Spend it on education, not incarceration, start with the judges.

Dear President Elect Obama;

I realize you and your cabinet have your hands full. Hopefully, sometime during your first tenure though, the outrageous problem of over sentencing and over charging in our courts can be addressed. It certainly would save billions of dollars a decade.

I believe the 10th District Federal Court of Appeals is in need of two Judges. This circuit also has one judge over 80 years old and one over 90 years old whose places may need filling during your two tenure’s. Their tenure’s are way to long and should be fashioned after the House of Representatives. It may be a good time for our country to consider non-judicial civil rights advocates for seats on this bench, or a least lawyers that have been working for organizations such as the ACLU or Colorado Criminal Justice Reform; Christie Donner for example.

I consider myself ordinary in the sense that 1 in 20-25 U.S. citizens has a close relative doing time and I personally have seen no sense of fair treatment by our officials in the legal system in the eight years I have been stumping for my son Jason. I’m sure he is not alone in this treatment.

The Larimer County, CO court has stooped as low as to mishandle funds. There has been no response from law officials regarding this mishandling of funds; money orders for necessary materials my son Jason needs for his appeal. The abuse of power by Colorado Courts is astounding. The fact that Jason was sentenced by Terrance Gilmore and prosecuted by Jolene Blair, both now notorious for avoiding evidence that would have prevented a man, Tim Masters, from a life sentence is of great interest to me. It is also of interest that Jason’s case was the first homicide for Terrance Gilmore after taking the bench, and it was the last homicide for Jolene Blair before she took the bench. Public opinion says neither of these people should be practicing law. In Jason’s case the facts surrounding the homicide were never allowed to be presented.

The States Assistant Attorney General Bilotti has responded to every well formed appeal package with unrelated rhetoric. His “answer briefs” which are supposed to address each issue presented, do not. They are instead; a mish-mash of redundant sentiment with content far removed from the appeals material presented. It is extremely disturbing that one can get away with this representation and call it; fair legal treatment? What is truly troubling is the higher courts treatment of the appeals that are before them. They should be the “oversight committee” but instead they don’t pay attention.

As for me, I will continue working diligently, prodding the court to at least read the material in my sons case: Jason Pecci, case# 08-CV-01235 BNB, U.S. District CO.

Now that my business and myself are bankrupt and I am losing my home, I have few other responsibilities other than to continue stumping for Jason.

Between the ages of 40 and 62 I completed 14 triathlons, designed and built two homes including roofing, plumbing, electrical…, operated a successful fine dining establishment on the coast of Maine…I will do my best to see Jason is treated fairly by the courts.

Please remember that I am only one out of millions of people affected by this mass incarceration of loved ones, caused by over sentencing and over charging. Most families have little money for proper legal defense. “Adequate defense” by public defenders in the district court systems is grossly “inadequate.”

I know you can put this country back on track. Please don’t let others discourage you from effecting change in our courts.

Respectfully,
Mary-Ellen Pecci