The Scott Sisters: Two Life Sentences for 11 Dollars?

Talk about injustice. How do you wind up in prison serving two life terms for a robbery that netted 11 dollars? That question has haunted first time offenders Gladys and Jamie Scott for the past 15 years.

On December 24, 1993, Scott County Sheriff's Department in Mississippi arrested the sisters for an armed robbery they vehemently deny participation in. In 1994 they were convicted after being implicated in the crime by three young Black men who confessed to the robbery in exchange of a plea bargain that gave them 10 months. The sisters were not offered a plea and went to trial.

Time has passed slowly for these sisters as they watched from behind bars their five children grow into adults and mourned the lost of their father. They have felt the pain of exhausting all their legal remedies while being denied relief at every level.

According to Nancy Lockhart, M.J., a legal analyst who has worked tirelessly over the years to help set free the Scott sisters she says she will never forget the frigid Chicago morning when she opened a letter from Mrs. Evelyn Rasco, the mother of the Scott sisters. She told the story of her daughters and her plight to help free them. "How can they give my daughters two life sentences for a crime that netted 11 dollars where no one was injured?" This prompted Lockhart to become the Scott sister's lifeline for hope. She began a campaign to try freeing them.

The Scott Sisters challenged their convictions on direct appeal arguing that there was insufficient evidence to convict them and the guilty verdict was against the overwhelming weight of evidence, which should have exonerate them. The court of appeals found no error and affirmed the convictions on December 17, 1996. As a result, they filed a Petition for Writ of Certiorari to the Supreme Court, which was denied on May 15, 1997. They consequently filed an Application for Leave to File Motion to Vacate Conviction pursuant to the Mississippi Post Conviction Collateral Relief Act. The Supreme Court also denied that application.

In 1998 one of the sentenced men signed an affidavit telling that the Scott sisters were not involved with the crime. The affidavit along with two others that pointed to the sister's innocence were secured by their attorney and submitted for post conviction relief. Then attorney Chokwe Lumumba submitted a request for commutation of sentence and/or pardon to the governor. It was subsequently denied.

Gladys and Jamie Scott have maintained their innocence. They have spent nearly 15 years in prison for a crime they did not commit that netted the sum of 11 dollars. It is time for them to join their families.

For more information about the Scott sister's case please go to: www.freethescottsisters.com.
The Committee to Free the Scott Sisters: 641-715-3900 Ext. 99222

Comments

[mrtolson]

12:33 AM on 02/26/2009

These are the real faces of the New America. There so many things that so many people all across America don't know & some don't want to know. Why this is is completely beyond me. Because if you hold a American Flag or even tell people Hey I'm am American That is suppose to really mean something. That means when you see wrong things going on You stand up I say Hey I'm an American & you can Not do illegal actions here. But it happens everyday every where every state. So hey my name is Todd I'm now trying to get back my good name. Because it means so much & I'm an American don't expect to tell me about all kinds of illegal things that you have done to people. I would turn you in but finding even a Cop to do the right thing has been extreamly hard. Or even a FBI Agent Or Governor or yes even further. Todd of www.toddsappeal.com & www.toddolsonsappeal.com

[Dyneegirl]

09:47 PM on 02/25/2009

The amount of money involved just adds to the absurdity of the situation. These women have lost many years of their lives and their families have suffered unnecessarily. People scream for rights for Guantanamo prisoners but totally ignore the fact that citizens of our country are being denied their rights every day. Where are the human rights groups, the civil rights groups, the women's groups, etc etc, for all the people in our prisons? Where are the fair minded citizens pretending that our laws are fair and equitable? Justice is arbitrary and exclusionary in our society and "justice and liberty for all" comes only to those that can pay the price. Where is the accountability of our legal "professionals" that allow and support injustices? We have thousands of people incarcerated in our prisons for punishments that don't fit the crimes or for crimes they didn't commit. Wrongful convictions is a situation that has to be recognized and addressed and our justice system has to be modernized. Please take a look at another example of wrongful conviction at FREEPAULCORTEZ.ORG. Please get involved and fight wrongful convictions while it is still in principle rather than wait for it to involve someone you know and love. My greatest admiration to Nancy Lockhart who understands "When we see a wrong, to remain silent and indifferent is the greatest sin of all."

[William Newmiller]

08:32 PM on 02/25/2009

A tragic story, and one that is too often repeated throughout our "justice system." One of the myths too many believe is that appellate courts concern themselves with credible claims of innocence. Unfortunately, they concentrate on technicalities that often have little to do with factual innocence. You'll hear prosecutors and judges talk a lot about the importance of "finality," but I've yet to see "finality" written into any of our founding documents. "Justice," however, is. And state statutes require the pursuit of justice and truth by its prosecutors and judges. Thanks, Anthony, for drawing attention to this case. If enough people listen and act, maybe criminal justice authorities will hear the shouts for justice.

[aretha48]

06:35 PM on 02/25/2009

This is incredible, why is this not being covered by the media, why isn't Mrs. Rasco being interviewed instead of the "Octo-mom" and her family members, Bristol Palin's opinions, etc. Where is the feminist brigade when it comes to real issues dealing with real women? Even if these women were guilty, how could one life sentence, let alone double-life sentences, make sense in any part of this world (and we have the nerve to talk about human rights abuses in other countries)? This case reeks to high heaven!!

[seatea1967]

04:25 PM on 02/25/2009

So it would be ok to keep them in jail if they'd stolen a million dollars? What does $15 have to do with anything? The questions are: 1) Are they guilty? and 2) If so, what's a reasonable sentence for armed robbery?

[Nlockha]

08:06 AM on 02/26/2009

Many factors come into play while determining a sentence which makes the process a very complex one. For instance - there is a vast disparity in criminal sentences and financial fraud. Look at Bernard Madoff - his 50 billion dollar scam landed him on house arrest within the confines of a posh penthouse while his actions have caused several suicides.

On the other hand Jamie and Gladys Scott are NOT Guilty and have been handed double life sentences to wallow in the belly of the Prison Industrial complex. Double Life? Must you ask?
Sentencing within the confines of our criminal judicial process has always included dollar amounts to reach determinations of length. The sisters are innocent and yes, the dollar amount is very relevant.