Letter from Robert Seth Hayes

March 27, 2010 Open Letter from Robert Seth Hayes

Revolutionary Greetings,

My name is Robert Seth Hayes, and I am a former
member of the Black Panther Party who has been
held as a political prisoner in New York State
for the past 37 years. I am presently awaiting a
parole board hearing in June 2010, but I intend
to post-pone the hearing while I await the
results of my legal battle in the courts
concerning my appeal of the 2008 decision of the
NYS Parole Board commissioners in my case. I
believe we have a better than good chance of
gaining a new hearing with new guidelines or
restrictions on what can and cannot be used at my hearings.

I’ve spent over 37 years in prison thus far. On
many occasions I felt release imminent only to be
disappointed and almost discouraged by the
blatant racism manifested by those with authority
over me.  After bringing the spot light on my
condition and circumstances before the courts. I
now feel I have a better than good chance of
winning release. We are presently in court
seeking a reversal to the order which denied me
parole for another 2 years. The 2008 parole board
hearing was the sixth time I’d attended without
gaining parole or possible consideration for
parole. Now up for parole for the seventh time, I
hope to win. Because my next parole board
appearance is slated for June 2010, I plan on
postponing that hearing as I await the results of
our present petition before the courts.

If we are able to win a victory in court it will
grant me a clean slate to approach the parole
board with consideration for release. The
commissioners at that time will only be able to
make their decision on my conviction, and my
present time served. At long last, the only
considerations will be my achievements while
incarcerated and my goals and plans upon being
released, and not my political beliefs, my past
membership in the Black Panther Party or my
military record in Vietnam – all issues that the
parole board has used to deny me parole in the past.

We are prepared to argue before the courts that
the commissioners of Parole court hearing are
utilizing false and misleading information in
making a determination of continued incarceration
and thereby straying from the official guidelines
which they are required to uphold. If they are
forced to use the actual law in their decision,
they will only be able to look at my original
conviction and my behavior over the time I served
in prison. They will be hard pressed to demand
continued incarceration based on “gut feelings”,
outside the commitments of the law. I believe
that I stand a good chance for release or absent
that, a powerful argument to make an appeal to a
higher court over the misapplication of Rules,
law and obligations on the part of those on the Lower Court level.

I am therefore asking you to consider your
ability to aid and assist me in my goals.  We are
working towards a $3,500.00 legal bill to pay for
legal representation for the Article 78 now in
the courts awaiting a decision.  Any help that
you can provide by sending donations directly to
my attorney would be greatly appreciated:

Cheryl L. Kates, Esq.
Attorney At Law
PO Box 711
Honeoye, New York   14471

(585) 820-3818

or send the donation directly to my finance officer:

Nate Buckley
438 Massachusetts Ave
Buffalo, New York, 14213

(716) 886-0544

Your aide and assistance is sorely needed.  I
respect that times are hard and that many of you,
having already given once, can barely afford to
do so now.  In light of that and the goal
intended, I ask again and will gratefully accept
whatever amount you can either raise or
extend.  Struggle is ongoing and our objective
must always remain clear.  I/we do not ask that
you become burdened, but rather continually aware
of what we want, what we intend, what we
support.  I hope to hear that this call was
respected, honored and served.  Much love to you.  I remain.

Dedicated and Responsive,
Comrade Robert Seth’ Hayes