Hatcher calls for justice for Michael
Pasour
Editors, Asheville Global Report,
Hello. I would like to ask you if you would please print
this personal plea to the many devoted justice-minded people who support
the wonderful Asheville Global Report. It is a blessing that the people
of Asheville as well as those like me have such a reliable and truthful
newspaper that gives the facts that are missing daily from the mainstream
press.
Before I get into the main focus of this letter I would like to report
that my Appeal was heard before the NC Court of Appeals on Jan. 21,
2003. As many of you know, I did my own direct appeal without any assistance
from an attorney. I detailed 529 errors and briefed 11 issues, which
is a lot. Because of the depth and length of my brief the NC Attorney
General’s office motioned the court for permission to extend their
brief from the allowed 35 pages to 45 pages. The court denied this motion,
permitting them to exceed the page requirement by only five pages. Because
of the magnitude of these briefs and a trial transcript totaling over
8,000 pages it may be 12 or more months before the court issues a decision.
Even though I perfected my own appeal I have continued to work through
our organization, The Justice Campaign, to expose the many problems
and injustices within the NC prison system. As well, through my website,
I have expanded our efforts to areas of other wrongful convictions in
NC and am in the process of adding a section in Native American political
prisoners. One of the cases we are presently working on has become a
very personal mission and it is this case I would like to share with
your readers.
[Editors Note: We are unable to print Hatchers letter in its entirety.
In the paragraphs that followed, Hatcher provided a meticulous description
of the case of Michael Scott Pasour, which included details of the events
preceding Pasour’s arrest and imprisonment and cited instances
of misconduct in the course of his trial. In an effort to retain the
purpose of Hatcher’s letter, we offer the following brief outline
of the case, summarized to the best of our ability from the original
letter.
On Aug. 21, 1998, Michael Scott Pasour while at his place of business
observed his six-year-old stepson outside talking to someone in a car
he did not recognize. The person in the car left when he went outside
to investigate, and after speaking with his stepson became concerned
that the person in the car had been attempting to abduct his stepson.
He spoke with the police, giving them a description of the vehicle and
a partial license plate number. Later the same day, a friend of Pasour’s
spotted the vehicle and told Pasour. Pasour and another friend went
to the specified location and, after asking a resident of the area to
call the police, found the owner of the car. Pasour and his friend confronted
the man, who pulled a gun. The man was injured in the scuffle that ensued
when Pasour and his friend attempted to disarm him. The man died later
the same day, and Pasour was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced
to 23-29 years in prison.
For a far more comprehensive description of Pasour’s case, please
visit www.eddiehatcher.org,
write to The Justice Campaign at PO Box 1234, Pittsboro, NC, 27312,
or phone the Campaign at 336-376-0827.]
I have been involved in advocacy for the poor, Native American, African
American, prisoners, etc. for 30 years, but never has a case or situation
troubled me and actually affected me the way this case has. If you could
meet Michael your first thought would be, “This man does not belong
in prison.” Yet he is. And he has very little hope of getting out
before he is over 50 years old.
I am sincerely asking your readers to go to my web site and read all
of the information on Michael and his case as well as the other information.
And when you have finished, please search your hearts and ask yourself
is there something you can do to help us free Michael. The web site
lists many things which we ask people to do. Would you please help us
with just one.
As always, I humbly thank all the staff at AGR for allowing us to share
our work with your readers. Thank you so much.
Eddie Hatcher
Pasquotank Correctional Institute
Elizabeth City, North Carolina
