Author Archives: Justice for Willie

Conservatives Opposing the Death Penalty

Posted on March 12, 2019

A Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) seems an unlikely setting for action against the US death penalty: conservatives have hitherto been associated with an unthinking “tough on crime” philosophy that included support for capital punishment. Perhaps all this is set … Continue reading →

Posted in capital punishment, conservatives, criminal justice, death penalty, Mississippi, USA, Willie Manning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

A Timetable for Testing

Posted on February 21, 2019

Judge Howard of the Oktibbeha County Court has set limits to the time to be spent on DNA testing for Willie Manning’s remaining case. The judge has issued a Scheduling Order, which sets out a timetable to be followed both by … Continue reading →

Posted in capital punishment, criminal justice, death penalty, Death Row, DNA testing, Mississippi, USA, Willie Manning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

DNA Testing: Dates to be Set

Posted on January 16, 2019

A court has insisted that testing of DNA evidence for Willie Manning’s remaining case cannot be deferred indefinitely. The Circuit Court of Oktibbeha County yesterday ordered that the prosecution and defense must “set final dates for the testing of the DNA … Continue reading →

Posted in capital punishment, criminal justice, death penalty, DNA testing, Mississippi, USA, Willie Manning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Status Conference

Posted on January 9, 2019

Willie Manning has won the right to a conference regarding the status of evidence testing in his remaining case (Stickler-Miller case). The conference is to be held tomorrow, January 10, 2019, at 9:30 a.m. at the Oktibbeha County Courthouse Annex. … Continue reading →

Posted in capital punishment, criminal justice, death penalty, forensic testing, Mississippi, USA, Willie Jerome Manning, Willie Manning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Willie’s Family

Posted on December 18, 2018

Willie Manning’s daughter turned 3 years old soon after he entered death row; she is now 27. Willie has thus been absent for most of his daughter’s childhood and adolescence, and for much of her twenties; he has been unable … Continue reading →

Posted in African American, capital punishment, criminal justice, death penalty, Death Row, Fly Manning, Mississippi, USA, Willie Jerome Manning, Willie Manning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Significance of John Wise’s Car*

Posted on November 28, 2018

When Willie Manning was first indicted for the murders of two students, he was charged with kidnaping as well; the prosecutors later abandoned the kidnaping charge and substituted robbery. Both kidnaping and robbery allowed them to seek the death penalty … Continue reading →

Posted in capital punishment, criminal justice, death penalty, fingerprint comparison, John Wise, Mississippi, USA, Willie Manning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Racial Bias

Posted on November 3, 2018

In violation of Willie Manning’s constitutional rights, the prosecutor at his trial, aided by the judge, unfairly excluded several African Americans from the jury.  Four Mississippi Supreme Court judges were later to recognize this as “a clear pattern suggesting pretextual … Continue reading →

Posted in capital punishment, criminal justice, death penalty, jurors, Mississippi, racism, Washington State, Willie Manning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Work Remains to be Done

Posted on October 9, 2018

The Wikipedia page for Willie Jerome Manning was vandalized earlier this year: it was edited “in a malicious manner that [was] intentionally disruptive.” The page was reverted to an earlier version which omitted Willie’s exoneration for the Jimmerson-Jordan murders; and it downplayed … Continue reading →

Posted in African American, Emmett Till, lynching, Mississippi, USA, Willie Jerome Manning, Willie Manning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Ripples of Sorrow

Posted on September 12, 2018

Willie Manning’s trial for the murder of two students was held in November, 1994. A few months earlier, another Mississippi capital murder trial took place which was to change the life of one of the jurors forever.* In July, 1994, … Continue reading →

Posted in Bobby Glen Wilcher, capital punishment, criminal justice, death penalty, execution, jurors, Lindy Lou Isonhood, Mississippi, post traumatic stress disorder, USA, Willie Manning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Ineffective Assistance of Counsel

Posted on August 27, 2018

Richard Burdine, who died last month, represented Willie Manning at the penalty phase of his trial. Burdine was an African American lawyer who deserves credit for frequently accepting indigent defendants as clients. He was publicly commended by the Mississippi legislature in … Continue reading →

Posted in African American, capital punishment, criminal justice, death penalty, defense attorneys, Mississippi, Penalty phase, Richard Burdine, USA, Willie Manning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,