MY CAUSE IS NOW IN THE GOFUNDME WEB PAGE. HELP ME!
Attorneys such as Amy Gershenfeld Donnella, who represented me on pro bono basis for over ten years with my federal petition for a writ of habeas corpus, comes at the rate of one per one million. In 2007, when Amy had to leave my case to get a job at the Federal Capital Habeas Project, in Maryland, I wasn’t able to replace her. Amy took my case to the United States Supreme Court, but unfortunately the Supreme Court declined to get involved in my litigation against Janet Reno, United States Attorney General under President Bill Clinton. Amy could not have represented me in the courts of the State of Florida, because she is not a member of the Florida Bar, nor is she familiar with the laws and the rules of the State of Florida.
On October 15, 2009, the Innocence Project of Florida, Inc., sent me a letter stating:
”Dear Mr. Escalona,
We discovered your file in our office as a potential NON-DNA case, sent to us from the Innocence Project in New York.
We require additional information to determine whether we can assist you. If you would like our organization to look into your case, please complete and return the attached papers (A 13 pages Screening Questionnaire)…..Please be patient and we will write back as soon as we can.”.
At first I was skeptical due to the bad reputation that the Florida Innocence Project has amongst the prisoners with claim of actual innocence, such as myself. Their own statement that they had ”discovered my file in their office”, was a turn off for me. I had to wonder for how long ”my file” had been ignored. For how many months, or perhaps years? Where had my file been kept when it was ”DISCOVERED”? Their statements gave me a bad feeling. I sensed a great void in responsibility and organization. Therefore, prior to completing and returning the Screening Questionnaire, I tried to find another source of pro bono legal representation. We could not find any attorney that was willing to represent my cause on pro bono basis And representing my cause pro se was not an option for several reasons beyond my control.
Finally, on October 20, 2009, I had the Fuster Defense Committee mail my Screening Questionnaire via U.S.P.S. Certified Mail to the Florida Innocence Project. Subsequently, after having waited for an answer for over one year, Ms. Charlot Luinetti, Director of the Fuster Defense Committee, sent them a letter to inquire about the progress of my case. We didn’t receive an answer. We sent a second letter, and on May 26, 2011, the Innocence Project of Florida requested that we resubmit my Screening Questionnaire. By telephone, Ms. Luinetti (Who became my wife for over ten years), was informed that they couldn’t find my October 20, 2009, Screening Questionnaire, which she had personally mailed to them. I wanted to forget about the Florida Innocence Project, but they were my only hope for justice. On July 31, 2011, I resubmitted the same Screening Questionnaire.
For several years we continued in communication from time to time (I have a copy of every letter). In view of the fact that they had not rejected my case; and in view of the fact that I am actually 100% innocent of every charge against me, I became very confident that the delay was due to the size of my case and that they were busy working on my case. I deceived myself. I opted to believe what I needed to believe to keep on surviving my prolonged illegal incarceration. On January 4, 2018, Attorney Seth E. Miller, Executive Director of the Florida Innocence Project, Inc., wrote to me stating:
”We are sorry to inform you that we have reviewed your case and have determined that our office cannot accept it.”. ”While we understand that there are multiple ways by which a person can be wrongfully convicted, our limited resources as a non-profit organization restrict the scope of our work.”….
I was shocked! There is no evidence at all that they conducted any investigation of the facts and of my legal arguments. For example, none of my prior attorneys was contacted. The files from the Eleventh Judicial Circuit Court of Florida State Attorney Office were not purchased and researched. I was never contacted for any question. They still have custody of my seven boxes of legal papers and four video tapes of the way that Joseph and Laurie Braga brainwashed the Country Walk Children for Janet Reno.
SO WHAT ARE THE FACTS NOW???
I need $100,000.00 to hire the required law firm with their investigators from the area of Miami Dade County to work with Attorney Amy Gershenfeld Donnella as their co-counsel. I want to be totally cleared of the false charge against me in connection to my Case #81-21904 from the Eleventh Judicial Circuit Court of Florida. I seek to have all the false charges against me and against my ex-wife Iliana Flores Fuster deleted in connection to our Case #84-19728 A&B, because both of us are 100% innocent of each and every charge that Janet Reno concocted to realize our convictions. I want the truth!
Within minutes of having my cause registered with the GoFundMe web page, two donations were immediately made. Whoever you are, I thank you. I believe that my cause and justice deserve your donations. Every donation counts! No matter how small, it is not insignificant. Please help me with my litigation against the State of Florida. Use this link or send your tax-deductible contributions to:
National Center for Reason and Justice
POB 101101
Roxbury, Massachusetts 02119
For information email: .mgr@ncrj.org.
Thank you!
Francisco Fuster Escalona