The
U.S. Department of Justice
Civil Rights Division
Office of the Assistant Attorney General,
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.,
20530
Re: Terrol Massey#07B1432
To Whom This Matter Concerns:
I, Nora Massey who resides in the State of
New York am the parent and guardian of 19 years of age, Mr. Terrol
Massey.
It was brought to my attention that I should
contact you, the Civil Rights Criminal Section regarding this
injustice against my son by civil authorities in the state of New
York, including the county of Buffalo and the city.
In 200_, my son Terrol being16 at the time was
convicted of 2nd degree murder, conspiracy, and
possession of a weapon to the 4th degree.
However, Terrol was convicted along with 5
other co-defendants who received a much lighter sentence then he
did, which included co-defendants ranging in ages from 14 yrs, 18,
20, 21, 39 years old.
My family hired several Attorneys to defend our
son which was very difficult being that media and press played a
major role in that it paraded him in electronic news broadcasts and
printed medium far more than any of the co-defendants, thereby
“convicting” him in the court of public opinion as a lone, heinous,
murdering villain not worthy of fair judicial process in the State
of New York.
Clearly, the Attorneys involved in this
miscarriage of justice failed in their duty to represent him
according to all avenues and venues of the law.
Interestingly enough, Terrol Massey being one
of the youngest caught up in the situation, happens to be American
Black US citizen of the emancipated slave cast, the most vulnerable
to judicial injustice ethno-racial people in the nation, especially
in the area of Amherst, New York….whereas the other co-defendants
were White (Caucasian).
As you can see, I am in desperate need of the
US Justice Department’s Civil Rights Commission immediate
intervention into this state matter reminiscent of the time in which
it combated and vanquished the injustices of state legislated racism
against us Blacks.
It is evident in the State of New York and
throughout the country that thousands of young Black men of the
emancipated slave class such as Terrol are suffering very similar
judicial injustices based on their racial status, which is clearly
another violation in the Constitutionally Mandated 14th Amendment
and Civil Rights Act of 1866 which is the foundation of all those
succeeding… the one that created the Civil Rights Commission.
We retained Ms. Anne Adams paying her up front
$25000.00 in which she failed to represent Terrol to the end of his
sentencing.
She removed herself from a dispute with my son
arguing he should take a plea bargain of 15 years to life in prison.
Subsequently, Terrol was appointed a Court Attorney by the name of
Mr. Daniel Grasso to stand in where Ms. Anne Adams quit.
Complicating matters more, Ms. Adams failed to
release my son’s files in order that the proper motions could be
filed for sentencing in a timely manner. . Therefore Mr. Grasso
presented a 330.30 motion without knowledge or proper documentation
to support it, which resulted in my son being sentenced 20 years to
life.
Thought the record states that Mr. Grasso filed
a Notice of Appeal on Terrol’s behalf, the facts are, he never did.
Then after he was sentenced, we retained
another attorney by the name of
Mr.
Muhamad Bashir ESQ in Elizabeth NJ.
As time passed on, the Attorney repeatedly
stated he had submitted an extension for the Appeal process being
that Ms. Adams still held on to my son’s files.
When the Attorney was fired by Terrol for not
making himself available for an initial consultation to discuss his
case, we learned in the process that Mr. Grasso never filed the
notice of Appeal.
As it presently stands, you have a 16yr old
young boy with a disability facing a 20 year to life sentence
in an adult prison without another chance in life to Appeal his
unjust case.
This injustice is wrong. It should not have
happened. It was very careless and unprofessional of these paid
Professions. The only person suffering is this young man and his
family who have been incarcerated for 4 long years.
I Ms. Massey called the Appellate Division
several times and spoke with several people to tell me its too late
his time was exhausted , which was no fault of his own.
This is not acceptable in that the Court
Appointed Attorney is paid by the State and he should be reprimanded
for his actions and dereliction of duty, just as Ms. Adams was paid
$25000.00 in cash money to represent my son until he was sentenced.
Terrol should be compensated. It was not his
fault that these attorneys failed in doing what they were paid to
do, which was represent Terrol according to the Law. They are
trained professionals paid to be liaisons for the people in the
courts of justice.
It raises the question how many other young
African American males have and are fallen through this unjust
system to enlarge this nation Industrial Prison Complex?
I trust that you will look closely into this
pressing matter and fight to give my son a chance to appeal his case
as it his right as US citizens with special mandated protections
outlined in the US Constitutional 14th Amendment and Civil Rights of
1866.
I have reach out to other attorneys and
Legislatures Bodies, including the New State Bar Association in
which they all agree that this young man needs to be compensated for
the carelessness that he has suffered at the hands of those involved
in the injustices.
I have enclosed some very important documents
for your viewing while making your decision to reach out and help
our family.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
I am looking forward to hearing from you or
your colleagues regarding this crucial matter.
You may contact me by email or phone I have
enclosed all my information.
Sincerely,
Ms. Nora Massey
Noramassey67@yahoo.com 716-982-9645
