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January 1, 2010
I have not written an update letter yet.

January 1, 2010 
Today is the first day of a brand new year.  Surely this year will be better than last year.  I was not sad to see 2009 go.

It has been five weeks since I sent a letter to Judge Sam Medrano and copies to eighteen other persons/organizations involved in law enforcement or the judicial system.  I received forms from the Texas Bar Association for filing a grievance against Robert’s attorney.  I have not done so yet but I will when I decide that I have given him enough time to honor his moral obligations.  This was the only response that I received from the letter. 

Robert talked to his lawyer once between October 15 and November 23.  He told Robert that he would still be his lawyer during the probation period which is ten years.  He also said he would have an associate call Robert and help him get visitation rights with his son, Devoe.  Robert has not heard from or been able to get in touch with the associate.   

Robert has talked to his lawyer twice since the letter went out on November 23, 2009. The lawyer has assured Robert that he is trying to get his stuff back – the stuff seized with an illegal search warrant.  He said he is working with the District Attorney’s office to get it back. 

So I have learned something new about how this legal stuff works.  I thought that the lawyer would have to file a request with the court and a judge (probably the one who signed the search warrant) would decide if he could have it back. 

I will soon be adding a page to this site explaining the other things I have learned about how our legal/judicial system works. 

The people at the other seventeen organizations that I did not hear from probably already know how the system works.  They know that what was done to Robert is the way it works and they are satisfied with that.  They probably see nothing wrong with it or if it is wrong there is no way to fix it. 

But think of this.  Almost every day we hear about people on death row being proven innocent with DNA testing.  Death row inmates are the only prisoners in serious enough jeopardy to warrant the fight and expense of DNA testing.  But what of all the other inmates serving life or less sentences – or the ones where there is no DNA?  If the percentage of innocent death row inmates is applied to the general prison population there must be hundreds of thousands of innocent people in prison.   

And I think that if the spirit of the law was applied to the judicial system instead of the letter of the law it would be a lot fairer.

December 8, 2009
Robert's lawyer called and said he is working with the District Attorney's office to get his stuff back.  He still says he is working for Robert.

December 7, 2009
Robert has not heard anything else from Mr. Roberts.  I guess he doesn't know that we know that to get Robert's stuff back he has to file a request with the judge - and the judge decides.

I have gotten moral support from Phyllis, Virginia, and Pat.  Thank you.

December 2, 2009

Mr. Roberts just called Robert and told him, “Two things.  The court called and asked if I got a copy of the letter.  I called the DA and he said he has no problem with you getting your stuff back.  There’s just paperwork to take care of.”  Before I sent out the letter, Robert had tried to talk to Mr. Roberts for a month to try to get his stuff back and he was always out.  He did say that the letter would not get Robert's stuff back.  He was laughing as though he thought it was a HOOT.  I guess he knows his A.. is covered.

He said that Sylvester Reyes got a copy of the letter.  I did not send him one because he is our representative in Washington and has nothing to do with constitutional or judicial stuff – so I don’t know how he got a copy. 

Robert is very nervous now.  Worried about what could happen.  Mr. Roberts mentioned that the judge could revoke Robert’s probation and send him to jail.  I tried to tell Robert that is a lie. The judge could revoke probation and take him to trial – But what’s the chances that he will do it?  Robert reminded me that he gave up his right to complain about the situation and I reminded him that I did not give up any rights.

Carrie