“There
is in this world no such force as
The
force of a man determined to rise.
The
human soul cannot be permanently chained.”
--W.E.B Dubois
A
Call for Justice to all!!!
First of all , I
would like to give my praise and thanks to god for giving me the
strength and faith to bear this situation and struggle…
After all,
extraordinary afflictions are not always the punishment for
extraordinary sins, but sometimes the trials to extraordinary Graces…
My name is Geno
Capoletti Wilson.
I am alive in this place of the soul-dead and
forgotten. I was 6 Years on death row and is my 7th year in
prison now. However, I am no lesser a man for having shouldered such a
hard life for so long. I came to prison a volatile youth. Since then
I’ve frown into the man my mother tried but could not raise. I am a
man reared on life’s Trials and Tribulations; On struggle and pain- -
On Protest. On Solitude. On Tears…
There lies in me the
basic human desire to share who I am and what I’ve experienced in life
with other people. That is part of the motivation behind me speaking out
to all who read this desire message .I miss the intimate confraternity
of friendship. Have u ever wanted to express a feeling to someone in
hopes that they would understand ore at least appreciate the depth of
how you feel/felt? If I am seeking something in particular, it is a real
person I can feel, and who, in turn, tries to feel me.
I am a 24 year old
man, and a father of one “precious Daughter” whom is my world, the
fire of Love that burns in my heart and keeps me going every day, and
whom makes me understand with just her smile why children are called the
fruit of the womb. Beside writing her often I have a German Girlfriend
who loves me and try to help me the best she can which is very hard at
times. She came to visit me with an German TV Channel name Pro7 to get
people think about it what’s right and wrong and how many mistakes are
made by government also to see how many people loose their life’s hopes and
dreams. Other than that I enjoy reading, writing letters, sports
,listening to music, working out ,learning about different cultures…I
love to learn period. I enjoy receiving pictures of friends. I enjoy
many things as anyone who be friends with me will come to see. I spend a
lot of time working on my case in attends to prove my innocence and get
my out of prison so I can get home to my daughter. Sadly enough though
that is a feat that I cannot do by myself so I do seek support from
those in the outside. It is impossible to describe what it’s like to
deal with being locked in a cage for years, to be harassed, tortured,
psychologically abused, facing death for 6 years and watching my
daughter grow up threw glass window at visits and through pictures,
being humiliated…and the hauled off to be murdered by the
state…simply by the public opinion of 12 Jurors who had no real
knowledge about Law and Capital Punishment: THIS IS INJUSTICE!!! Its
wrong! Execution/Murder (they are one at the same) of any kind is wrong:
IT ONLY REINSTATES THE CODE OF JUSTICE BY BLOODSHED!
This denial of humanity/Death Row and the Death Penalty) is a denial
that slowly erodes all that we hols in our hearts.
People see us as
already being “dead”, and all the love from others disappears. We become forgotten yet we still exist. Its like
people bury as alive. I was lucky twice the past year I found my Love
and I don’t have to worry about me dieing no more since the Supreme
court decided not to kill juveniles no more!!!
Before I came to
Death Row I’d never thought about it, nor did I (in my young 17 Year
old life and mind)know that the Death Penalty even existed. An I think
that most people don’t know.
In Texas alone there
are over 450 people on Death Row and over 3000 nationwide. They don’t
know that of 5000 cases recorded since 1977 where the Death Penalty was
imposed, 2000 of those cases were overturned because of the incompetence
of the defence counsel alone - - this is just a sample of cases not all
of them. They don’t know that 13 INNOCENT
PEOPLE have been let off Death Row. They
don’t know also that 23 people have been PROVEN
INNOCENT too late…
AFTER THEIR
EXECUTIONS HAD ALREADY TAKEN PLACE!!!!
I could go on and on and on….
There are two reasons
why I believe that’s many people are not aware of the Death Penalty,
it’s injustices, and its gross violation of Human rights. Many people
are too caught up in their own life’s (like I was once) and just
don’t pay attention to what does not not directly affect them. I also
think that people accept what media outlets say as God-given fact, so
they trust in a system that is out of control and has no conscious.
Like everything else
people need to be educated.
On Texas Death Row we
are confined to 6 by 9 cell and 23 hours a day seven days a week. We get
out one hour of single man recreation in a tiny cage slightly bigger
than the one we caged in. We have no TV’s mo educational or religious
programs, no arts and crafts ore work programs…we have nothing!!! We
are beaten up and abused by the guards. We go days and weeks without
getting medical attention if we need it. The food is always cold, the
rations are small and many times the food is spoiled. We are treated
worse than animals. Legally animals in a ZOO get more space and food
than we do. Animals have legal rights to protect them from cruelty…and
they are enforced. Us prisoners here have legal and Human rights that
are supposed to protect us from cruel and unusual punishment…the yra
not enforced!!!
I have many dreams in
life and is due the injustice of the Death Penalty and Death Row that
one of my biggest dreams was sparked and is now a flame. My dream is to
see justice and do all that I can to see the executions of all human
beings stop, and especially those of juveniles since I was a juvenile
too when I arrived on Texas Death Row. So I seek help from the outside
because again: I can’t do it by myself .No one or two persons(when I
count my Girlfriend)can do everything but if everybody does something
then everything will get done.
In closing I would
like to say that you all who take the time to read my dire call for
friendship and help that I look forward to hearing from any and all
race, gender nor age matters. Friendship is something that I truly
value. Friends (true ones) are a real blessing. Your friends are your
needs answered. They are your field which you sow with love and reap
with thanksgiving. Friendship to me is like that of a Beautiful Rose:
When properly watered and nourished…it blooms beautifully….So may
our friendship bloom like that of the Beautiful Rose…
Anyone interested in
writing me can write me at
Geno Wilson
#1306435
Ferguson
Unit
12120
Savage Dr.
Midway,TX
75852-3654
***********************
A WORD FROM
GENO´S SUPPORTERS
Please allow those of
us supporting Geno a few more moments of your time
Please allow us to
give you some insight to Geno´s present situation judicially and our
plight in helping tp prove his innocence and safe this Mans life.Geno´s
reality is not often shown in public media. In fact it is one often
hidden and when exposed by the media in favour of this corrupt judicial
and penal system propagated by an illusion to make the public believe
and see only what the corrupt judicial and penal system want to be
perceived. So allow us to give u a real view of the real reality’s
Geno faces….those seen and those intentionally covered up…that are
infixed in this society. It is important to remember that in dealing
with a situation like this…
One must stay FULLY
open-minded to the truth…no matter how farfetched or harsh they may
sound. Panic may resent it; Ignorance may deride it; Malice may distort
it; but there it is….
THE
FOLLOWING IS GENO WILSON´S STATEMENTS OF FACTS
CONCERNING
HIS CASE
When four young black
men showed up in a four door maroon coloured car. All got out and spoke
with Marilyn. Later all of them went into the alleyway. Everyone started
Smoking marijuana.
Then I saw a young white salesman, James White, with a spray bottle. The
young males who had been talking with Marilyn approached the salesman.
I saw the salesman
cleaning the driver's shoes with a rag in the alleyway. The driver asked
James for a pen to sign the order form, and then he asked the group of
boys for change for a $50. Another black male said something to the rest
of the group then said he's going home. Then three or them want to the
car, the driver returned and went to the alleyway. James White returned
after going two doors down looking for a pen. The driver pulled out what
looked like an automatic pistol placing it to the salesman's head end
ordered his money.
James White said
"I don't have any money“with the gun pointed to the back of his
head. The driver shot him and ran to the car end drove off.
This is the first
description given by 16 year old Joshua White when he to1d the police
the driver of the car was a black male 5ft. 11 with low cut hair, clean
shaved, approximately 1451b. with 2 old teeth. Gene Wilson is 5ft
7", 1ight brown complexion, not black skinned as described by
Joshua White. However, after seeing a photospread where 4 of the 6
photos were red in coloration, leaving only 2 pictures regular colour,
Joshua White changed his original statement from when he told the police
the driver of the car was a black skinned person. The police influenced
Joshua White by telling him to pick out the shooter, implying that the
shooter was among the photos.
Uncertain witnesses,
Marilyn Lemon, Randy Mims and Joshua White were responsible for
assisting the prosecution in twisting the facts causing the jury to
believe manipulated circumstances because they were totally confused of
the facts as they truly happen.
Proven by Counsel
Greenlee, refreshing Joshua White’s memory during cross examination,
White testified that he recalled telling the police that a black skinned
person was sitting on the steps , had gold teeth, that Geno Wilson was
not a dark skinned person. This testimony clearly reveals how the
prosecutor manipulated the testimony to destroy the facts, showing the
jury a false description, erasing crit1ca1 evidence. Gene Wilson had
attorneys fighting to save his life and with enough time they would have
found compelling defensive evidence proving to the jury that Gene Wilson
didn't kill James White. Information that was available out never shown
to the jury.
The prosecution
wasn't the only one taking advantage of a 17 year old kid ignorant of
the law. Geno Wilson's father retained counsel E.J. van Buren to
represent his son, believing that Mr. van Buren was a good attorney he
gave him $19,000.00 to prove he wasn't guilty of capital murder ;Unaware
that Ven Buren was totally incompetent to
prepare a good defence to
save his son's life!!! Just as the prosecution used trickery to attain
the conviction against Geno Wilson, Van Buren exercised his own
deception by taking money knowing he did not have the professional
experience. During the course of 11 months of the 12 months between
Geno's arrest, Van Buren never showed up to discuss any of the
circumstances with him, only visiting the jail twice. No motions were
ever filed regarding Geno's defence by Van Buren who didn't even go to
the D.A. office to review the files against his client having no
understanding or knowledge surrounding Geno's case.
Van Buren used
$2,500.00 to pay Steven Greenlee to assist him on the case. District
Attorney Hawkins made an offer of 40 years in prison to
say he was the killer. Greenlee told Geno Wilson about this deal.
Geno told Mr. Greenlee he would wait until he spoke to his retained
attorney, Van Buren, first. When this offer was mentioned to Van Buren
he didn't remember the district attorney’s offer. Because he only
spoke twice to his client in a year he never took time to remember the
circumstances. This happened because he gave Greenlee his responsibility
to prepare Gene Wilson for trial, but Greenlee wasn't retained by Mr.
Wilson so he didn't have the authority to make decisions.
Van Buren ignored two
very important factors $surrounding the district attorney's offer of 40
years. It's a possibility the prosecution was willing to give this deal
because they knew the evidence wasn't enough to convict an innocent 17
year old man of capital murder. The prosecution knew Geno Wilson was not
the killer but could have been present when the shooting occurred but
refused to say who the killer was. NO reparation of any aspect to defend
Geno Wilson was made.
Factors never
considered nor acknowledged by the jury; the jury never knew this
information existed. This unprofessional behaviour caused elected judge
Hill over district court 230th to witness how little preparation
attorney Van Buren made in defence of his client, to appoint counsels
Steven Greenlee end Connie Williams to assist Van Buren in trying the
case; though Mr. Wilson paid him $19,000.00 only for Van Buren to
neglect Mr. Wilson's son’s life. Van Buren admitted to Judge Hill that
he couldn’t handle the ease he was paid to defend. After assigning two
attorneys to assist Van Buren the trial began 6 days later once Judge
Hill appointed these attorneys.
November 8, 1999. It
all started with arraignment, jury selection for attorneys who were
placed on a capital ease just 4 days prior. This isn't enough time for
any lawyer to familiarise his/her self with the facts end circumstances
within the case to prepare the necessary steps it takes to save a mans
life.
For judge Hill and
prosecutors it was crystal clear that Geno Wilson did not have a
competent counsel representing him. Van Buren admitted inside his
affidavit that he could not locate the case files because they had been
damaged in a flood and some were lost when his home was vandalised
several times end during many months he received drug treatment. During
the course of the trial Van
Buren left his responsibilities to two assistant attorneys
who had just been appointed and didn’t show up on some days.
Greenlee reca1ls Van
Buren dropped in only twice during voir dire snd on another day Van
Buren fell asleep and be an snoring loudly causing judge Hill to order
Greenlee to take care of the problem, referring to the sleeping Van
Buren as an attorney who showed 1itt1e to no concern for Geno Wilson's
life.
This alone, as well
as the manipulating tactics exercised by the prosecution ware major
factors. Now an innocent young man struggles to correct this injustice
which has placed a 17 year old teenager on Death Row fighting for life,
due to an incompetent lawyer who didn't put on any witnesses during
guilt and innocence stage of the trial; only 3 during the punishment
phase. Van Buren's incompetent end unprofessional conduct resulted in
his failure to adequately defend his client. His minimal amount of
investigation destroyed critical time in preparation. If Geno Wilson had
had a competent attorney fighting to save his life, Van Buren would not
have been disbarred for his unprofessionalism by violating the ethical
code of attorney law end client rule.
For failing to follow
(A) a lawyer shall not accept or continue employment in legal matters
which the lawyer knows or should know is beyond the lawyers competence.
(B) a lawyer shall
keep a client reasonably informed about the status of a matter and
promptly comply with reasonable requests for information. (C) a lawyer
shall not fail to explain a matter to the extent reasonably necessary to
permit the client to make informed decisions regarding the
representation.
Geno Wilson had no
representation. This allowed a professional prosecutor to take full
advantage of a 17-year-old, ninth grade-education, ignorant-of-the-law
and the legal proceeding he’s being walked through. Randy Mims, one of
the prosecution witnesses who testified how the prosecutor wanted him to
help get the conviction they were seeking.
Randy was in Gulf
shore Academy for individuals on probation. He had a theft charge. This
is why he allowed his individual statement to be manipulated. However,
Randy did tell the D.A. that he didn't see anyone with a weapon on
December 2, 1998, wasn't in the alley when the shot went off. He looked
where the shot came from but didn't see anything, heard an argument, ran
home after hearing the shot and said "I didn't see Geno with a
gun." Randy Mims was impeached by Geno Wilson's attorneys; the
prosecution, Hawkins, was prepared for attorneys not ready to defend
their client. Mr. Hawkins presented hearsay statements to the jury while
questioning a witness claming to hear Tony Wilson say "Chill out
GENO. I aint trying to go back to jail" Tony Wilson never testified
in court that he said this statement, because at the time of the
incident Tony Wilson had never been to jail. Graphic photographs of the
deceased’s body were used deliberately
exposing the genetalia end external wounds, the swollen eyes and
fractured skull of James White just to inflame the jury in seeing Geno
Wilson as a mad animal.
Professionally
exercise tactics planting thoughts into the jury's mind like a farmer
plants seeds explaining why
the prosecutor deliberately ignored Cornelius Watt>la witness, who
want to the lawyer’s office with witness Tony Wilson, Eleanor Miller
and Randy Mims to discuss the shooting.
Cornelius told the
investigator what he knew. The prosecutor didn't ask him anything about
Geno, only interested in getting him to say that he was standing outside
the car, that the incident went down differently than it did. Cornelius
Watts was never called to testify by neither Mr. Hawkins nor the
attorneys representing Geno Wilson. Later Cornelius changed what he said
due to professional tactics by the prosecutors manipulation of witnesses
16, 17 and 18 years old under pressure of probation, willing to assist
in twisting the circumstances to avoid the threat of jail; explains why
Cornelius was so willing to help the prosecution create a story line for
the prosecution by saying he heard everything but was never called as a
witness.
These methods were
allowed to happen due to incompetent attorneys end a prosecutor willing
to do whatever it took to get the conviction. Geno's father lived in
Minneapolis. While living with his father Geno didn't run the streets he
worked at his dad's car wash. He never got into any trouble with the
police while living in Minneapolis. Geno's Father told the investigator
he always knew where Geno was, either at home with him and his wife, at
school1roller skating, fishing or in his room enjoying a playstation.
Geno is a sensitive person who cried when he found out his girlfriend
was pregnant just weeks after his arrest.
Facts surrounding
this case are clear and simple. This is a small description of the facts
that placed Geno Wilson on Death Row fighting for his life.
SYPNOSIS OF EVIDENCE (8) FACTS NOT TO BE IGNORED
(1) Geno Wilson had a
ninth grade education--was incarcerated for 11 months of the 12 months
between his arrest, never saw his attorney until a few weeks before his
trial.
(2)
Geno was only 17 years old when the incident took piece.
(3) Attorney Vvan
Buren admitted to Judge Hill he couldn't handle the case. He was
disbarred for incompetence.
(4) Attorneys appointed to defend
Geno Wilson 6 days before jury selection began.
(5) Compelling
defensive evidence was available. Geno's attorneys did minimal amount of
investigation. They never attempted to uncover all the facts.
(6) Randy Mims told
the police end prosecution that he wasn't near the offence, only heard
argument then a shot.
(7) Joshua White
changed his statement, proving that he wasn't sure about the
circumstances that he was sending a young man to Death Row.
(8) There was no
physical evidence to link Geno with the shooting.
There is more for
anybody willing to help and wanting to know more about
Geno Wilson's
case. We are seeking help for Geno Wilson to save this innocent
man’s
life and attain him
the justice end freedom he deserves. THE JUSTICE
HE IS DUE BY LAW AND
THE AMERICAN
CONSTITUTION! For anyone willing to help in anyway they can,
below is a list of things that need to be done end that we are striving
towards in supporting Geno:
1) Letter campaigns
to wardens, politicians, etc., as well as media Exposure
2) to make all aware that we can by
passing on this message of dire importance in the fight of saving an
innocent man's life end attaining his JUSTICE:
FREEDOM!
3) Fund raisins for
proper end adequate legal representation, as well as for investigators.
All support is
welcomed and accepted, but financial support is of most importance.
Sadly Geno finds
himself incarcerated in a system where money holds more value than an
innocent human life that has been done an injustice. It is not about
Justice in this system it is more like: “How much 1s one willing to
pay for their justice"? Sadly, Geno finds himself facing an
injustice that will cost, quite a bit for proper and adequate legal
representation. So financial help of dire importance in the fight to
save this innocent man's life. All donations are welcome.
4) Financial
assistance in making sure Geno also has what he needs to campaign his
case and stay in proper communication with those of us that are
supporting him.
Postage, writing
paper, typing paper, typing ribbons, envelopes, pens, pencils, legal
tablets, etc. are not free in
prison, and nor do they allow Texas Death Row , prisoners
paying jobs, or any jobs far that matter.
5) Moral, emotional
end spiritual support through correspondence--al1 forms of support are
more than welcome and accepted by Geno and us with an open and grateful
heart.
6) And last but not
least is being requested media
exposure to educate the larger community about what is truly happening
in this vile violation called Capital Punishment, as well as what is
going on in these 'new' institutions designed oar higher profits
(Slavery) .
So cal1 talk shows,
radio stations, write letters to Geno, create forums, discussions in
local communities, etc. We must link the struggles of this discarded
human being to the struggles throughout the known Universe for justice
based on existence, not some ideology that values some lives (or living
things for that matter) more than others.
As long as the
general public continues to ignore the issues involved in the practice
of executing human beings this gross violation of conscience will
continue. People see us dead and all the love from others disappears. We
become justice system is not capable of leading society to adopt a more
civil and enlightened policy.
Thank you for you
time!!!
How to contact Geno and his Supporters:
For more information
or anyone wanting to correspond with Geno write him at
Geno Wilson # 1306435
Ferguson Unit
12120 Savage Dr.
Midway, TX 75852
