My name is Antonio D. Richardson, 29 years old, African American, Ex Death Row Inmate.

On March 7, 2001, I came 1hour and 48minutes from being executed. On October 31, 2003, The Supreme Court re-sentenced me to Life. I would like to share with you some of the evidence I was not allowed to argue to the jury during my case. I have also undertaken a number of interviews with Court TV and Ricki Lake.

1.)                The Trial Court erred when it precluded my Attorney from arguing to the Jury that I did NOT participate in the crime I was, at that time, on Death Row for.  This case took place in April 1991, when I was only 16 years old.

2.)                The Trial Court erred when it precluded me from testifying at the Trial.

3.)                The trial Court erroneously admitted ‘hearsay’ statements made by my Co-Defendants, that I committed the crime. They did NOT testify at my Trial, the statements were made by the Police, however, I was not allowed to Cross-Examine my Co-Defendants about the statements. This violated my Rights.

4.)                The Trial Court erred when it precluded me from Cross Examining the State Witness, who testified in my Co-Defendants Trial, that he could NOT identify the person who pushed his cousins off the bridge or the person’s voice who told him to ‘jump’. However this same Witness came into my Trial and said I committed the crime. No one questioned this.

5.)                The Jury was not able to agree on either the Death Penalty or on Life Imprisonment without the possibility of Parole or Probation punishments, so the Trial Judge gave me the Death Penalty. This Judge made a number of Statements to my Trial Attorneys that ‘anything I try to argue to the Court or the Jury  was an excuse to get me off’ and he was ‘not going to allow that’, also that he ‘did not care if I was Innocent or not’. This Judge did everything in his power to get me convicted of a Crime I DID NOT commit. If I had been given the opportunity to argue my Innocence to the jury, I would not be in prison today.

My case is under review by the Supreme Court and by the Governor.

Note: The same Witness that testified in my Trial, confessed to this Crime.

I pray that you can assist me in any way of getting my freedom back.

Respectfully

Antonio D. Richardson