12,787 DAYS: 35 YEARS OF WRONGFUL IMPRISONMENT

April 5, 2013, marks the 35^th anniversary of Charles Patrick Norman’s wrongful arrest, prosecution, conviction, and imprisonment for a murder someone else committed.

A Message from the Editor:

I am continuously amazed at the strength of character and integrity exhibited by my dearest friend, Charlie Norman, in the face of incredible official oppression and retaliation for his unyielding commitment to the truth, against all odds.

Men of such determination are rare; indeed, I have never met anyone like Charlie. It seems that others reaction to him are in the extremes, either they love him or hate him, hold him in high regard, or totally dismiss him,   with little in-between opinions. Anyone who actually knows him, who reads his written thoughts and words, self-revelatory poems, plays, short stories and essays, comes away with a profound feeling that this is an extraordinarily talented and creative person who expresses truth, who has stared into the faces of evil and not flinched.

I’ve read all the reports and attended every hearing over the past 13 years and have been shocked and offended by the vitriol and lies put forth by the corrupt state attorney, Mark Ober, of Tampa, who wrongfully convicted Charles Norman of murder based upon false testimony of convicted felons who were actually the perpetrators involved in the 1975 crime, desperate, dangerous men who were paroled from prison and let loose on society by this evil man.

Not a scintilla of forensic or physical evidence connected Charlie with the crime. In fact, Mark Ober withheld evidence that proved that Charlie was nowhere near the scene that night. He was blinded by his political ambitions.

How could this travesty of justice have gone on so long? It is a long, sad story that needs to come to an end. There is only so much that Charlie has been able to do on his own. Now it is time for good people to come together to right this terrible wrong. Every week, it seems, the news comes out of people being freed after serving decades in prison for crimes they did not commit. Charlie is one of these falsely imprisoned people.

How can you help? As it is with most campaigns in our society, it is a matter of money. If his family had been wealthy, this never would have happened. Larry Wingate, the actual triggerman in the shooting murder of Steve Bluffstone, bragged that his millionaire father paid off crooked cops and prosecutors  who fabricated the case against Charlie. Wingate, a drug addict and dealer suspected of other murders, never served a day in prison for the Bluffstone murder.

The Norman Partnership, a 501 (c) (3) non-profit corporation with the mission of wrongful imprisonment education, operates a web site, www.freecharlienow.com where more details of Charlie’s case and information about him can be found. There is also donation information  for anyone wanting to help with a tax-deductible contribution.

Charlie Norman deserves to be free and to be heard, and for that to happen will require the help of many more people than the handful who rally around him now.

Please spread the word and pass it on.

God bless you.

Libby