Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Do Not Execute Angel Nieves Diaz

Do Not Execute Angel Nieves Diaz
December 13, 2006, FL

Angel Nieves Diaz is scheduled to be executed Dec. 13, 2006, for the 1979 murder of a Miami bar manager. Diaz was convicted of robbery, first-degree murder, kidnapping, and several other charges.

Two other Spanish-speaking men were implicated in this case, with one being sentenced to life and one was never charged.

No one witnessed the shooting, as the majority of patrons had been locked in a restroom. A dancer hid under the bar, but she did not see the triggerman.

The only evidence linking Diaz to the scene of the crime is a matchbook with his fingerprints on it.

Diaz maintains that he was with his girlfriend in Connecticut that night and did not learn of the shootings until three days after they had taken place.

This girlfriend ultimately testified against Diaz, but only after the police coerced her through the threat of drug charges. At a post-conviction hearing, she admitted that she had lied.

Diaz was offered a plea bargain, but chose to proceed with the trial, claiming innocence.

His cellmate and alleged co-conspirator Angel Toro also testified against Diaz. Toro received a life sentence for his testimony.

Throughout the trial and sentencing phase, Diaz faced several communication barriers since he only spoke Spanish at the time.

He chose to represent himself after he could not contact anyone at his first lawyer’s office and his second lawyer only came to interview him two days before the trial, showing up without an interpreter.

During the trial, Diaz used his broken English to represent himself with standby counsel. He had only two statements an attorney had given him to use during the trial, and the judge did not allow any witnesses on his behalf.

During the trial, 14 armed guards escorted Diaz and lined the walls of the room. Also, a Plexiglas shield also separated Diaz from the jury, giving the jury the impression that Diaz was a dangerous person.

Due to coerced testimony, the fact that Diaz was allowed to represent himself despite a lack of knowledge on the law and a language barrier, as well as the influencing of the jury through extensive security measures, Angel Nieves Diaz deserves a stay of execution.

Please write to Gov. Jeb Bush on behalf of Angel Nieves Diaz!

Please go to the following link and pass this on.....

http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizations/ncadp/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=6019

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

O.J. with $$ escape his death this man without $$ lost his life.
so "capical ruls" the earth and God the One who Is just.

Anonymous said...

I believe that the excution of diaz is just,her die in pain (so what) he should suffer exactly as Joseph Nagy (the bar manager) did.