May 2, 2011

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To support Shawn's case: contact the Chairwoman of the Ohio Parole board and express your concern that Ohio may execute an innocent man. Also contact Governor Kasich and urge him to grant Shawn Hawkins clemency.

1. Contact Cynthnia Mauser: 614-752-1200 or or toll-free 888-344-1441

2. Contact Governor Kasich: (614) 466-3555

Shawn Hawkins: A grave risk of executing an innocent man

Shawn Hawkins is a graduate of Mount Healthy High School. On Sundays he attended Sunday School and church at Southern Baptist on Reading Road in Avondale.

At that time, Shawn was a promising young artist studying at the University of Cincinnati. It is said the he was a kind and loving young man who enjoyed fishing, football and helping others. He was especially kind to the elderly in the neighborhood. Yes! His life was filled with promise and hope.

In 1989 after a brief investigation Shawn Hawkins was arrested, charged with 2 murders and convicted for murders of Diamond Marteen and Terrance Richard.

Despite very thin and skimpy evidence gathering by investigators Shawn was convicted, and sentenced to death.  Shawn has always maintained his innocence.

It is long believed that Shawn sentenced to die for the 1989 shooting deaths of Diamond Marteen and Terrance Richard in Mount Healthy resulted from not receiving a fair trial.

The state named Henry Brown as their key witness, who named Shawn as the killer. Court document shows Brown  to have repeatedly changed his story and admitted that he had lied numerous times about various facts regarding Shawn’s involvement in the homicides. 

The prosecution’s only eye witness, a 16 year-old named Henry Brown was a suspect in the killings. His testimony was extremely unreliable as Brown told multiple tales of what happened that night and failed two lie detector tests.

During the trial, eventually prosecution granted Brown full immunity in exchange for his testimony implicating Shawn.

In the course of the appeals process, Brown recanted his testimony before the US District Court, and claimed that Shawn Hawkins was not present during the murders. At another point, Brown confessed to his own involvement in these homicides.

Also, there were mounted evidence of improper action and attitudes of the police investigating the crime. Evidence that the only physical evidence against Shawn was in actuality unidentifiable.

Additionally, during the trial several witnesses were never called. It is believed that these witnesses if they were called would have negated Henry Brown the key witness’ testimony.

Predicated on court’s documents it is said Shawn had ineffective assistance of counsel especially during his sentencing phase.

According to a spokes person for the Hawkins’ family, the Hawkins deeply sympathize with the family and friends of Terrance Richard and Diamond Marteen, but respectfully offer that another death will neither heal nor resolve this tragedy. Shawn has always maintained his innocence.

The state’s own evidence were Questionable as the state had enormous difficulty putting its case together. The state’s physical evidence consisted of one partial fingerprint, now known to be of questionable validity. The state’s fingerprint expert exaggerated the identifiable markers on the partial fingerprint in an attempt to bolster the state’s case. No murder weapon was ever found or introduced into evidence. No money was found or introduced into evidence in relation to the alleged aggravated robbery.

At trial, the prosecution improperly insinuated Shawn confessed to the murders to a jailhouse snitch whom the prosecution failed to bring as a witness.

It is said The snitch had in fact offered to provide favorable testimony for Shawn in return for payment of $15,000. The state convicted Shawn on evidence so thin it does not factually rise to the level of demonstrating aggravating factors existed.

Experts believe that there were many procedural errors such as No mitigating information was ever presented to the jury by trial counsel as required before a death sentence can be returned. Neither the trial counsel, now Common Pleas Judge John Andrew West, berated and threatened the jury for their conduct in bringing such an unbelievable verdict. Trial counsel’s failure to present any mitigating factors constitutes an unfair trial for Shawn.

Continue reading on Examiner.com: Shawn Hawkins: A grave risk of executing an innocent man - Cincinnati Public Policy | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/public-policy-in-cincinnati/shawn-hawkins-a-grave-risk-of-executing-an-innocent-man#ixzz1LDEPknj7