Charlie Mason Alston Jr. has been incarcerated since 1990 for a crime that he did not commit. He was arrested and sentenced to death by lethal injection for the fatal attack of a homeowner during a burglary -- even though no DNA evidence, no fingerprints, no physical evidence, no fiber evidence, or eye-witness testimony collected ever linked Charlie Jr. to the crime. 

Furthermore, crucial DNA evidence was indefinitely lost by the police department and was not made available during the trial. The death penalty was commuted in 2002 by then North Carolina Governor Mike Easley, who did not specify exactly why he commuted the sentence only saying that, "...after scrutinizing the case, the appropriate sentence is life in prison without parole." Charlie Jr. was eating his last meal as he watched the news and saw that his sentence was commuted and is eternally grateful for this gesture. However, granting an innocent man with a lesser sentence is not justice.

Charlie Mason Alston Jr. is my deceased mother's baby brother, Junior-Mason or Jamason as he's lovingly called by our family. My uncle Jamason is a father, grandfather, Army veteran, brick mason, and a self-proclaimed 'mama's boy'. My uncle has never met me or even seen me, as he's been wrongfully incarcerated since before I was born and is currently still on medium security. My late mother and late grandfather began the charge for his freedom, and since they have passed it's now my generation's time to continue this fight. Will you stand with us and demand a fair trial? Our goal is 200,000 signatures!

Charlie Jr.'s conviction was based solely on the defamation of his character by the state prosecutor and a prior petty assault case. Throughout his trial and time in prison, he has been wronged, unrepresented, and unprotected multiple times by the U.S. justice system:

• Missing pivotal evidence: DNA scrapings from under the victim's fingernails was collected but was lost before the murder trial commenced
• Two drug dealers testified against him, one was under indictment for serious drug charges at the time she offered to cooperate with police. She obtained a deal from the state where she avoided prison time
• Clear-cut alibi: Charlie Jr. was getting a ride from North Carolina State Trooper Mike Shearin when his car broke down on the road at the time of the fatal attack -- The NC State Trooper was not called to the testify at the trial
• An unknown third party's fingerprints were found at the scene of the crime -- this was not presented to the jury during his trial
• Again, there is no physical evidence linking him to a weapon, no fingerprints, no blood evidence, no fiber evidence, no DNA -- there is no testimony placing Charlie Jr. at the scene of the crime

Unjust and unethical decisions made by his lawyers and the state's lawyers were ever-present in his case: 

• His public defenders did not present any evidence during the innocence/guilt phase of his trial (this happens more often than you think in murder trials)
• His petty assault case lawyer at the time, Lewis A. Thompson (deceased), was married to the Assistant District Attorney of his murder trial, Susan M. Thompson -- unethical law practice
• John Stiles, lawyer working on federal appeal became addicted to drugs and went to prison while working on Charlie Jr.'s case -- this led to the late filing of the federal 'habeas corpus' appeal (which was denied by the Federal Court for being untimely) -- in 2000, John Stiles was disbarred for 5 years
• Multiple appeals denied by the Warren County Superior Court, North Carolina State Supreme Court, and the U.S. Supreme Court

Charlie Jr. has been in prison for 30 years, for a crime I know and thousands of other know he did not commit. As I dove deep into my uncle's trial and the U.S. justice system at-large, I learned that over 10,000 people may be wrongfully convicted of serious crimes each year and prosecutorial misconduct is rampant in communities across the nation.

My cousins and I are dedicating our lives to freeing Uncle Jamason – that’s why we need your help today. I urge you to join me in asking the North Carolina legislature to take into account the undeniable facts of Charlie Jr.'s case, and provide justice for Charlie Mason Alston, Jr. once and for all.

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email | alstonfamily1990@gmail.com