Hello,
My name is Audrey, the mother of Courtney Clement. It is very hard for me to ask for help but in 2002 my daughter at the age of 18 years young received a devastating sentence of 25 years, although my daughter deserved to serve time, 25 years was an unfair exorbitant amount of time. Her court appointed lawyer stated "if this was any other county, she would have received a 10 year sentence" what type of geographic justice system do we have? to play with someones life over a county is egregious. The justice system is not fair to; people of color that do not have the money to hire a dream team of lawyers that will get the correct sentence or maybe no sentence at all.
While I have been riding this journey with my daughter, I have read about so many cases in which the justice system allowed individuals to go free because of their; color, economic position, privilege, prestige, etc. Below is link to a great Huffington Post article about racism in the criminal justice system:
Since her incarceration she has made many strides/milestones: she received her high school diploma, Associates degree-graduating Magna Cum Laude, with a 3.8 GPA.
She is currently working on her Bachelors degree in Justice Studies from Rutgers University School of Criminal Justice, her completion date is set for December 2017. Additionally, she mentors/tutors her peers who are seeking a GED, she is on the Student Advisory Committee, and has received certifications in other areas that will assist her upon her release/transition, these skills will make her marketable in the job market.
Courtney is now 34 years old, she has and is a model prisoner, who is loved by all. When I would visit her, I would be approached by her peers and guards, telling me how she was good people, her peers letting me know how she helped them when they came. What I love most about my daughter is that she is a giver, and she doesn't blame anyone for her situation as a matter of fact, she states that she believes that prison saved her life.
Courtney has appealed her case, which was riddled with many legal errors, to no avail. Currently, her case is deemed PCR (Post Conviction Release), and is pass the statute of limitation, the case now must be handled very different from an appeal. We have found a lawyer that will look at the case for a retainer of 5,000 dollars, and once he takes the case, additional cost will be incurred.
Although Courtney has made a poor decision early in her life, in which she has paid for this decision with a large portion of her life, it has been costly for her in more than time, she can never get back the things she has missed, like her brothers funeral.
Everybody deserves a second chance at life, I'm asking for your monetary assistance in this matter or if there a lawyer that would assist Pro Bono, that would be helpful as well. Thank you for your help in advance and God Bless you all.
Sincerely,
Courtney's Mom
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