“Not leaving” 6.23.2022 I went to West Memphis Arkansas for a court hearing concerning a petition brought by my friend @damienechols asking for new DNA testing on evidence relating to the 1993 murder of 3 little boys, a crime Damien & 2 other teenagers, Jason Baldwin & Jessie Misskelley, were charged & convicted of. Jason & Jessie got life, & Damien was sent to death row for 18 years. There was & is ZERO evidence connecting them to this crime, other than the fact that they wore black clothes, listened to heavy metal, & read horror novels. (Look up “West Memphis 3” if you are unfamiliar with this case.) It was close to 100 degrees that morning (not even counting heat index). A few hundred of us from around the country gathered outside the courtroom & stood there for hours- we were told there was no room for us inside (bullshit, it was empty w/room for 200 people.) We were told we couldn’t stand on the grass medians in the parking lot. We were told we couldn’t sit in our cars in the AC or we would be “loitering” (including the elderly folks & pregnant women there.) NONE of us left though- I stood there in my button up shirt & tie with my lady & we sweated in the sun. Crittenden County Circuit Court Judge Tonya Alexander told Damien he & his team couldn’t come into court w/out masks due to COVID regs, even though there is no mask mandate in Arkansas & the ONLY people wearing masks in the court room were Damien & his legal team- NO ONE ELSE wore one. The judge very quickly dismissed the request for DNA testing, saying that since Damien wasn’t still in prison, he was not entitled to habeas corpus, even though they hadn’t filed for habeas relief, just DNA testing. She shamed Damien in court for taking an Alfred Plea (look it up) after spending 18 years on death row. She said the case was closed. There is someone who murdered 3 little boys walking the streets right now. The DNA evidence could help find this monster. But the state of Arkansas would rather let that person roam free than admit they screwed up & sent 3 innocent men to prison. The appeal process is underway, & we ain’t going anywhere. Test the fucking evidence, you soulless bastards. #leicacamerausa