FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MEDIA ADVISORY June 5, 2012     Leslie Feinberg Arrested in Solidarity with Chrishaun McDonald Hundreds Take to Street in Protest   Contact: Katie Burgess, Executive Director, Trans Youth Support Network, transyouthsupportnetwork@gmail.com, (612) 363-7574; and Billy Navarro, Jr., MN Transgender Health Coalition, mntranspr@gmail.com, (612) 823-1152 Leslie Feinberg was arrested last night amidst hundreds of Chrishaun “CeCe” McDonald supporters protesting outside of the Hennepin County Public Safety Facility. Feinberg is being held at the Public Safety Facility in downtown Minneapolis and is facing charges of property damage. The protest was held on the eve of McDonald’s transfer to the state prison system, where she will serve out a sentence of 41 months for defending herself against racist and transphobic attackers. Although McDonald initially faced two charges of second degree murder, earlier this month she accepted a plea agreement to a reduced charge of second degree manslaughter due to negligence.  Outraged supporters took to the streets, blocking traffic for over an hour in protest of the violent abuses McDonald has faced at the hands of our legal system.  Feinberg joined demonstrators in making noise loud enough to be heard within the facility McDonald is currently being held at, and marching through the streets in a show of love and solidarity with CeCe McDonald and with all incarcerated individuals.  Feinberg was the only person arrested, and is excited to draw more attention to McDonald’s story and to the prevalent racism and transphobia within the criminal system.      Feinberg has given the following statement: Many people across the United States and around the world are watching, and history will record what happens on June 4, 2012.  CeCe McDonald survived a fascist hate crime; now she’s sentenced as she struggles to survive an ongoing state hate crime. As Martin Luther King Jr. reminded: “Never forget that everything Hitler did in Germany was legal.” As a white, working-class, Jewish, transgender lesbian revolutionary I will not be silent as this injustice continues! I know from the lessons of histories what is means when the state—in a period of capitalist economic crisis—enacts apartheid passbook laws, bounds up and deports immigrant works, and gives a green light to e white supremacists, fascist attacks on Black peoples—from Sanford, Florida, to Tulsa, Oklahoma, to a courtroom in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The prosecutor and the judge are upholding the intent of the infamous white supremacist Dred Scott ruling of 1857. The same year Fredrick Douglass concluded: “Without struggle, there is no progress!” CeCe McDonald is being sent to prison during the month of Juneteeth:  celebration of the Emancipation Proclamation—the formal Abolitionist of “legal” enslavement of peoples of African descent. The Emancipation Proclamation specifically spelled out the right of Black people to self-defense against racist violence. Yet, the judge, the prosecutor, and the jailers are continuing the violent and bigoted hate crimes begun by the group of white supremacists who carried out a fascist attack on CeCe McDonald and her friends. CeCe McDonald is being sent to prison in June—the month when the Stonewall Rebellion ignited in the streets of Greenwich Village in 1969. From the Compton’s Uprising to the Stonewall Rebellion, defense against oppression is a law of survival. This is Pride month, and will be bringing the demand: “Free CeCe—now!” to the regional Pride march where I live. I believe many other individuals, groups, and contingents will thunder that demand in Pride marches and rallies all over the world—informing millions who take part, and millions more who support. The prosecution hopes this struggle is over. But it is not over: Free CeCe—now! An injury to one is an injury to all! Come out against racist, anti-immigrant, anti-LGBTQ and sexist wars at home and abroad! Feinberg’s arrest is symptomatic of growing anger and frustration at the disproportionate targeting and abuse of young transgender women of color in our society.  The actions Feinberg took last night were in solidarity with McDonald and all prisoners to let them know they are not alone.  Feinberg is excited to garner attention to how McDonald is treated today as McDonald is transferred to the prison intake facility in St. Cloud, MN. McDonald’s case does not reflect an isolated aberration in the functioning of the U.S. legal system, but rather business as usual within a society that has, for hundreds of years, profited from the incarceration and exploitation of people of color and trans/gender non-conforming people.  McDonald’s sentencing sends a very clear message to all those following her case across the country: transphobia and racism are alive and well, both in the violent verbal and physical attacks on trans youth of color in the night as well as in the legal system which makes surviving this violence a crime punishable by years of incarceration.  Nevertheless, we look forward to joining all of McDonald’s supporters in continuing to fight against these systems of power, for CeCe and for all transgender women of color targeted by the prison-industrial complex.  With love and rage, The CeCe McDonald Support Committee For more information on McDonald’s case, visit supportcece.wordpress.com. ###

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MEDIA ADVISORY

June 5, 2012

 

 

Leslie Feinberg Arrested in Solidarity with Chrishaun McDonald

Hundreds Take to Street in Protest

 

Contact: Katie Burgess, Executive Director, Trans Youth Support Network, transyouthsupportnetwork@gmail.com, (612) 363-7574; and Billy Navarro, Jr., MN Transgender Health Coalition, mntranspr@gmail.com, (612) 823-1152

Leslie Feinberg was arrested last night amidst hundreds of Chrishaun “CeCe” McDonald supporters protesting outside of the Hennepin County Public Safety Facility. Feinberg is being held at the Public Safety Facility in downtown Minneapolis and is facing charges of property damage. The protest was held on the eve of McDonald’s transfer to the state prison system, where she will serve out a sentence of 41 months for defending herself against racist and transphobic attackers. Although McDonald initially faced two charges of second degree murder, earlier this month she accepted a plea agreement to a reduced charge of second degree manslaughter due to negligence.  Outraged supporters took to the streets, blocking traffic for over an hour in protest of the violent abuses McDonald has faced at the hands of our legal system.  Feinberg joined demonstrators in making noise loud enough to be heard within the facility McDonald is currently being held at, and marching through the streets in a show of love and solidarity with CeCe McDonald and with all incarcerated individuals.  Feinberg was the only person arrested, and is excited to draw more attention to McDonald’s story and to the prevalent racism and transphobia within the criminal system.     

Feinberg has given the following statement:

Many people across the United States and around the world are watching, and history will record what happens on June 4, 2012.  CeCe McDonald survived a fascist hate crime; now she’s sentenced as she struggles to survive an ongoing state hate crime. As Martin Luther King Jr. reminded: “Never forget that everything Hitler did in Germany was legal.”

As a white, working-class, Jewish, transgender lesbian revolutionary I will not be silent as this injustice continues! I know from the lessons of histories what is means when the state—in a period of capitalist economic crisis—enacts apartheid passbook laws, bounds up and deports immigrant works, and gives a green light to e white supremacists, fascist attacks on Black peoples—from Sanford, Florida, to Tulsa, Oklahoma, to a courtroom in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

The prosecutor and the judge are upholding the intent of the infamous white supremacist Dred Scott ruling of 1857.

The same year Fredrick Douglass concluded: “Without struggle, there is no progress!”

CeCe McDonald is being sent to prison during the month of Juneteeth:  celebration of the Emancipation Proclamation—the formal Abolitionist of “legal” enslavement of peoples of African descent. The Emancipation Proclamation specifically spelled out the right of Black people to self-defense against racist violence.

Yet, the judge, the prosecutor, and the jailers are continuing the violent and bigoted hate crimes begun by the group of white supremacists who carried out a fascist attack on CeCe McDonald and her friends.

CeCe McDonald is being sent to prison in June—the month when the Stonewall Rebellion ignited in the streets of Greenwich Village in 1969. From the Compton’s Uprising to the Stonewall Rebellion, defense against oppression is a law of survival.

This is Pride month, and will be bringing the demand: “Free CeCe—now!” to the regional Pride march where I live. I believe many other individuals, groups, and contingents will thunder that demand in Pride marches and rallies all over the world—informing millions who take part, and millions more who support.

The prosecution hopes this struggle is over. But it is not over: Free CeCe—now! An injury to one is an injury to all! Come out against racist, anti-immigrant, anti-LGBTQ and sexist wars at home and abroad!


Feinberg’s arrest is symptomatic of growing anger and frustration at the disproportionate targeting and abuse of young transgender women of color in our society.  The actions Feinberg took last night were in solidarity with McDonald and all prisoners to let them know they are not alone.  Feinberg is excited to garner attention to how McDonald is treated today as McDonald is transferred to the prison intake facility in St. Cloud, MN.

McDonald’s case does not reflect an isolated aberration in the functioning of the U.S. legal system, but rather business as usual within a society that has, for hundreds of years, profited from the incarceration and exploitation of people of color and trans/gender non-conforming people.  McDonald’s sentencing sends a very clear message to all those following her case across the country: transphobia and racism are alive and well, both in the violent verbal and physical attacks on trans youth of color in the night as well as in the legal system which makes surviving this violence a crime punishable by years of incarceration.  Nevertheless, we look forward to joining all of McDonald’s supporters in continuing to fight against these systems of power, for CeCe and for all transgender women of color targeted by the prison-industrial complex. 

With love and rage,

The CeCe McDonald Support Committee

For more information on McDonald’s case, visit supportcece.wordpress.com.

###

Posted 11 months ago
828 notes
Tagged: lesliefeinberg, lgbtq, cecemcdonald, freecece, freececemcdonald, graffiti, gender, glbt, glbtq, Protest, prisoner, prisoners rights, .
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 4, 2012 Chrishaun “CeCe” McDonald Sentenced to 41 Months for Reduced Charge of Manslaughter Supporters Vow Ongoing Solidarity with McDonald for Duration of Sentence Contact: Katie Burgess, Executive Director, Trans Youth Support Network, transyouthsupportnetwork@gmail.com, (612) 363-757 and Billy Navarro Jr, MN Transgender Health Coalition, mntranspr@gmail.com, (612) 823-1152 Minneapolis—This afternoon, Chrishaun “CeCe” McDonald was sentenced to a 41 month prison sentence by Judge Daniel Moreno. Although McDonald initially faced two charges of second degree murder, earlier this month she accepted a plea agreement to a reduced charge of second degree manslaughter due to negligence. The sentencing proceedings included statements from community leaders, clergy, and McDonald’s family, testifying to McDonald’s loving character and expressing concern for her safety if she is sentenced to serve time in a men’s prison, given the high rates of physical and sexual violence against transgender women in men’s prisons. Around 80 Twin Cities residents arrived to show their support for McDonald, overflowing the courtroom where sentencing proceedings were held.   Although McDonald has been under state supervision for the past 366 days (in jail and under in-home monitoring) the judge determined that she will only receive credit for 275 days served, excluding the time she spent on in-home monitoring. Between this time served and time off for good behavior, McDonald will likely spend less than two more years in prison. Additionally, McDonald was ordered to pay $6410.00 in restitution. The Department of Corrections has not determined where McDonald will spend the remainder of her sentence, but it is likely that she will go to one of Minnesota’s men’s prisons. In recently released federal standards on the elimination of sexual abuse in prisons, the Department of Justice notes that transgender people should be evaluated on a case-by-case basis to place them where they will be in the least danger (not solely based on genitals). Moreover, the DOJ guidelines seek to minimize the use of solitary confinement for the alleged protection of transgender prisoners. These standards apply to state prisons that receive federal funding. They may impact McDonald, who has been held in a men’s facility for the past year, and twice been sent to solitary confinement against her will. For supporters, McDonald’s sentencing marks a turning point, but not an end to their efforts. “This is not a resolution to CeCe’s case: she should not be serving time simply for surviving a vicious attack. But the prosecution felt so much pressure in this high profile case that they knew they had to offer a less egregious charge than second-degree murder, ” said Josina Manu. “We’ll stand by CeCe throughout her sentence and after she’s released.” Supporters have consistently rejected County Attorney Michael Freeman’s claims that the prosecution of McDonald is race and gender-neutral, emphasizing that McDonald’s attack and prosecution are part of a pervasive culture of violence against transgender women of color. They note that Freeman’s responses to CeCe’s broad support campaign only underscore the fact that the criminal legal system provides no real means of securing justice and community safety. Roxanne Anderson, the Director of the MN Transgender Health Coalition and McDonald’s former employer, said, “Today was a shining example of how hate and fear result in racism and transphobia, and how those play out in the courts of our land. I hope people keep supporting CeCe in every way they can, including showing up to the Power to the People tent at Pride, which was created to squash this kind of racism and transphobia.” Billy Navarro Jr of the CeCe McDonald Support Committee & MN Trans Health Coalition reflected on the fight to free McDonald: “Our victory today is the beautiful community of support that CeCe has brought together. We will keep fighting back against the incarceration of our loved ones and community members. This June marks the 43rd anniversary of the Stonewall Rebellion, which was led by trans women of color, and this year we’ll be celebrating CeCe’s courage and the struggles that women like her have led for decades.” For more information on McDonald’s case, visit supportcece.wordpress.com. ###

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 4, 2012

Chrishaun “CeCe” McDonald Sentenced to 41 Months for

Reduced Charge of Manslaughter

Supporters Vow Ongoing Solidarity with McDonald for

Duration of Sentence

Contact: Katie Burgess, Executive Director, Trans Youth Support Network, transyouthsupportnetwork@gmail.com, (612) 363-757 and Billy Navarro Jr, MN Transgender Health Coalition, mntranspr@gmail.com, (612) 823-1152

Minneapolis—This afternoon, Chrishaun “CeCe” McDonald was sentenced to a 41 month prison sentence by Judge Daniel Moreno. Although McDonald initially faced two charges of second degree murder, earlier this month she accepted a plea agreement to a reduced charge of second degree manslaughter due to negligence. The sentencing proceedings included statements from community leaders, clergy, and McDonald’s family, testifying to McDonald’s loving character and expressing concern for her safety if she is sentenced to serve time in a men’s prison, given the high rates of physical and sexual violence against transgender women in men’s prisons. Around 80 Twin Cities residents arrived to show their support for McDonald, overflowing the courtroom where sentencing proceedings were held.

 

Although McDonald has been under state supervision for the past 366 days (in jail and under in-home monitoring) the judge determined that she will only receive credit for 275 days served, excluding the time she spent on in-home monitoring. Between this time served and time off for good behavior, McDonald will likely spend less than two more years in prison. Additionally, McDonald was ordered to pay $6410.00 in restitution.

The Department of Corrections has not determined where McDonald will spend the remainder of her sentence, but it is likely that she will go to one of Minnesota’s men’s prisons. In recently released federal standards on the elimination of sexual abuse in prisons, the Department of Justice notes that transgender people should be evaluated on a case-by-case basis to place them where they will be in the least danger (not solely based on genitals). Moreover, the DOJ guidelines seek to minimize the use of solitary confinement for the alleged protection of transgender prisoners. These standards apply to state prisons that receive federal funding. They may impact McDonald, who has been held in a men’s facility for the past year, and twice been sent to solitary confinement against her will.

For supporters, McDonald’s sentencing marks a turning point, but not an end to their efforts. “This is not a resolution to CeCe’s case: she should not be serving time simply for surviving a vicious attack. But the prosecution felt so much pressure in this high profile case that they knew they had to offer a less egregious charge than second-degree murder, ” said Josina Manu. “We’ll stand by CeCe throughout her sentence and after she’s released.”

Supporters have consistently rejected County Attorney Michael Freeman’s claims that the prosecution of McDonald is race and gender-neutral, emphasizing that McDonald’s attack and prosecution are part of a pervasive culture of violence against transgender women of color. They note that Freeman’s responses to CeCe’s broad support campaign only underscore the fact that the criminal legal system provides no real means of securing justice and community safety.

Roxanne Anderson, the Director of the MN Transgender Health Coalition and McDonald’s former employer, said, “Today was a shining example of how hate and fear result in racism and transphobia, and how those play out in the courts of our land. I hope people keep supporting CeCe in every way they can, including showing up to the Power to the People tent at Pride, which was created to squash this kind of racism and transphobia.”

Billy Navarro Jr of the CeCe McDonald Support Committee & MN Trans Health Coalition reflected on the fight to free McDonald: “Our victory today is the beautiful community of support that CeCe has brought together. We will keep fighting back against the incarceration of our loved ones and community members. This June marks the 43rd anniversary of the Stonewall Rebellion, which was led by trans women of color, and this year we’ll be celebrating CeCe’s courage and the struggles that women like her have led for decades.”

For more information on McDonald’s case, visit supportcece.wordpress.com.

###

Posted 11 months ago
759 notes
Tagged: freecece, freececemcdonald, transgender, trans, gender, prisoner, pressconference, prisoners rights, .
CeCe McDonald’s Birthday Party!!! CeCe’s 24th birthday is on Saturday the 26th! We’re all meeting up at the Hennepin County Jail in Downtown Minneapolis at 6pm. She will be having dinner in her cell at 6pm so we’re gonna sing her happy birthday, dance to some Rihanna & Beyonce while eating birthday cake. We won’t be able to see her but she’ll be able to hear us! Come show yr love for our girl by helping her celebrate her day of birth. Even behind bars she should have a birthday filled with the love of her community! Bring: *Musical Instruments *BULLHORN *Birthday hats *Lots of friends! http://www.facebook.com/events/460120307336998/ CeCe’s always wanted Rihanna to pop out of a cake for her. We’ve been tweeting her but she hasn’t answered. This is as close as we could get! All the love to CeCe!

CeCe McDonald’s Birthday Party!!!

CeCe’s 24th birthday is on Saturday the 26th! We’re all meeting up at the Hennepin County Jail in Downtown Minneapolis at 6pm. She will be having dinner in her cell at 6pm so we’re gonna sing her happy birthday, dance to some Rihanna & Beyonce while eating birthday cake. We won’t be able to see her but she’ll be able to hear us!

Come show yr love for our girl by helping her celebrate her day of birth. Even behind bars she should have a birthday filled with the love of her community!

Bring:
*Musical Instruments
*BULLHORN
*Birthday hats
*Lots of friends!

http://www.facebook.com/events/460120307336998/

CeCe’s always wanted Rihanna to pop out of a cake for her. We’ve been tweeting her but she hasn’t answered. This is as close as we could get! All the love to CeCe!
Posted 11 months ago
273 notes
Tagged: freecece, free CeCe, freececemcdonald, gender, glbt, glbtq, transgender, trans, prisoner, prisoners rights, .
SF Dems working to support transgender woman convicted in Minnesota killing Friday, May 11, 2012 Some members of San Francisco’s Democratic Party are preparing a resolution in support of Chrishaun “CeCe” McDonald, 23, a Minneapolis transgender woman imprisoned for what defenders call an act of self-defense. The local Democratic County Central Committee is exploring a statement of support for McDonald, or a call for the Department of Justice to investigate the case, according to DCCC member Gabriel Haaland. The party plans to vote on the proposal May 23. According to the resolution draft, McDonald, who’s black, “was targeted in a vicious racist and transphobic attack” in Minneapolis in 2011. In the incident, she killed Dean Schmitz with a pair of scissors. McDonald was charged with second-degree murder, and had faced at least 10 years in prison, but accepted a plea deal Wednesday, May 2 for a second-degree manslaughter charge and an expected maximum sentence of 41-months. Her sentencing hearing is set for June 4. According to Hennepin County, Minnesota Attorney Michael Freeman’s office, the incident started when McDonald was walking with friends one night and a group outside a Minneapolis bar “began shouting racial and sexual insults.” McDonald and her friends confronted Schmitz and the others “and a woman smashed a glass into McDonald’s face, cutting her,” prosecutors said in a news release. Citing a witness, officials say Schmitz pulled McDonald “away from the resulting melee” and said, “You stabbed me.” McDonald said that she had, walked away, and threw away the scissors she’d been carrying, prosecutors stated. In last week’s hearing before Hennepin County District Court Judge Daniel Moreno, McDonald gave up her right to use a defense that she stabbed Schmitz accidentally or in self-defense. She also acknowledged that Schmitz hadn’t had a weapon, “and McDonald admitted she handled the scissors in an unreasonable way,” officials with Freeman’s office stated. McDonald told Moreno that the scissors ended up in Schmitz’s chest because he’d pulled her toward him. Prosecutors also said that McDonald dropped previous claims that someone else had stabbed Schmitz. In its statement, Freeman’s office noted that it’s “received some criticism from the LGBTQ community regarding this case.” Officials stated, “The role of prosecutors is to examine the facts provided by police investigators and determine if there is sufficient admissible evidence to bring a charge. Gender, race, sexual orientation and class are not part of the decision-making process. The charges filed took into account the evidence in this case; this outcome is an example of the criminal justice responding proportionately to a tragic situation. The plea of second-degree manslaughter is a just resolution.” McDonald’s local supporters say that the judge in McDonald’s jury trial ruled against admitting evidence that included her attacker’s swastika tattoo and a “lengthy” record of convictions for assault and other crimes. Groups including the San Francisco-based National Center for Lesbian Rights and the Transgender Law Center expressed concerns that McDonald “could be facing discriminatory charges based on her transgender identity,” but prosecutors ignored those ideas, according to the Democrats’ resolution draft. Haaland, who’s transgender, circulated the proposal-in-progress this week. In an interview today (Friday, May 11), he said that he and other local supporters originally planned to call for McDonald’s pardon, but someone suggested to him that for McDonald to get a pardon, she’d have to meet certain conditions, and that “would be really awful for her to have to go through.” He didn’t say specifically what the criteria would be, but he said he’s never talked to McDonald, and “without more direct communication” with her, local activists “don’t feel like doing a resolution urging a pardon makes sense.” Asked about what impact the resolution might have, Haaland said that organizations around the world are expressing concerns about the case. “If you’re a judge you’re going to pay attention” to that when it comes to sentencing, said Haaland. Chuck Laszewski, a spokesman for Freeman, said the San Francisco Democrats’ resolution probably wouldn’t make any difference in the sentencing, “since it’s a plea, and the outlines of the plea are pretty firm.” Hersch Izek, the attorney representing McDonald, didn’t respond to an interview request Friday. Filed by Seth Hemmelgarn in Uncategorized http://ebar.com/blogs/?p=4162&fb_source=message whoa San Fransisco, whoa!

SF Dems working to support transgender woman convicted in Minnesota killing

Friday, May 11, 2012

Some members of San Francisco’s Democratic Party are preparing a resolution in support of Chrishaun “CeCe” McDonald, 23, a Minneapolis transgender woman imprisoned for what defenders call an act of self-defense.

The local Democratic County Central Committee is exploring a statement of support for McDonald, or a call for the Department of Justice to investigate the case, according to DCCC member Gabriel Haaland. The party plans to vote on the proposal May 23.

According to the resolution draft, McDonald, who’s black, “was targeted in a vicious racist and transphobic attack” in Minneapolis in 2011. In the incident, she killed Dean Schmitz with a pair of scissors.

McDonald was charged with second-degree murder, and had faced at least 10 years in prison, but accepted a plea deal Wednesday, May 2 for a second-degree manslaughter charge and an expected maximum sentence of 41-months. Her sentencing hearing is set for June 4.

According to Hennepin County, Minnesota Attorney Michael Freeman’s office, the incident started when McDonald was walking with friends one night and a group outside a Minneapolis bar “began shouting racial and sexual insults.”

McDonald and her friends confronted Schmitz and the others “and a woman smashed a glass into McDonald’s face, cutting her,” prosecutors said in a news release.

Citing a witness, officials say Schmitz pulled McDonald “away from the resulting melee” and said, “You stabbed me.” McDonald said that she had, walked away, and threw away the scissors she’d been carrying, prosecutors stated.

In last week’s hearing before Hennepin County District Court Judge Daniel Moreno, McDonald gave up her right to use a defense that she stabbed Schmitz accidentally or in self-defense. She also acknowledged that Schmitz hadn’t had a weapon, “and McDonald admitted she handled the scissors in an unreasonable way,” officials with Freeman’s office stated.

McDonald told Moreno that the scissors ended up in Schmitz’s chest because he’d pulled her toward him. Prosecutors also said that McDonald dropped previous claims that someone else had stabbed Schmitz.

In its statement, Freeman’s office noted that it’s “received some criticism from the LGBTQ community regarding this case.”

Officials stated, “The role of prosecutors is to examine the facts provided by police investigators and determine if there is sufficient admissible evidence to bring a charge. Gender, race, sexual orientation and class are not part of the decision-making process. The charges filed took into account the evidence in this case; this outcome is an example of the criminal justice responding proportionately to a tragic situation. The plea of second-degree manslaughter is a just resolution.”

McDonald’s local supporters say that the judge in McDonald’s jury trial ruled against admitting evidence that included her attacker’s swastika tattoo and a “lengthy” record of convictions for assault and other crimes.

Groups including the San Francisco-based National Center for Lesbian Rights and the Transgender Law Center expressed concerns that McDonald “could be facing discriminatory charges based on her transgender identity,” but prosecutors ignored those ideas, according to the Democrats’ resolution draft.

Haaland, who’s transgender, circulated the proposal-in-progress this week. In an interview today (Friday, May 11), he said that he and other local supporters originally planned to call for McDonald’s pardon, but someone suggested to him that for McDonald to get a pardon, she’d have to meet certain conditions, and that “would be really awful for her to have to go through.” He didn’t say specifically what the criteria would be, but he said he’s never talked to McDonald, and “without more direct communication” with her, local activists “don’t feel like doing a resolution urging a pardon makes sense.”

Asked about what impact the resolution might have, Haaland said that organizations around the world are expressing concerns about the case.

“If you’re a judge you’re going to pay attention” to that when it comes to sentencing, said Haaland.

Chuck Laszewski, a spokesman for Freeman, said the San Francisco Democrats’ resolution probably wouldn’t make any difference in the sentencing, “since it’s a plea, and the outlines of the plea are pretty firm.”

Hersch Izek, the attorney representing McDonald, didn’t respond to an interview request Friday.

Filed by Seth Hemmelgarn in Uncategorized

http://ebar.com/blogs/?p=4162&fb_source=message
whoa San Fransisco, whoa!

Posted 1 year ago
37 notes
Tagged: freecece, freececemcdonald, gender, glbt, glbtq, lgbt, prisoner, prisoners rights, solidarity, .
Today we reach the limit of friends FB will let us have. We have started another community page. Please join us there as well for updates on CeCe & her case. Please invite all your friends. We’re still getting friend requests as we post this! https://www.facebook.com/SupportCeCeMcDonald

Today we reach the limit of friends FB will let us have. We have started another community page. Please join us there as well for updates on CeCe & her case. Please invite all your friends. We’re still getting friend requests as we post this! https://www.facebook.com/SupportCeCeMcDonald

Posted 1 year ago
22 notes
Tagged: freecece, freececemcdonald, graffiti, gender, glbt, glbtq, lgbt, prisoners rights, prisoner, .
Folks are asking: What’s next? How can we help CeCe? Below are some solid ways to help CeCe as she awaits sentencing and while she serves her time in prison. Please spread the word, post and re-post. Don’t let the world forget about her, don’t let her be just another news story you read about once. She’s a human being who needs her community, she needs to know she’s still loved. *Write letters to CeCe in jail to show her yr love.http://supportcece.wordpress.com/get-involved/write-cece/ *Send CeCe books & magazines, info here: http://supportcece.wordpress.com/get-involved/send-cece-books/ *Write letters to the editor asking them to write responsible articles about CeCe’s case. We NEED to keep her story in the news. *Write yr own articles and blog post, post, re-post, forward, spread her story far and wide. *Organize a fundraiser for CeCe. It cost a lot to survive in prison. She needs money for commissary, phone calls, writing materials and to fund trips for her family and supporters to visit her. *Donate directly to her. This is a link to the only official CeCe McDonald donation site. (Or you can go to her website & there’s a link there. www.supportcece.wordpress.com)https://www.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_flow&SESSION=gyKH7WOoXPQWY58xoiixnUSfWU_e9_2o2I7bV4HbKOl__WRfyimqkoUlC6i&dispatch=5885d80a13c0db1f8e263663d3faee8d195a86f1d217942f7415cf1b2a661693 https://www.facebook.com/events/138224446310449/

Folks are asking: What’s next? How can we help CeCe?
Below are some solid ways to help CeCe as she awaits sentencing and while she serves her time in prison. Please spread the word, post and re-post. Don’t let the world forget about her, don’t let her be just another news story you read about once. She’s a human being who needs her community, she needs to know she’s still loved.

*Write letters to CeCe in jail to show her yr love.
http://supportcece.wordpress.com/get-involved/write-cece/

*Send CeCe books & magazines, info here: http://supportcece.wordpress.com/get-involved/send-cece-books/

*Write letters to the editor asking them to write responsible articles about CeCe’s case. We NEED to keep her story in the news.

*Write yr own articles and blog post, post, re-post, forward, spread her story far and wide.

*Organize a fundraiser for CeCe. It cost a lot to survive in prison. She needs money for commissary, phone calls, writing materials and to fund trips for her family and supporters to visit her.

*Donate directly to her. This is a link to the only official CeCe McDonald donation site. (Or you can go to her website & there’s a link there. www.supportcece.wordpress.com)
https://www.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_flow&SESSION=gyKH7WOoXPQWY58xoiixnUSfWU_e9_2o2I7bV4HbKOl__WRfyimqkoUlC6i&dispatch=5885d80a13c0db1f8e263663d3faee8d195a86f1d217942f7415cf1b2a661693

https://www.facebook.com/events/138224446310449/

Posted 1 year ago
254 notes
Tagged: freecece, freececemcdonald, graffiti, gender, glbt, glbtq, lgbt, solidarity, prisoner, prisoners rights, .
Chrishaun “CeCe” McDonald Accepts Plea Agreement to Reduced Manslaughter Charge

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 2, 2012

Chrishaun “CeCe” McDonald Accepts Plea Agreement to Reduced Manslaughter Charge
Racism, Transphobia in Legal System Continued Assault McDonald Survived, Supporters Charge

Contact: Katie Burgess, Executive Director, Trans Youth Support Network, transyouthsupportnetwork@gmail.com, (612) 363-757 and Billy Navarro Jr, MN Transgender Health Coalition, mntranspr@gmail.com, (612) 823-1152

Minneapolis, MN — Earlier today, Ms. Chrishaun “CeCe” McDonald accepted a plea agreement to a reduced charge of manslaughter in the second degree in the criminal case resulting from the racist, transphobic assault she survived last June that left one of her attackers dead. The prosecution had originally charged her with felony murder in the second degree. However, after entering into plea negotiations this morning, the defense and the prosecution settled on the reduced charge. McDonald will be sentenced on June 4th at 1:30pm under Hennepin County Judge Daniel Moreno to 41 months in prison. The executed sentence will be reduced by one third, for “good time” and credit for the time McDonald has served pending this resolution.

The plea agreement comes nearly a year after McDonald was arrested, interrogated, denied adequate medical care for a laceration she suffered during the attack and held in solitary confinement for a month for being a transgender person. During the pre-trial proceedings, supporters raised world-wide support for the charges against McDonald to be dropped. Last month, supporters delivered to Hennepin County Attorney Michael Freeman a petition for dropping the charges with over 15,000 signatures and dozens of letters of support for McDonald from organizations and prominent individuals from around the globe. Freeman consistently failed to exercise his professional discretion and take a stand against racism and transphobia by dropping the charges.

“Freeman’s aggressive prosecution of CeCe was a continuation of the racist, transphobic assault that led to her being charged and resulted in the tragic death of one of the assailants,” said Kris Gebhard of the CeCe McDonald Support Committee. “We’ve been proud to stand with CeCe as she fought this unjust prosecution and will continue to stand with her as she fights for justice as a trans woman of color within the prison system.”

In a press conference after the plea agreement was accepted in court, Katie Burgess of the Trans Youth Support Network addressed the crowd of supporters filling the steps outside the Hennepin County Courthouse. Burgess said:

“Over the past 10 months I have witnessed the legal system isolating and attacking another young trans woman of color in our community, CeCe McDonald. And over the past 10 months, I have also witnessed our community say very clearly, ‘You are not alone, CeCe! And we have had enough!’

“With the whole world watching, Freeman’s office consistently chose not to take the opportunity to stand up against racism and transphobia. Freeman himself said, and I quote, ‘The criminal justice system is not built for, nor is it necessarily good at, solving a lot of society’s problems.’

“We know that this system is not designed to deliver justice to young trans women of color. We are going to continue to support CeCe as she goes through this process and continue to stand for justice for all trans people and people of color so that this is the last time a young trans woman of color has to go through this.”

Supporters will pack the courtroom for the sentencing on June 4th and continue to rally support for McDonald and to demand justice for all trans people and people of color.

For further updates, visit http://supportcece.wordpress.com and follow @Free_CeCe.

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Posted 1 year ago
106 notes
Tagged: free CeCe, freecece, freececemcdonald, gender, glbt, glbtq, glbtq, prisoner, prisoners rights, prisonerRights, solidarity, .
Join the CeCe McDonald Solidarity Book Club! This month we’ve been reading the Autobiography of Malcolm X as told to Alex Haley. Read with CeCe & write her to discuss the book! http://www.facebook.com/events/334435983258752/

Join the CeCe McDonald Solidarity Book Club! This month we’ve been reading the Autobiography of Malcolm X as told to Alex Haley. Read with CeCe & write her to discuss the book! http://www.facebook.com/events/334435983258752/

Posted 1 year ago
2 notes
Tagged: transgender, glbt, gender, prisoners rights, book club, books, free cece, .