To: New Mexico – Governor Bill Richardson , the Legislature, prosecutors and

                                          media throughout the  state

 

From: Dudley Sharp, contact info below

 


 Re:  fact checking issues, on innocence and the death penalty.

 

It is very important to take note that the 130 exonerated from death row is a  blatant scam, easily uncovered by fact checking.

 

 Richard Dieter, head of the Death Penalty Information Center (DPIC) and DPIC have produced the claims regarding the exonerated and innocents released from death row list.

 

The scam is that DPIC just decided to redefine what exonerated and innocence mean according to their own perverse definitions.

 

How Dieter and DPIC define what “exonerated” or “innocent” means.
 
“. . . (DPIC)  makes no distinction between legal and factual innocence. ” ‘They’re innocent in the eyes of the law,’ Dieter says. ‘That’s the only objective standard we have.’ “
 
That is untrue, of course. We are all aware of the differences between legal guilt and actual guilt and  legal innocence (not guilty) and actual innocence, just as the courts are. 

 

The only issue in the death penalty innocence debate is how many actual innocents are sent to death row and what is the probability of executing an actual innocent. Legal innocence is not the issue, for the simple fact that we cannot execute a legally innocent person.  So the concern is over the actual innocent, those who had no connection to the murder(s).
 
Furthermore, there is no finding of actual innocence, but it is “not guilty”. Dieter knows that we are all speaking of actual innocence, those cases that have no connection to the murder(s).  He takes advantage of that by redefining exonerated and innocence.
 
Dieter “clarifies” the three ways that former death row inmates get onto their “exonerated” by “innocence” list.
 
“A defendant whose conviction is overturned by a judge must be further exonerated in one of three ways: he must be acquitted at a new trial, or the prosecutor must drop the charges against him, or a governor must grant an absolute pardon.”
 
None establishes actual innocence. 

 

DPIC has ” . . . included supposedly innocent defendants who were still culpable as accomplices to the actual triggerman.”
 
DPIC: “There may be guilty persons among the innocents, but that includes all of us.”
 
Good grief. DPIC wishes to apply collective guilt of capital murder to all of us.
 
Dieter states: “I don’t think anybody can know about a person’s absolute innocence.” (Green). Dieter said he could not pinpoint how many are “actually innocent” — only the defendants themselves truly know that, he said.” (Erickson)
 
Or Dieter won’t assert actual innocence in 1, 102 or 350 cases. He doesn’t want to clarify a real number with proof of actual innocence, that would blow his entire deception.
 
Or, Dieter declare all innocent: “If you are not proven guilty in a court of law, you’re innocent.” (Green)
 
Dieter would call Hitler and Stalin innocent. Those are his “standards”.

 

And that is the credibility of the DPIC.
 
For fact checking.
 
1. “Case Histories: A Review of 24 Individuals Released from Death Row”, Florida Commission on Capital Cases, 6/20/02, Revised 9/10/02 at
http://www.floridacapitalcases.state.fl.us/Publications/innocentsproject.pdf
 
83% error rate in “innocent” claims.
 
2. “Is ‘the innocence list’ an appropriate name?”, 1/19/03
FRANK GREEN, TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER
http://www.stopcapitalpunishment.org/coverage/106.html
 
Dieter admits they don’t discern between legal innocence and actual innocence. One of Dieter’s funnier quotes;”The prosecutor, perhaps, or Dudley Sharp, perhaps, thinks they’re still guilty because there was evidence of their guilt, but that’s a subjective judgment.” Yep, “EVIDENCE OF GUILT”, can’t you see why Dieter would think they were innocent? And that’s how the DPIC works.
 
3. The Death of Innocents: A Reasonable Doubt,
New York Times Book Review, p 29, 1/23/05, Adam Liptak,
national legal correspondent for The NY Times
 
“To be sure, 30 or 40 categorically innocent people have been released from death row . . . “.
 
That is out of the DPIC claimed 119 “exonerated”, at that time, for a 75% error rate.
 
NOTE:  It’s hard to understand how an absolute can have a differential of 33%. I suggest the “to be sure” is, now, closer to 25.
 
4. CRITIQUE OF DPIC LIST (“INNOCENCE:FREED FROM DEATH ROW”), Ward Campbell,
http://www.prodeathpenalty.com/DPIC.htm
 
 
5. “The Death Penalty Debate in Illinois”, JJKinsella,6/2000,
http://www.dcba.org/brief/junissue/2000/art010600.htm
 
 
6.THE DEATH PENALTY – ALL INNOCENCE ISSUES, Dudley Sharp
http://homicidesurvivors.com/2006/03/20/all-innocence-issues–the-death-penalty.aspx
 
Origins of “innocence” fraud, and review of many innocence issues
 
7. “Bad List”, Ramesh Ponnuru, National Review, 9/16/02
www.nationalreview.com/advance/advance091602.asp#title5
 
How bad is DPIC?
 
8. “Not so Innocent”, By Ramesh Ponnuru,National Review, 10/1/02
www.nationalreview.com/ponnuru/ponnuru100102.asp
 
DPIC from bad to worse.
 
Dudley Sharp, Justice Matters
e-mail 
sharpjfa@aol.com,  713-622-5491,
Houston, Texas
 
Mr. Sharp has appeared on ABC, BBC, CBS, CNN, C-SPAN, FOX, NBC, NPR, PBS , VOA and many other TV and radio networks, on such programs as Nightline, The News Hour with Jim Lehrer, The O’Reilly Factor, etc., has been quoted in newspapers throughout the world and is a published author.
 
A former opponent of capital punishment, he has written and granted interviews about, testified on and debated the subject of the death penalty, extensively and internationally.


26 thoughts on “The death row 130 “innocents” scam NM

  • August 17, 2009 at 12:44 pm
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    Scott,

    I am happy to have an exchange with you, but read what I wrote, first.

    Your response has no connection to what I wrote.

    I never stated or implied all 130 or 135 were guilty

    I never stated nor implied (nor thought) none were innocent.

    I did not vet all 135 cases. Although I have reviewed many.

    I don’t think anyone has ever implied that the death penalty is infallible, have they?

    I doubt it. Don’t you?

    Don’t act this way.

    As I stated, the actual innocents number is about 25.

    Scott, your comments are hardly a search for truth. All you exhibited was an inability to read and/or comprehend, in this case.

    If you were interested in a search for truth, you would have asked, OK, how many are actually innocent and why are the anti death penalty folks trying to hide the truth behind bogus definitions of exonerated and innocent?

    But, you didn’t.

    Had you read my article, as well as the 8 footnotes, you would have understand better.

    Instead, you jumped to conclusions which were not supported by anything.

    Reply
  • November 14, 2009 at 4:13 pm
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    Mr. Sharp,

    Your point seems to be that the DPIC’s count of the factually innocent people exonerated from death row is inflated. In your response to Scott you said you don’t think “anyone has ever implied that the death penalty is infallible.” And you estimate that the number of actual innocents exonerated from death row is 25.

    As I understand it, you support continued use of the death penalty.

    Which begs the question: what percentage of innocent people being executed do you find acceptable?

    Reply
  • November 14, 2009 at 8:47 pm
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    Ms. Frost:

    Thank you.

    First, the 25 weren’t executed.

    Secondly, I don’t have a number of acceptable innocents executed.

    Thirdly, the death penalty is a better protector of the innocent than lesser sanctions.

    Fourth, you likely support many government programs that kill hindres if not thousands of innocents per year.

    Is than OK with you?

    Probably not. Most would say, we just need to keep improving systems to make them safer.

    There are several articles on Patti’s site that discuss these issues, such as the one by Dr. Jacksom and mine of the death penalty being a greater protector of innocents.

    Reply
  • January 6, 2010 at 4:35 am
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    To Lucy Frost,
    you asked how many innocent people would be acceptable to execute, but you seem to misunderstand the entire purpose of this article. The point of this article is to show that the statistics that the death penalty opposers throw at supporters are inflated and inaccurate. No where in this article is there any implication that Sharp is supportive of the killing of innocent people. Referring to your question “what percentage of innocent people being executed do you find acceptable?” In an ideal world, it would be 0%, but this world is far from ideal. Innocent people die almost every day from car accidents but there are no proposals to make cars illegal. Besides, if the death penalty were taken away, innocent people would still die if they were murdered by a murderer who would have been executed otherwise. Many people say that this doesn’t happen, but there have been cases in the past of this happening. For example, the case of Kenneth Allen McDuff, who was scheduled to be executed until the Furman V. Georgia case invalidated all death sentences, and he was eventually let go. He proceeded to murder 9 more women before he was finally executed in 1998. Capital punishment has its benefits and drawbacks, and we must decide which outweigh which. In my case, i think the benefits of capital punishment outweigh the mistakes. Besides, it is possible that in the future, the system will become more streamlined and less corrupt(I know, it’s a stretch), and then the number of innocent executions will go down. The solution to these problems doesn’t lie in abolishing capital punishment entirely–it lies in the process of making the court of law more fair and less corrupt than it is now.

    Reply
  • April 12, 2011 at 9:50 pm
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    Hello, mate! I’m absolutely agree with that way of assessment and all of connected.

    Reply
  • April 27, 2011 at 10:05 pm
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    Hi!
    There are a few questions on your site.
    How can I contact the administration?

    Reply
  • April 28, 2011 at 5:49 pm
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    Excellent. We are waiting for new messages on the same topic:)

    Reply
  • June 6, 2011 at 3:28 pm
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    Good post….thanks for sharing… Very useful for me i will bookmark this for my future needs. Thanks.

    Reply
  • August 3, 2011 at 9:54 am
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    All of your points are rebutted by the essays on this website and/or the pro death penalty positions are stronger than your anti death penalty presentation.

    In addition, here is a thorugh exchange between you and I.

    http://en.allexperts.com/q/Crime-Law-Enforcement-341/2011/7/death-penalty-23.htm

    Dahn is a silly fellow who has followed me around the web for years, making false accusations and making no contributions to the death penalty discussion.

    My thorough responses to him, here, which demonstrate, again, that anti death penalty claims are either false or that the pro death penalty positions are stronger. His nonsense on brutalization is addressed.

    Reply
  • September 20, 2011 at 2:52 pm
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    Just 1 thing to say: read the bible: you should not kill. Nobody is allowed to kill in GODS eyes.
    Even if someone had killed someone then this does not allow that US or any country or any person can tell: Ok lets kill him too.
    In bible is written:
    turn the other cheek when get hit on cheek.

    Reply
  • September 21, 2011 at 4:30 pm
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    Actually the Bible does state that Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made He man. Genesis 9:6. Also read Deuteronomy 19:1-13 which covers Gods idea about capital punishment. In fact here is a little webpage to look at. http://www.biblestudygames.com/biblestudies/capitalpunishment.htm. It always seems that somebody always says the Bible says this and that. Which is never accurate. The death penalty is very much God’s Law according to the Bible.

    Reply
  • November 19, 2011 at 7:00 am
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    Reply to above comments, what the Bible says about killing. This implies you would consider yourself a Christian. Is this right?

    Reply
  • November 19, 2011 at 7:05 am
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    Mr. Cunningham: From your response it is implied that you would consider yourself a Christian, is that right?

    Reply
  • November 19, 2011 at 6:50 pm
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    No knowedgeable Chirstian avoids either “turn the other cheek” or the Commandment “thou shal not kill”, well known, as more properly translated, thou shalt not murder.

    Depending upon the source, you will find more than 30 crimes/sins, for which God deemed the death penalty appropriate or mandatory, the majority of which were invoked after the Ten Commandments were presented.

    There is a 2000 year record of Saints, Popes, religious leaders, biblical scholars and theologians speaking in favor of the death penalty, a record of scholarship, in breadth and depth, which overwhelms any claims to the contrary.

    Please review some of those:

    All interpretations, contrary to the biblical support of capital punishment, are false. Interpreters ought to listen to the Bible’s own agenda, rather than to squeeze from it implications for their own agenda. As the ancient rabbis taught, “Do not seek to be more righteous than your Creator.” (Ecclesiastes Rabbah 7.33.). Part of Synopsis of Professor Lloyd R. Bailey’s book Capital Punishment: What the Bible Says, Abingdon Press, 1987.

    “Death Penalty Support: Christian and secular Scholars”
    http://prodpinnc.blogspot.com/2009/07/death-penalty-support-modern-catholic.html

    Christianity and the death penalty
    http://www.prodeathpenalty.com/DP.html#F.Christianity

    Quaker biblical scholar Dr. Gervas A. Carey agrees with Saints Augustine and Aquinas, that executions represent mercy to the wrongdoer: “. . . a secondary measure of the love of God may be said to appear. For capital punishment provides the murderer with incentive to repentance which the ordinary man does not have, that is a definite date on which he is to meet his God. It is as if God thus providentially granted him a special inducement to repentance out of consideration of the enormity of his crime . . . the law grants to the condemned an opportunity which he did not grant to his victim, the opportunity to prepare to meet his God. Even divine justice here may be said to be tempered with mercy.” (p. 116). ” . . . the decree of Genesis 9:5-6 is equally enduring and cannot be separated from the other pledges and instructions of its immediate context, Genesis 8:20-9:17; . . . that is true unless specific Biblical authority can be cited for the deletion, of which there appears to be none. It seems strange that any opponents of capital punishment who professes to recognize the authority of the Bible either overlook or disregard the divine decree in this covenant with Noah; . . . capital punishment should be recognized . . . as the divinely instituted penalty for murder; The basis of this decree . . . is as enduring as God; . . . murder not only deprives a man of a portion of his earthly life . . . it is a further sin against him as a creature made in the image of God and against God Himself whose image the murderer does not respect.” (p. 111-113) “A Bible Study”, Essays on the Death Penalty, T. Robert Ingram, ed., St. Thomas Press

    Reply
  • December 8, 2011 at 4:01 am
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    Anyone who believes that executing someone is the proper response for the killing of another person needs a lesson in logic. How does perpetuating murder, whether it is sponsored by the state or not, make it right? Sooner of later the cycle has to end. Killing perpetuates the cycle. And yes, when someone is exxonerated because scientific proof shows that the witnesses were lying, it does mean that the person is innocent. Just because your frustration at not having the right person to blame for the crime does not make it okay to murder another person to make up for it. This world seems to be going to hell in a handbasket, and lack of compassion and logic will only make it worse. To try to convince us that the bible condones murder in the NEW Testament is a lie. That is why Christ died for our sins… So that way we might learn forgiveness and compassion and understanding. If you are Christian then you know that the New Testament overrides the old by the self sacrifice of the Christ. No one who spouts murder as a viable alternative should use a gift from God like the bible to justify blood lust. “Revenge is mine, Sayeth the Lord”. You notice it falls into God’s domain, not mans.

    Reply
  • July 31, 2012 at 2:47 pm
    Permalink

    Death Row Stories
    Chris Dahl
    407 Countryside Key Boulevard
    Oldsmar, FL 34677
    Grtgatsby111@aol.com
    813-735-0019

    To Whom It May Concern:

    Hello! My name is Chris Dahl, a Florida author who has just finished and published the Death Row Stories series of books. These tales are based on the lives of men awaiting their fate in the Union Correctional Institution in Raiford, Florida. One claims to be a life-long pagan and “hedge-witch,” whose lineage runs deep into the Old- World Celts of Ireland and Scotland. Another is a “cop-killer” and member of the notorious Simon City Royals street gang. Most notably, Loran Cole claims to have killed the nephew of Senator John Edwards. Each tale is unique, but they all share the same intensity, the same rare glimpse into the psychopathic mind. They are unmediated, first-person, unflinching and ultimately fascinating.

    Below I have listed a couple of sites for previews of the works, and, of course, full manuscripts are available should you be interested. I am available for interviews, appearances, and signings so please feel free to contact me at any of the addresses above.

    Thank you and I hope to hear from you soon. Here are the sites:

    Chris Dahl has written a series of books based on his correspondence with Florida’s Death Row inmates. Circumstances of Offense: Robert “Saint” Bailey on Death Row, and Killer Art: Florida’s Death Row Artists are currently available. As of June 1, Blood Calls to Blood: The Story of Wyrd John – the story of a lifelong Pagan on Death Row – will be available through Hedgewitchery Books and through Amazon.

    http://www.death-row-stories.com

    http://storiad.com/community/members/cd111/projects/?share=B47DCF87

    http://www.facebook.com/pages/Death-Row-Stories/350015691718174

    http://internetradiopros.com/bookclub/?p=episode&name=2012-07-19_zbookclub_for_072412_1st_segment_chris_dahl.mp3

    amazon.com/author/chrisdahl

    grtgatsby111@aol.com

    813-735-0019

    Sincerely,
    Chris Dahl

    Reply
  • September 5, 2012 at 1:00 pm
    Permalink

    Dudley, after reading the link Dahn is a liar.

    “2) Dahn writes: So when Shepherd’s research indicates that a brutalization effect is apparent in more states than deterrent effect, you can ignore it? Or if Anthony Graves is exonerated after 18 years.”

    That study, which I have read, shows the deterrent effect ONLY exists in states that use the DP more often. It finds ONLY the states with little execution get a brutalization effect… He also noted the deterrent in states with more DP is larger then a brutalization effect. Shepards results show we need more execution!

    Dahn is the cherry picker

    Reply
  • September 5, 2012 at 1:56 pm
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    Alexander:

    You are, exactly, correct, re Shepherd.

    I am not sure Dahn either reads or understands the material he cites.

    In other words, don’t “credit” him with lying. I don’t think he knows enough to even do that.

    Here is my full reply to him on Shepherd’s paper.

    http://en.allexperts.com/q/Crime-Law-Enforcement-341/2011/9/death-penalty-brutalization-effects.htm

    Dahn has followed me around the web for years, trying to counter my material.

    Each instance resulted in him proving my adage that any death penalty material is w=either false of the pro death penalty positions are stronger.

    It became so embarrasing for him that he started to use aliases.

    BTW, he is a PhD

    Reply
  • September 5, 2012 at 2:05 pm
    Permalink

    Mark

    Reconsider

    “Killing Equals Killing: The Amoral Confusion of Death Penalty Opponents”
    http://homicidesurvivors.com/2009/02/01/murder-and-execution–very-distinct-moral-differences–new-mexico.aspx

    And on Christianity, my position is supported bu a near endless line of great scholars.

    Jesus and the death penalty
    Dudley Sharp

    God/Jesus: ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and ‘Whoever curses father or mother must certainly be put to death.’ Matthew 15:4

    This is a New Testament command, which references several of the same commands from God, in the same circumstance, from the OT.

    Jesus: Now one of the criminals hanging there reviled Jesus, saying, “Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us.” The other, however, rebuking him, said in reply, “Have you no fear of God, for you are subject to the same condemnation? And indeed, we have been condemned justly, for the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes, but this man has done nothing criminal.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” (Jesus) replied to him, “Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” Luke 23: 39-43

    It is not the nature of our deaths, but the state of salvation at the time of death which is most important.

    Jesus: “So Pilate said to (Jesus), “Do you not speak to me? Do you not know that I have power to release you and I have power to crucify you?” Jesus answered (him), “You would have no power over me if it had not been given to you from above.” John 19:10-11

    The power to execute comes directly from God.

    Jesus: “You have heard the ancients were told, ˜YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT MURDER” and “Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court”. But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever shall say to his brother, “Raca”, shall be guilty before the supreme court and whoever shall say, “You fool”, shall be guilty enough to go into fiery hell.” Matthew 5:17-22.

    Fiery hell is a considerable more severe sanction than any earthly death.

    The Holy Spirit, God, through the power and justice of the Holy Spirit, executed both Ananias and his wife, Saphira. Their crime? Lying to the Holy Spirit – to God – through Peter. Acts 5:1-11.

    No trial, no appeals, just death on the spot.

    God: “You shall not accept indemnity in place of the life of a murderer who deserves the death penalty; he must be put to death.” Numbers 35:31 (NAB) full context http://www.usccb.org/nab/bible/numbers/numbers35.htm

    For murder, there is no mitigation from a death sentence.

    contd

    Reply
  • September 5, 2012 at 2:10 pm
    Permalink

    contd

    God: Genesis 9:5-6, from the 1764 Quaker Bible, the only Quaker bible.

    5 And I will certainly require the Blood of your Lives, and that from the Paw of any Beast: from the Hand likewise of Man, even of any one’s Brother, will I require the Life of a Man.

    6 He that sheds Man’s Blood, shall have his own shed by Man; because in the Likeness of God he made Mankind.

    Of all the versions/translations, this may be the most unequivocal – Murder requires execution of the murderer. It is a command. The Noahic covenant if for all persons and all times.

    “All interpretations, contrary to the biblical support of capital punishment, are false. Interpreters ought to listen to the Bible’s own agenda, rather than to squeeze from it implications for their own agenda. As the ancient rabbis taught, “Do not seek to be more righteous than your Creator.” (Ecclesiastes Rabbah 7.33.). Part of Synopsis of Professor Lloyd R. Bailey’s book Capital Punishment: What the Bible Says, Abingdon Press, 1987.

    Saint (& Pope) Pius V, “The just use of (executions), far from involving the crime of murder, is an act of paramount obedience to this (Fifth) Commandment which prohibits murder.” “The Roman Catechism of the Council of Trent” (1566).

    Pope Pius XII: “When it is a question of the execution of a man condemned to death it is then reserved to the public power to deprive the condemned of the benefit of life, in expiation of his fault, when already, by his fault, he has dispossessed himself of the right to live.” 9/14/52.

    “Moral/ethical Death Penalty Support: Christian and secular Scholars”
    http://prodpinnc.blogspot.com/2009/07/death-penalty-support-modern-catholic.html

    Christianity and the death penalty
    http://www.prodeathpenalty.com/DP.html#F.Christianity

    Catholic and other Christian References: Support for the Death Penalty,
    http://homicidesurvivors.com/2006/10/12/catholic-and-other-christian-references-support-for-the-death-penalty.aspx

    Reply
  • September 5, 2012 at 10:12 pm
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    I think he’s just dishonest. The Shepard paper says in very comprehensible English in its conclusion:

    “The paper then explored the threshold effect that explains why a few states have deterrence but many more others have just the opposite. On av- erage, the states where capital punishment deters murder execute many more people than do the states where capital punishment does not deter murder.” doesn’t that mean we need more DP? And he continues: “Thus the re- sult from earlier economics papers: on average, an execution in the United States deters crime. … Third, to achieve deterrence, states must generally execute many people. If a state is unwilling to establish such a large execution program, it should con- sider abandoning capital punishment.” http://www.michiganlawreview.org/assets/pdfs/104/2/Shepherd.pdf

    His advice is actually to be like Texas and execute more, though one could abolish but other studies that DOES raise murder.

    how does a phd person not understand that study?

    Reply
  • September 7, 2012 at 3:37 am
    Permalink

    Dudley, you should challenge him to a debate here because its more organized then the allexperts site(and you already have an account): http://www.debate.org/dudleysharp/

    Either way, Mr. Sharp, I am glad you are fighting for justice.

    Reply

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