Tookie asks for emergency stay

(AP) A lawyer for convicted murderer Stanley Tookie Williams asked the state Supreme Court to stay his execution, saying the Crips gang co-founder should have been allowed to argue that someone else killed one of his four alleged victims.

Attorney Verna Wefald filed a petition Saturday challenging the validity of the four convictions and death sentences given in 1981 to Williams, who is scheduled to die Tuesday at San Quentin State Prison. She also filed an emergency request seeking a stay, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Williams' lawyers also have asked Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to grant clemency, saying Williams has redeemed himself as shown by his books urging children not to join gangs. Schwarzenegger's office said Saturday the governor had not made a decision.

Williams was convicted of killing a man during a robbery in February 1979 and of murdering a couple and their daughter at a South Los Angeles motel in March 1979.

Williams denies committing the murders but has apologized for co-founding the Crips, the gang blamed for numerous murders in Los Angeles and beyond.

From behind bars, Williams has been nominated five times for a Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to quell gang violence and four times for a Nobel Prize in literature.

In August, Williams received a President's Call to Service Award for his good deeds on death row, complete with a letter from President Bush praising him for demonstrating "the outstanding character of America."

The money from the sale of his books is used to support at-risk youth programs and to continue his appeals, his lawyers said.

Wefald's petition argues that prosecutors failed to disclose at trial that witness Alfred Coward was not a U.S. citizen and had a violent criminal history, depriving Williams of the opportunity to argue Coward was the killer in the February 1979 robbery.

"All of the witnesses who implicated Williams were criminals who were given significant incentives to testify against him and ongoing benefits for their testimony," Wefald wrote.

"This type of testimony is the leading cause of wrongful convictions in murder and capital cases in the United States," she wrote, citing a study from Northwestern University Law School's Center on Wrongful Convictions.

The California Supreme Court, a federal court judge in Los Angeles, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and the U.S. Supreme Court have all upheld Williams' convictions

Aren't you glad God didn't have the same measuring stick when he looked at you and I?

What part of GOD SENDS PEOPLE TO HELL FOR UN FORGIVEN MURDER escapes you? God's word says people like TOOKIE will be sent to an eternal living Death in HELL.

The bible says Judge Not Lest you be Judged. But the bible also says all will face judgment. What was meant was that I am not to exercise judgment. The exercise of judgment is to proclaim and implement punishment for crime or wrong doings.

When the State executes a person it is exercising judgment. The bible does not say Caesar can not exercise judgment. It says you and I can't. That means you can't decide I deserve death for my sins and then kill me and go to heaven with out receiving forgiveness.

But Jesus was clear that governments have the right to exercise judgment and put criminals to death. Jesus said render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's and render unto God the things that are God's. Caesar had held the right and power to execute citizens of Rome for the commission of crimes defined by Caesar and the Roman Senate long before Christ was born.

If Jesus had said render unto Caesar the things that are Caesars except for the death penalty, I might give your argument some weight.

Caesar was the title given to the Roman government leader with the power of life and death over citizens. The Caesar for Tookie was Arnie the Terminator. Arnie using the same power exercised by the Caesars of Christs day, said put him to death and it was done.

This piece of trash did not REPENT. IN fact he never admitted guilt. He claimed innocence in the presence of absolute proof of his guilt. He left his finger prints on the cash drawer of the store he robbed and then killed the clerk. He was found with the gun that killed the clerk. The store camera showed him committing the act of murder. He never said even once that he was sorry for killing four people. Never once professed belief in GOD.

But then what could Christ know about morality and justice compared to a great moral person like you?

But why should you believe what Christ said.. After all you are far more compassionate than ever was Jesus! Perhaps you should tell God to correct Jesus for telling us to submit to Caesars power of life and death over our lives.

But then what could Christ know about morality and justice compared to a great moral person like you?

That was uncalled for period. You have attacked my faith. You have attacked me. You have put words in my mouth. Look over my posts. I never ever said that he should not die. I only said that there could be good in people who make very very bad choices. I have no argument with this man dying for his crimes. I do have a problem with assuming we know this man's complete heart. You have judged him as if you know him. It is because I have a relationship with Christ that I refuse to say that this man is trash. There are no levels of sin to God. Sin is sin. Mine seperates me from God just as much as this man's. It is Ceaser/government that levels earthly penalties for sin. Some you get by with, some you might get a small consequence with and others like Williams get the ultimate that Ceaser has to give. I have never disagreed with the government's place to apply the death penalty, again read my posts. Why do I pay such a huge amount in taxes each year, follow the law, respect the speed limit? Could it be because I respect the place of government in my life as set up by Christ himself. I respect it far more because God said to than because our government has earned my respect. As far as your pathetic statement that I think I am more compassionate than Christ, it is only because of His example of compassion in my own life that would even allow me to understand that Williams was His creation too. God loves him just as much as he loves me.(John 3:16) The human part of me says he is worthless because of what he has done and how can God love him too? Thank God that he does because that means that I can not escape the love of God either. How can any creation of God's be worthless when he was created by Almighty God? Can GOd create something totally worthless and beyond hope? To label anyone beyond hope is to put God's power in a box and limit Him. I am not a great moral person. I am forgiven that is all. I am humbled every day by that thought. Just as a point of clarification the only thing that will send you to hell is a lack of faith in Jesus Christ as your personal savior and Lord of your Life. Did Williams ever repent in his heart? Just because you and I did not get the memo doesn't mean he didn't ask God to be forgiven. We will not know this side of heaven. Remember the thief on the cross? In the midst of his execution he asked Jesus to forgive him and had faith that Jesus was the savior of the world. What was His response? "Today you will be with me in paradise". Praise God that one act of faith is all that God requires. The thief didn't have time to prove his change of heart to the world or even to Jesus for that matter through good acts or a changed life or even a public confession or thousands of hours of community service. God requires none of that. I pray that Mr. Williams had that come to Jesus moment before 12:35 am. If he did the angels rejoiced even over "This piece of trash".

Katie- I know CT is entirely able to defend his posts with no help from me, but I had to reply to you.

If Tookie had gotten clemency and he ran over to your house and killed your family, you would be calling him a piece of trash yourself.

All CT is saying is that there is still some justice in this world and Tookie got it. You seem to have a problem with other people being responsible for their own actions. Tookie was wicked, he knew he committed murder, and he did it 4 times. If he repented, it was not evident by his actions on earth.

One of the Best things about being a Christian is that we have grace (we don't get what we deserve), but to those who don't accept God's grace freely given, He gives justice. Tookie got justice, just what he deserved. May God have mercy on his soul.

I give up. Please go back and read ALL of my posts! I have said several times that the man deserved exactly what he got. He is 100% responsible for his actions. They are his and his alone. He earned the death penalty by his actions. That was his choice. He can not lay the blame with anyone but himself. Can I say it any clearer? What else can I say for you to get that the death penalty is fair in his case and warranted and earned???? I agree his got what he deserved, he got what he deserved, he got what he deserved!!! Okay with that out of the way AGAIN...my only point has been this entire time that people in general not just Williams can do some evil things and still make good choices too. I hope that some good came from keeping the man alive on taxpayers money for over 20 years. I hope that his book made just one child or one family make better choices. My entire point has been that just because he made evil choices 20+ years ago that he might be capable even in prison to make a good choice now that could help just one soul. I only wanted to be open to the concept of hope. How in the world does that make me have a problem with other people being responsible for their actions. I feel like the whole time I have been trying to say that because people make bad choices doesn't mean it is the end of their story. They can own those and make better ones. If I have a problem at all it is that I don't think anyone is ever beyond hope. What if one person came forward and somehow something Williams said or did while serving the time(That he EARNED)made that persons life better would you dismiss it because it was the influence of Williams? I just don't believe that past sins delete or diminish future good works. Do those good works make up for past sins-no! Should we somehow overlook the murder of 4 people because well he just turned into a good guy? NO! NO! NO!(that is clear isn't it?) We all love to tell how we've changed and we are far better a person than the past and we expect everyone to pat us on the back. But when someone does something beyond our comprehension they can't possibly ever do a good thing again? Why is is so hard to grasp that just maybe we sinners can turn our lives around and influence people for the good? Did Williams? Again I will say it, we will probably never know. We will never know if he made his peace with God. Earthly actions are fruit of the spirit or lack thereof but you never really know what lies in the heart of man. My point still stands that good people make bad choices and bad people are capable of making good choices. They don't cancel each other out. They stand alone. We receive consequences fitting for both good and bad choices. By the way, CT said more than you give him credit for. He was just plain insulting.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.