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I haven’t written about Alex King or James Prindle for a while, so I want to fill you in on the latest news about them and Blade Reed, too.

Alex King

Tomorrow is Alex’s arraignment on special prosecutor Brandon Young’s bogus felony charge for the traffic accident. As you will recall from past Diary posts, Young decided to upgrade Alex’s misdemeanor charge for “leaving the scene of an accident” to the more serious charge of “hit and run,” a felony, because Alex insisted on taking the misdemeanor charge to trial (as was his right, as well as a necessity).

Why should Alex have contested the misdemeanor charge? Because a conviction for even a misdemeanor could have been used by the State of Florida to justify the Violation of Probation filed by the Florida Department of Corrections—which is itself also bogus. (This is a bureaucratic vendetta, not justice.)
I just got off the phone with Alex, and his spirits are good. He is helping one of his fellow inmates at the Escambia County Jail to prepare for the GED, and Alex has begun attending weekly Bible study classes offered at the jail by one of the local churches. He has also been making plans for the worst-case and wants to learn barbering (which he says would be a desirable prison work assignment if he ends up serving more time).
Alex has asked me to ask you for the following paperback books: a King James version study Bible (his standard Bible is not up to the task) and an illustrated book on basic barbering. He also wants to re-read all the Harry Potter books, but reminds me that they should not all be sent at once because the number of books he is allowed is limited by the jail.
Please let me know before ordering any of these books so we can avoid duplications. Alex’s address is: Alex King c/o Escambia County Jail; Blue 2 Green 5B; PO Box 17800; Pensacola, FL 32522.
Also, I have just sent another payment to Amber for her brain tumor medications, and Alex’s funds are now down to about $100. If you would care to help us replenish his fund, you may do so by please making a donation through www.kingbrostrust.org.

James Prindle

At his last court appearance (a status hearing) on August 10^th, for a second time 16-year-old James Prindle asked Judge Bobby Carter for a new lawyer, and his request was denied. “I don’t want to hear this again,” Carter said. But James is adamant that his lawyer is not on his side. He intends to ask the judge again for a new lawyer at his next appearance on August 29^th. If James’ request is denied again, he says he will defend himself pro se (alone, without a lawyer). “I don’t want to have to do that,” James says. “I’m scared, but if I have to (defend myself), I will.”
In the meantime, James’ mother Monica Sanders has apparently been flirting with the idea of reconciling with her son. She contacted me through the blog and said, “I have always had my doubts (about James’ guilt).” Uh-huh. Somehow James learned that his mother had intended to visit him on a Friday, but she never showed. She didn’t make it there the following Monday, either. I’d let her know that James was expecting her to visit.
Says James: “To be charged with rape and abusing my little sister is worse than death to me. I always hated people who could to that. To be accused of it, it's like being a murderer. To have my mom believe it, it’s ten times worse. I would never hurt my little sister, ever.

“I miss my mom. She was there for me every time before. She ran interference for me, so I wouldn't get beaten with a belt or cords. It hurts that she's not here now. I love her, but she dropped me—and she said she hates me. I cannot tell you how that feels inside.”

Blade Reed

There was a tremendous amount of reader interest in my recent posts about Blade, but we are still only a third of the way towards our goal of $1,700 for the costs of preparing a writ of habeas corpus.
To give you an idea of how important this is, a writ of habeas corpus (Latin for "you may have the body") is a legal action through which a prisoner can be released from unlawful detention. It safeguards an individual’s freedom against arbitrary state action. The US Constitution specifically includes the habeas procedure in the Suspension Clause, located in Article One, Section 9, and requires a court to inquire into the legitimacy of a prisoner's custody.
We will be raising at least four issues leading to Blade’s abusive custody at the Wabash Valley adult prison: Blade’s mental age at the time of the murder, statements made by the judge at Blade’s waiver hearing, misrepresentations by Blade’s court-appointed attorney concerning important procedural matters, and new evidence documenting Blade’s autism and PTSD.
Blade is indigent and has only us to rely on. Please help if you can by sending a gift in any amount through PayPal to info-at-wandervogel-dot-com.

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Groove of the Day 

Listen to Molly Hatchet performing “Justice”