Freedom and Justice for John Moore

from:  (mattm-b@resist.ca)

Freedom and Justice for John Moore
Dear supporters of freedom and justice:

We are calling upon organizations and prominent individuals from
across Canada to sign on to the enclosed statement which calls for a
judicial review of the unjust second degree murder conviction of John C.
Moore.

John is an Ojibway man from Serpent River First Nation, near Sault
Ste. Marie, Ontario. In 1978, he was convicted of second degree murder. Yet
John was not present when the crime was committed and he played no part
whatsoever in planning or executing it. His sole connection to the crime
was that he spent time earlier that same day with the two men who did
commit it. Over the course of two trials that were steeped in systemic
racism, this was deemed sufficient for John to spend ten years in
Millhaven Penitentiary. One of the most visible examples of this racism
was that John was convicted by an all-white jury, despite the fact that
Sault Ste. Marie and its surrounding areas have significant First Nations
populations.

In a ruling on another individual's case in 1987, the Supreme Court
of Canada declared the law under which John had been convicted to be
unconstitutional. Noone would be convicted of murder today just
because of spending time with murderers earlier on the day that they
committed their crime.

Yet to this day, John bears the stigma of a murder conviction. It follows
him when he meets new people. It follows him when he needs to seek
employment. More than that, his choices and opportunities, not to
mention his dignity, are circumscribed by the parole supervision to
which he will be forced to submit for the rest of his life if his
conviction is not overturned. He must ask permission every time he
wishes to leave Sudbury, Ontario, and this seriously limits his freedom
of movement and his ability to find meaningful employment.

John has been an active participant in social justice struggles in
Sudbury for many years. He remains passionately committed to seeking
freedom and justice for himself, for other indigenous people who
have been targeted by the justice system, and, indeed, for all people.
Justice and Freedom for John Moore is a committee comprised of John
and some of his core supporters in Sudbury.

John is ultimately seeking full exoneration, but at the moment his
key demand is a review of his conviction by the federal Justice
Department.

To strengthen that demand, our committee is asking for organizations
and prominent individuals from across the country to sign on to the
included statement, which recognizes the injustice of John's situation and
calls for a review of his conviction.

Please also find a personal statement from John enclosed in this package,
as well as a few words in support of John from Glenn Thibeault, NDP Member
of Parliament for Sudbury.

If you wish further information about John's case or would like a speaker
on the issue, please send mail to Justice and Freedom For John Moore, c/o
Glenn Thibeault, MP, 40 Elm Street, Suite 102a, Rainbow Centre, Sudbury,
ON, P3C 1S8. Or you can email us sudburyawo@gmail.com.


And, once you have all the information you need, please endorse the
included statement and support John Moore's quest for justice and
freedom, and the broader struggle against racism in Canada.

Sincerely


Justice and Freedom for John Moore

A message from John Moore:

What my unconstitutional second degree murder conviction boils down
to be, is an innocent Aboriginal man spending ten years in prison for a
murder that he absolutely and unequivocally did not commit! An another
22 years asking the Canadian Government to review my wrongful
unconstitutional second degree murder conviction!

Losing everything that was part of my life, my freedom, my family,
memories that can never be recovered. Those memories are gone
forever! I lost a lot more than anyone can imagine! Among those losses
were the deaths of my dad Ira Moore, who was killed in a hit and run
accident
in Ottawa, the passing of my grandmother Jeannie, the passing of one of
my sons, the passing of my sister-in-laws, the passing of a number of
Uncles, Aunts and some Cousins and the passing of some very close
friends. All these losses happened while I was locked up in prison
for a murder that I did not play any part in.

It was also proven beyond a shadow of a doubt, that I was not present
when the murder of Mr. Donald Lanthier, the Sault Ste. Marie cab
driver was committed!

John C. Moore
An innocent Aboriginal man fighting for justice and freedom in Canada.

A message from Glenn Thibeault, NDP Member of Parliament for Sudbury: John
Moore has been seeking justice since 1978. He has walked a long
road since then, from a father of three living in Sault Ste. Marie,
and into a prejudiced legal system. The promise of his younger life, as
a college graduate, chef and a family man, was washed away when he was
convicted for a crime he did not commit.

Enduring a lifetime on parole, John has proven his determination to
clear his name. He has worked tirelessly to maintain his faith in
the system which failed him, pursuing appeals all the way to the Supreme
Court. Since his trial, the law he was convicted under was ruled
unconstitutional, and yet his requests for review to successive
Federal Ministers of Justice have fallen on deaf ears.

As a native man, John Moore received the same treatment from the
Canadian justice system that all aboriginals could expect, when in
1978 an all-white jury ruled on his case in a city surrounded by native
communities. Thirty years later, he deserves more from all of us.

Please
help me find justice for John Moore.
Sincerely,
Glenn Thibeault, MP

Please show your support from justice and freedom by signing on to
the following statement of support for John Moore:

John C. Moore, an Ojibway man from Serpent River First Nation, was
convicted of second degree murder in 1978. This happened despite the
fact that he was not present when the crime was committed and had no
role whatsoever in perpetrating it, and was based solely on him
having spent time earlier that day with the individuals who committed the
crime. His trials were tainted with systemic racism. The law under
which he was convicted was ruled unconstitutional in 1987, and noone would
be convicted under similar circumstances today. Yet Moore continues to
bear the burden of the stigma of this conviction. He must regularly report
to a parole officer and must ask permission if he wishes to leave the
city of Sudbury, Ontario, which is impeding his freedom of movement and
his capacity to find meaningful work. For all of these reasons, and in
recognition of the long history of indigenous people being targeted
unfairly by the Canadian justice system, we, the individuals and
groups listed below, call upon the Government of Canada to conduct a review
of Moore's conviction.

Name or Organization:
____________________________________________________________

Signature:

______________________________________________________________________