We all know life will continue to occur long after we are gone. Building a life is a process, but we can only use a certain amount of time. Whether a life is simple or complex or big or small, our lives matter. When we hear about court trials, we think of justice, judgement, evidence, trust, and other trial related terms. However, this was not the case for Sam. You see Sam is serving a life sentence in prison for a murder he did not commit. On February 3, 1993 Kenneth Hill and Pamela Edwards were shot. Mrs. Edwards did not survive.
Sammie plead not guilty-innocent to the charges of murder and attempted murder. He denied an 8-16-year plea offer because he was innocent, and requested to proceed to trial. During the trial, against Sammie’s wishes Sierra Jorge, the public defender, conceded he was guilty. Sammie filed a post-conviction motion to the Colorado Courts, and was told in the name of strategy and tactical decisions by counsel, defense counsel can concede their client guilty of murder even if the client deny he/she committed the murder.
Because counsel presented this bogus defense, Sammie was denied due process of law. Sammie has served two decades in the Colorado State Facility. When a defendant does not have reputable, respectable public defenders, this is the result. The communication breakdown Sammie experienced with his public defenders should not have occurred. For over 23 years, Sammie filed motions, briefs, and letters to Elpaso County Courthouse in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The request was to challenge the wrongful conviction, overturn his case, and provide him with counsel whom would present all the favorable evidence that the jurors did not hear.
The public defenders failed to judge the effectiveness of the information at hand. They had a wide range of evidence from which they could have used to raise doubt. It is, therefore, important that we investigate the documents used to make an important life changing decision. Probably, the most obvious question to be considered is trust.
Lastly, just because information is broadcasted on television, radio, printed in a newspaper or article does not mean it is true. But, keep in mind there are questions and no answers. We ask that you carefully read over the information provided, and think about specific details and key words. If you would like to help Sammie, consider the obvious, and break this pattern. Help educate our public defenders and challenge their actions. If you cannot make a decision to sign the petition, stop, and take a look at his picture again. Think about his parents, sisters, brothers, children, grandchildren, and reunited love. Please unlock your hearts, unleash your mind, and chose what is right. Help Sammie return to court. Be his voice and sign our petition. Thank you for taking the time to read his story. Go to The Sammie Denson Story. A plea for justice.