be held accountable for his action on that night. Our community will continue to stand along side Gwen’s family until the final justice is served.."
After several days of deliberation, the jury found defendants Magidson and Merel guilty of 2nd degree murder. They were unable to reach a verdict on Cazeras. The verdict followed a re-trial that starkly contrasted with the 2004 trial. As attorneys for the three defendants moved away from the unified front used last year, their overall reliance on "transgender panic" tactics subsided as well.
"TLC applauds the nearly unprecedented efforts of the Alameda County District Attorney's office in twice prosecuting this case and in securing these verdicts," said Christopher Daley, Director of TLC. "Gwen’s murder in 2002 was a stark reminder of the high risk that transgender people face for violence. The actions of Gwen’s family and friends, the D.A office and community members over the last three years are significant steps toward reducing that risk.”
-- 30 --
The Transgender Law Center, an independent non-profit, was founded in 2002. TLC uses direct legal services, education, community organizing, and policy and media advocacy to transform California into a state that recognizes and supports the needs of transgender people and their families
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There is no justice in punishing human beings. The murder committed by these idiots at their sex party is a direct result of the very existence of the prison-concentration camp system, where these idiots, in their 15 years to life sitting there courtesy us taxpayers, will experience torture, rape and possibly murder. There will be no rehabilitation. The money spent on this fascist agenda is better spent on educating teenage boys in the high schools to support the gay/transgender liberation struggle.
This kind of murder will occur again and again until we have an agenda of rehabilitation and education for decent paying jobs. The victim is gone forever, and now our tax dollars, which have been expended in 2 very expensive trials, will now be further wasted in prison-concentration camp time. You may as well flush our tax dollars down the toilet as they will accomplish no good whatsoever.
It is clear that at least the organizations who make these ridiculous statements that something good happens when someone is sent to prison have fallen for the capitalist class' sales pitch to further the careers of the district attorneys, police and prison guards, as well as to further oppress and terrorize the workingclass with the prison-concentration camp system. We can be sure the entire participants in this sex party were workingclass; otherwise there would have been no charges brought.
No one can claim to be any kind of progressive and applaud any promotion of prisons whatsoever. The entire progressive community is an abolitionist community: We are for abolishing prisons and the death penalty for that is the only way we will achieve any justice and humanity will advance. When we fill out our juror questionnaires, we always state that we will never vote to convict anyone for any reason and we oppose the death penalty. The sooner we stop participating in this enrichment and career promoting scheme for the district attorneys, police and prison guards, the sooner we will have rehabilitation and education programs.
As with the wars abroad, so too with the class struggle at home: We cannot have guns and butter. We cannot promote the prison-concentration camp system and have justice.
It will be a matter of a short time when another case like this shows up. The decay in this society due to the promotion of guns over butter so as to maximize profits is so great that we can practically set our clocks by the inevitable fact that this kind of murder will occur repeatedly until we have rehabilitation and education for decent paying jobs.
This kind of murder will occur again and again until we have an agenda of rehabilitation and education for decent paying jobs. The victim is gone forever, and now our tax dollars, which have been expended in 2 very expensive trials, will now be further wasted in prison-concentration camp time. You may as well flush our tax dollars down the toilet as they will accomplish no good whatsoever.
It is clear that at least the organizations who make these ridiculous statements that something good happens when someone is sent to prison have fallen for the capitalist class' sales pitch to further the careers of the district attorneys, police and prison guards, as well as to further oppress and terrorize the workingclass with the prison-concentration camp system. We can be sure the entire participants in this sex party were workingclass; otherwise there would have been no charges brought.
No one can claim to be any kind of progressive and applaud any promotion of prisons whatsoever. The entire progressive community is an abolitionist community: We are for abolishing prisons and the death penalty for that is the only way we will achieve any justice and humanity will advance. When we fill out our juror questionnaires, we always state that we will never vote to convict anyone for any reason and we oppose the death penalty. The sooner we stop participating in this enrichment and career promoting scheme for the district attorneys, police and prison guards, the sooner we will have rehabilitation and education programs.
As with the wars abroad, so too with the class struggle at home: We cannot have guns and butter. We cannot promote the prison-concentration camp system and have justice.
It will be a matter of a short time when another case like this shows up. The decay in this society due to the promotion of guns over butter so as to maximize profits is so great that we can practically set our clocks by the inevitable fact that this kind of murder will occur repeatedly until we have rehabilitation and education for decent paying jobs.
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