Latest news with #Duncan
Miami Herald
an hour ago
- Miami Herald
Cop framed NC woman in 2005 robberies, bomb threats, judge rules. Now she sues
An innocent woman implicated in a string of bank robberies and fake bomb threats 15 years after the crimes is suing the deputy who built the case against her, after a North Carolina judge ruled he framed her in violation of her constitutional rights. Criminal charges against Jodi Blanton were dismissed May 18, 2024, by Superior Court Judge J. Lynn Gullett, who wrote in an order that Carl Duncan, a cold case detective with the Cleveland County Sheriff's Office, lied and faked evidence to support her arrest in May 2020 after the 'State previously declined to prosecute (her) on two separate occasions.' Gullett's ruling says Duncan has a 'propensity to stretch, omit and falsify the truth when preparing investigative summaries and/or sworn applications for search warrants.' In 2018, after the sheriff's office hired him, Duncan reopened the investigation into the 2005 robberies and bomb threats, which he initially investigated as a former Shelby police officer, according a federal lawsuit filed by Blanton against Duncan on July 28. The filing says 'in the course of his re-investigation, Duncan uncovered no evidence linking Jodi Blanton' to the robberies or threats. Duncan and the Cleveland County Sheriff's Office did not immediately return McClatchy News' requests for comment July 17. 'This has been a nightmare,' Blanton, who lives in Cleveland County, told McClatchy News on July 31. 'My strong Christian faith, my husband of 37 years, my son and my close family and friends helped me manage through this horrible experience that still haunts me daily,' Blanton added. Duncan, according to a complaint, misled two judges into issuing search warrants, leading to two illegal searches of Blanton's home, where she lived with her husband Robert 'Bobby' Blanton, in February 2019. Afterward, he is further accused of misleading a district attorney into pursuing her prosecution. During one search, the complaint says the Blantons' dog Briley, a 12-pound terrier, 'was severely injured by officers.' Briley was 'forcefully restrained as others conducted the search and seized property,' Jodi Blanton's legal counsel, from Charlotte-based law firm Pfeiffer Rudolf, wrote in the filing. Sonya Pfeiffer, one of the attorneys, told McClatchy News on July 31 that Briley was left with broken blood vessels in her eyes, as well as bruising on her stomach and under her legs. 'Jodi's father was present and witnessed them drag Briley with a noose around her neck,' Pfeiffer said via email. 'She was hauled downstairs with her legs dangling which bruised under her legs.' Two photos Pfeiffer shared of Briley, showing the dog's injuries, were reviewed by McClatchy News. When the sheriff's office's cold case unit announced Jodi Blanton's 2020 arrest, they said she robbed the First National Bank in Shelby in June 2005, Alliance Bank in Shelby in November 2005 and the BB&T Bank in Fallston in August of that year, The Shelby Star newspaper reported. The agency further accused her of making a bomb threat over the phone to a Harris Teeter in Shelby, while the First National Bank robbery was underway, and another bomb threat against Burns Middle School in Lawndale the day the BB&T bank was robbed, according to the newspaper. The sheriff's office suggested Jodi Blanton tried distracting Cleveland County authorities with the bomb threats to carry out the robberies. 'After discovering some new evidence, Blanton was charged,' the newspaper reported May 28, 2020. 'The Sheriff's Office did not disclose what the new piece of evidence was.' In his sworn affidavits, according to the complaint, Duncan left out exculpatory evidence, including how the Harris Teeter bomb threat was linked to a phone number unrelated to Jodi Blanton. Duncan also never mentioned that when the First National Bank was robbed that day, witnesses' descriptions of the suspect, who they said was Black, did not match Jodi Blanton's appearance, the complaint says. In Gullett's May 2024 order, the judge wrote that following the November 2005 Alliance Bank robbery, a bank teller said the accused robber wore a mask, had 'blonde curly hair and was wearing 'lots of makeup.'' '(The teller) indicated that the robber reminded her of someone that she knew by the name of Jodi Blanton, but she could not make a positive identification of Jodi Blanton,' Gullett wrote in the order. Despite a lack of evidence and prosecutors previously declining to charge Jodi Blanton, she was arrested on felony charges related to the robberies and two counts of issuing a false bomb threat, according to the lawsuit. Pfeiffer told McClatchy News that 'the Blantons are baffled as to why Duncan was so fixated on Jodi.' In the May 2024 order, Gullett found 'Detective Duncan's negligence in failing to preserve evidence, coupled with intentional misrepresentations as to material facts in investigative summaries presented to the District Attorney, and his inclusion of material falsehoods in sworn statements in search warrants, has collectively caused actual prejudice to (Blanton).' It is unclear if the 2005 robberies and bomb threats have been solved. Jodi Blanton is suing Duncan on three federal claims under the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendment violations, including: fabrication of evidence and use of false evidenceunlawful search without probable causeunlawful seizure without probable cause/malicious prosecution She is bringing three state claims – malicious prosecution, gross negligence/recklessness and intentional infliction of emotional distress – against Duncan. 'For over 20 years, I have watched with shock and a sense of helplessness as my wife and family have lived in isolation, wrestling with fear and humiliation for being wrongly accused,' Bobby Blanton said in a statement to McClatchy News. 'By the Grace of God and love for one another we have managed to endure. But it has been almost indescribably difficult.' Jodi Blanton wants accountability and an unspecified amount in damages in the lawsuit. She demands a jury trial. 'I work daily on forgiveness, but justice and accountability matter to me and my family, and I pray nothing like this happens to anyone else,' she said.
USA Today
6 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Mateusz Rebecki: UFC on ESPN 71 fight vs. teammate Chris Duncan 'difficult' but 'funny'
LAS VEGAS – Mateusz Rebecki admits it's been a strange training camp for UFC on ESPN 71 with his opponent being an American Top Team teammate in Chris Duncan. Rebecki and Duncan both did training camp for Saturday's lightweight co-main event at the UFC Apex (ESPN, ESPN+) at the famed South Florida gym, spending the majority of their time living in the dorms of the facility as they prepared. Although coaches and gym management splinted training times to avoid crossover, it was still close quarters during the downtime outside of the gym, and Rebecki (20-2 MMA, 4-1 UFC) admits it was tricky not to track what Duncan (13-2 MMA, 4-1 UFC) was doing and try to one-up it. "For me, it's difficult," Rebecki told MMA Junkie at Wednesday's media day. "We live together. He lived behind my wall. It's a funny situation because nobody in the world has that situation. You have teammate and an opponent in a place where you live. It's hard for your mind, but you can be better because you see how he trained. "If you rest, your opponent go to training. When I see he go training and running, I want to do more. A couple minutes more running or go earlier to sleep. Do more than him. It's motivation. Stressful of course, but I didn't want to fight with him because he is my teammate." It's an even playing field with both men having spent time together at ATT prior to this fight being offered. There's familiarity in both corners, but Rebecki said he's entering the octagon with extreme confidence that he will emerge with his hand raised. "I feel I'm better than him and I feel I can beat him," Rebecki said. "I feel really comfortable."
USA Today
a day ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Chris Duncan explains how ATT teammate Mateusz Rebecki's 'bad move' led to UFC on ESPN 71
LAS VEGAS – Chris Duncan was glad to accept the offer to face Mateusz Rebecki at UFC on ESPN 71 despite their extensive history as training partners at American Top Team. Typically, Duncan (13-2 MMA, 4-1 UFC) wouldn't have been keen to move forward with this situation, but it's different. He claims Rebecki (20-2 MMA, 4-1 UFC) once offered to fight him on short notice in early 2023, just as they began their time as teammates in South Florida. Duncan hasn't forgotten that, so when UFC matchmaker Sean Shelby offered him Rebecki in the co-main event slot of Saturday's card at UFC Apex (ESPN, ESPN+), he felt it was within his right to take it. "I think it's a bad move on him, but I'm happy to do it," Duncan told MMA Junkie at Wednesday's UFC on ESPN 71 media day. "I think he's a very respectful opponent. He was super respectful to me in the gym. We're just going to go out there and clash and I'm going to show him I'm the better fighter. "It's just unfortunate we train under the same gym, but I'm just very fortunate American Top Team were so professional in regard to keeping us separate in our training in stuff like that. It is what it is. I'm going to make his wish come true." Duncan knows what is required to get his hand raised, and said he needs to be sharp defensively against someone with Rebecki's level of aggression. "We all know he comes forward," Duncan said. "He's a brawler. I think he's going to try to wrestle me a little bit, to be honest. It takes no genius to know he's going to come forward with some heat, so have to make sure to not get caught, getting caught in stupid places. I'm looking forward to it. He's a great opponent for me."
The Advertiser
2 days ago
- The Advertiser
Jailed for a murder he didn't commit: Aussie author pens innocent man's story
Calvin Duncan served more than 28 years in jail for a murder he did not commit. Now, Australian author Sophie Cull has teamed with him to co-author The Jailhouse Lawyer, a memoir recounting his life and exoneration. "It's shocking-and frankly hard to fathom-that anyone could spend 28 years in prison for a crime they didn't commit," Ms Cull said. "There are people who've spent 40 or 50 years in prison after being convicted in trials that lasted less than a day, often with lawyers who never visited them beforehand." Calvin was 19 when he was arrested for a murder-robbery in 1982 and almost faced the death penalty himself. With no one coming to his rescue, Mr Duncan taught himself law to fight his own incarceration, while helping hundreds of other inmates. "Cases like Calvin's are a powerful reminder of why, even in Australia, we should be cautious about placing blind trust in an institution as fallible as the criminal justice system," Ms Cull said. Since his release, Mr Duncan has completed his law degree and now continues his advocacy to get people better access to the court system. "Calvin inspires the rest of us every day with his advocacy on behalf of men and women in prison," Ms Cull said. One man who did support Mr Duncan 40 years ago was Mack Ferrick, the then-director of an Oregon job corps campus where Mr Duncan was living. He witnessed the arrest and even flew to New Orleans to support Mr Duncan during the trial. Mr Ferrick recently reconnected with Mr Duncan via Facebook: "He told us he always believed Calvin was innocent and was appalled by how the system treated him. We were thrilled to be able to send him a signed copy of the book, it was a powerful full-circle moment," Ms Cull said. Growing up in Armidale, NSW, with her mum as a solicitor and her Dad a member of an international human rights organisation, Ms Cull said conversations about justice "were part of everyday life". "When I was about 15, I read Dead Man Walking by Sister Helen Prejean, and it had a profound impact on me. As Helen would say, it lit a fire and made me want to work against the death penalty." Ms Cull studied criminology and focused on Indigenous Justice, but heard a talk from Sunny Jacobs, who had spent time on death row in Florida. Through that talk, she learned of student internships in the US and was accepted to a placement in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 2008. It was there, working as an advocate in Capital Cases, that she met Mr Duncan, who was released in 2011. "He was already well-known in the criminal defence community for his legal work on behalf of others while incarcerated," she said. "At Angola, he had served as a jailhouse lawyer, known officially as an 'inmate counsel substitute'. Within a week of his release, he was working in our office as a paralegal, just across the hall from me." The pair struck up conversations over strolls to get coffee and soon over lengthy roadtrips to the northwest of Louisiana for case work. "It was about six hours each way, and during those long drives, I'd ask Calvin about his life, and he would share stories from his time inside." About five years later, the duo started to record interviews, and those became the basis for writing the book. "Calvin will be the first to tell you that nearly all of his friends from that generation at Angola Prison who've come home are still doing the same work on the outside that they did on the inside," Ms Cull said. "His friends who organised politically behind bars are now working on voter education and legislative reform." People who ran the prison's award-winning newspaper, The Angolite, are now writing books and articles about the criminal justice system. "They're still playing their roles, trying to make the world better for those who come after them." Ms Cull said there was a depth of human potential locked behind prison walls that society was quick to dismiss. "That's a profound loss," she said. As a young advocate fresh-faced out of Uni, Ms Cull was ready to take on the justice system, but said her work, particularly with Mr Duncan, made her realise she was better placed amplifying the voices of people with lived experience who know what needs to change. "What has meant the most to me is learning to listen and to join the work others are already doing. That shift in perspective has helped me be a better advocate," she said. Ms Cull said it was at times challenging to capture the anguish and depth of emotion of Mr Duncan's journey through the court and prison systems in the book, as it was "hard for him to go back there". "One of the greatest challenges was ensuring I found a way to portray Calvin's emotional life with the honesty and depth it deserved ... [other] accounts brushed past the mental and emotional anguish because those things are hard to dwell on. "Calvin says that when he reads the book, he sees himself as he is. Hearing that means more to me than anything." Initial reactions to the launch have been overwhelming, as well. Ms Cull and Mr Duncan were blown away when around three times more people showed up to the launch than they expected. Mr Duncan has even given a clear indication of his preference should his story be immortalised in film. "When a film producer asked Calvin who he'd want to portray him, he didn't hesitate: Denzel Washington," Ms Cull said. "Calvin never forgets to bring a sense of fun to whatever he's doing, even in the midst of serious work." Ms Cull is looking forward to a visit home in November to promote the book. "I always love coming back to Armidale when I visit Australia. It's a special place, and the longer I've been away, the more I appreciate what it meant to grow up here, and what it means to return," she said. "I'm really looking forward to sharing the book closer to home. Even though Calvin's story unfolded a world away, I think it will resonate with anyone who has witnessed injustice in their community and felt moved to act." Australian book sellers can order copies of The Jailhouse Lawyer, but Ms Cull warned that international shipping can be pricey. The book is otherwise available through US retailers or as an e-book and audiobook from Amazon. Calvin Duncan served more than 28 years in jail for a murder he did not commit. Now, Australian author Sophie Cull has teamed with him to co-author The Jailhouse Lawyer, a memoir recounting his life and exoneration. "It's shocking-and frankly hard to fathom-that anyone could spend 28 years in prison for a crime they didn't commit," Ms Cull said. "There are people who've spent 40 or 50 years in prison after being convicted in trials that lasted less than a day, often with lawyers who never visited them beforehand." Calvin was 19 when he was arrested for a murder-robbery in 1982 and almost faced the death penalty himself. With no one coming to his rescue, Mr Duncan taught himself law to fight his own incarceration, while helping hundreds of other inmates. "Cases like Calvin's are a powerful reminder of why, even in Australia, we should be cautious about placing blind trust in an institution as fallible as the criminal justice system," Ms Cull said. Since his release, Mr Duncan has completed his law degree and now continues his advocacy to get people better access to the court system. "Calvin inspires the rest of us every day with his advocacy on behalf of men and women in prison," Ms Cull said. One man who did support Mr Duncan 40 years ago was Mack Ferrick, the then-director of an Oregon job corps campus where Mr Duncan was living. He witnessed the arrest and even flew to New Orleans to support Mr Duncan during the trial. Mr Ferrick recently reconnected with Mr Duncan via Facebook: "He told us he always believed Calvin was innocent and was appalled by how the system treated him. We were thrilled to be able to send him a signed copy of the book, it was a powerful full-circle moment," Ms Cull said. Growing up in Armidale, NSW, with her mum as a solicitor and her Dad a member of an international human rights organisation, Ms Cull said conversations about justice "were part of everyday life". "When I was about 15, I read Dead Man Walking by Sister Helen Prejean, and it had a profound impact on me. As Helen would say, it lit a fire and made me want to work against the death penalty." Ms Cull studied criminology and focused on Indigenous Justice, but heard a talk from Sunny Jacobs, who had spent time on death row in Florida. Through that talk, she learned of student internships in the US and was accepted to a placement in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 2008. It was there, working as an advocate in Capital Cases, that she met Mr Duncan, who was released in 2011. "He was already well-known in the criminal defence community for his legal work on behalf of others while incarcerated," she said. "At Angola, he had served as a jailhouse lawyer, known officially as an 'inmate counsel substitute'. Within a week of his release, he was working in our office as a paralegal, just across the hall from me." The pair struck up conversations over strolls to get coffee and soon over lengthy roadtrips to the northwest of Louisiana for case work. "It was about six hours each way, and during those long drives, I'd ask Calvin about his life, and he would share stories from his time inside." About five years later, the duo started to record interviews, and those became the basis for writing the book. "Calvin will be the first to tell you that nearly all of his friends from that generation at Angola Prison who've come home are still doing the same work on the outside that they did on the inside," Ms Cull said. "His friends who organised politically behind bars are now working on voter education and legislative reform." People who ran the prison's award-winning newspaper, The Angolite, are now writing books and articles about the criminal justice system. "They're still playing their roles, trying to make the world better for those who come after them." Ms Cull said there was a depth of human potential locked behind prison walls that society was quick to dismiss. "That's a profound loss," she said. As a young advocate fresh-faced out of Uni, Ms Cull was ready to take on the justice system, but said her work, particularly with Mr Duncan, made her realise she was better placed amplifying the voices of people with lived experience who know what needs to change. "What has meant the most to me is learning to listen and to join the work others are already doing. That shift in perspective has helped me be a better advocate," she said. Ms Cull said it was at times challenging to capture the anguish and depth of emotion of Mr Duncan's journey through the court and prison systems in the book, as it was "hard for him to go back there". "One of the greatest challenges was ensuring I found a way to portray Calvin's emotional life with the honesty and depth it deserved ... [other] accounts brushed past the mental and emotional anguish because those things are hard to dwell on. "Calvin says that when he reads the book, he sees himself as he is. Hearing that means more to me than anything." Initial reactions to the launch have been overwhelming, as well. Ms Cull and Mr Duncan were blown away when around three times more people showed up to the launch than they expected. Mr Duncan has even given a clear indication of his preference should his story be immortalised in film. "When a film producer asked Calvin who he'd want to portray him, he didn't hesitate: Denzel Washington," Ms Cull said. "Calvin never forgets to bring a sense of fun to whatever he's doing, even in the midst of serious work." Ms Cull is looking forward to a visit home in November to promote the book. "I always love coming back to Armidale when I visit Australia. It's a special place, and the longer I've been away, the more I appreciate what it meant to grow up here, and what it means to return," she said. "I'm really looking forward to sharing the book closer to home. Even though Calvin's story unfolded a world away, I think it will resonate with anyone who has witnessed injustice in their community and felt moved to act." Australian book sellers can order copies of The Jailhouse Lawyer, but Ms Cull warned that international shipping can be pricey. The book is otherwise available through US retailers or as an e-book and audiobook from Amazon. Calvin Duncan served more than 28 years in jail for a murder he did not commit. Now, Australian author Sophie Cull has teamed with him to co-author The Jailhouse Lawyer, a memoir recounting his life and exoneration. "It's shocking-and frankly hard to fathom-that anyone could spend 28 years in prison for a crime they didn't commit," Ms Cull said. "There are people who've spent 40 or 50 years in prison after being convicted in trials that lasted less than a day, often with lawyers who never visited them beforehand." Calvin was 19 when he was arrested for a murder-robbery in 1982 and almost faced the death penalty himself. With no one coming to his rescue, Mr Duncan taught himself law to fight his own incarceration, while helping hundreds of other inmates. "Cases like Calvin's are a powerful reminder of why, even in Australia, we should be cautious about placing blind trust in an institution as fallible as the criminal justice system," Ms Cull said. Since his release, Mr Duncan has completed his law degree and now continues his advocacy to get people better access to the court system. "Calvin inspires the rest of us every day with his advocacy on behalf of men and women in prison," Ms Cull said. One man who did support Mr Duncan 40 years ago was Mack Ferrick, the then-director of an Oregon job corps campus where Mr Duncan was living. He witnessed the arrest and even flew to New Orleans to support Mr Duncan during the trial. Mr Ferrick recently reconnected with Mr Duncan via Facebook: "He told us he always believed Calvin was innocent and was appalled by how the system treated him. We were thrilled to be able to send him a signed copy of the book, it was a powerful full-circle moment," Ms Cull said. Growing up in Armidale, NSW, with her mum as a solicitor and her Dad a member of an international human rights organisation, Ms Cull said conversations about justice "were part of everyday life". "When I was about 15, I read Dead Man Walking by Sister Helen Prejean, and it had a profound impact on me. As Helen would say, it lit a fire and made me want to work against the death penalty." Ms Cull studied criminology and focused on Indigenous Justice, but heard a talk from Sunny Jacobs, who had spent time on death row in Florida. Through that talk, she learned of student internships in the US and was accepted to a placement in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 2008. It was there, working as an advocate in Capital Cases, that she met Mr Duncan, who was released in 2011. "He was already well-known in the criminal defence community for his legal work on behalf of others while incarcerated," she said. "At Angola, he had served as a jailhouse lawyer, known officially as an 'inmate counsel substitute'. Within a week of his release, he was working in our office as a paralegal, just across the hall from me." The pair struck up conversations over strolls to get coffee and soon over lengthy roadtrips to the northwest of Louisiana for case work. "It was about six hours each way, and during those long drives, I'd ask Calvin about his life, and he would share stories from his time inside." About five years later, the duo started to record interviews, and those became the basis for writing the book. "Calvin will be the first to tell you that nearly all of his friends from that generation at Angola Prison who've come home are still doing the same work on the outside that they did on the inside," Ms Cull said. "His friends who organised politically behind bars are now working on voter education and legislative reform." People who ran the prison's award-winning newspaper, The Angolite, are now writing books and articles about the criminal justice system. "They're still playing their roles, trying to make the world better for those who come after them." Ms Cull said there was a depth of human potential locked behind prison walls that society was quick to dismiss. "That's a profound loss," she said. As a young advocate fresh-faced out of Uni, Ms Cull was ready to take on the justice system, but said her work, particularly with Mr Duncan, made her realise she was better placed amplifying the voices of people with lived experience who know what needs to change. "What has meant the most to me is learning to listen and to join the work others are already doing. That shift in perspective has helped me be a better advocate," she said. Ms Cull said it was at times challenging to capture the anguish and depth of emotion of Mr Duncan's journey through the court and prison systems in the book, as it was "hard for him to go back there". "One of the greatest challenges was ensuring I found a way to portray Calvin's emotional life with the honesty and depth it deserved ... [other] accounts brushed past the mental and emotional anguish because those things are hard to dwell on. "Calvin says that when he reads the book, he sees himself as he is. Hearing that means more to me than anything." Initial reactions to the launch have been overwhelming, as well. Ms Cull and Mr Duncan were blown away when around three times more people showed up to the launch than they expected. Mr Duncan has even given a clear indication of his preference should his story be immortalised in film. "When a film producer asked Calvin who he'd want to portray him, he didn't hesitate: Denzel Washington," Ms Cull said. "Calvin never forgets to bring a sense of fun to whatever he's doing, even in the midst of serious work." Ms Cull is looking forward to a visit home in November to promote the book. "I always love coming back to Armidale when I visit Australia. It's a special place, and the longer I've been away, the more I appreciate what it meant to grow up here, and what it means to return," she said. "I'm really looking forward to sharing the book closer to home. Even though Calvin's story unfolded a world away, I think it will resonate with anyone who has witnessed injustice in their community and felt moved to act." Australian book sellers can order copies of The Jailhouse Lawyer, but Ms Cull warned that international shipping can be pricey. The book is otherwise available through US retailers or as an e-book and audiobook from Amazon. Calvin Duncan served more than 28 years in jail for a murder he did not commit. Now, Australian author Sophie Cull has teamed with him to co-author The Jailhouse Lawyer, a memoir recounting his life and exoneration. "It's shocking-and frankly hard to fathom-that anyone could spend 28 years in prison for a crime they didn't commit," Ms Cull said. "There are people who've spent 40 or 50 years in prison after being convicted in trials that lasted less than a day, often with lawyers who never visited them beforehand." Calvin was 19 when he was arrested for a murder-robbery in 1982 and almost faced the death penalty himself. With no one coming to his rescue, Mr Duncan taught himself law to fight his own incarceration, while helping hundreds of other inmates. "Cases like Calvin's are a powerful reminder of why, even in Australia, we should be cautious about placing blind trust in an institution as fallible as the criminal justice system," Ms Cull said. Since his release, Mr Duncan has completed his law degree and now continues his advocacy to get people better access to the court system. "Calvin inspires the rest of us every day with his advocacy on behalf of men and women in prison," Ms Cull said. One man who did support Mr Duncan 40 years ago was Mack Ferrick, the then-director of an Oregon job corps campus where Mr Duncan was living. He witnessed the arrest and even flew to New Orleans to support Mr Duncan during the trial. Mr Ferrick recently reconnected with Mr Duncan via Facebook: "He told us he always believed Calvin was innocent and was appalled by how the system treated him. We were thrilled to be able to send him a signed copy of the book, it was a powerful full-circle moment," Ms Cull said. Growing up in Armidale, NSW, with her mum as a solicitor and her Dad a member of an international human rights organisation, Ms Cull said conversations about justice "were part of everyday life". "When I was about 15, I read Dead Man Walking by Sister Helen Prejean, and it had a profound impact on me. As Helen would say, it lit a fire and made me want to work against the death penalty." Ms Cull studied criminology and focused on Indigenous Justice, but heard a talk from Sunny Jacobs, who had spent time on death row in Florida. Through that talk, she learned of student internships in the US and was accepted to a placement in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 2008. It was there, working as an advocate in Capital Cases, that she met Mr Duncan, who was released in 2011. "He was already well-known in the criminal defence community for his legal work on behalf of others while incarcerated," she said. "At Angola, he had served as a jailhouse lawyer, known officially as an 'inmate counsel substitute'. Within a week of his release, he was working in our office as a paralegal, just across the hall from me." The pair struck up conversations over strolls to get coffee and soon over lengthy roadtrips to the northwest of Louisiana for case work. "It was about six hours each way, and during those long drives, I'd ask Calvin about his life, and he would share stories from his time inside." About five years later, the duo started to record interviews, and those became the basis for writing the book. "Calvin will be the first to tell you that nearly all of his friends from that generation at Angola Prison who've come home are still doing the same work on the outside that they did on the inside," Ms Cull said. "His friends who organised politically behind bars are now working on voter education and legislative reform." People who ran the prison's award-winning newspaper, The Angolite, are now writing books and articles about the criminal justice system. "They're still playing their roles, trying to make the world better for those who come after them." Ms Cull said there was a depth of human potential locked behind prison walls that society was quick to dismiss. "That's a profound loss," she said. As a young advocate fresh-faced out of Uni, Ms Cull was ready to take on the justice system, but said her work, particularly with Mr Duncan, made her realise she was better placed amplifying the voices of people with lived experience who know what needs to change. "What has meant the most to me is learning to listen and to join the work others are already doing. That shift in perspective has helped me be a better advocate," she said. Ms Cull said it was at times challenging to capture the anguish and depth of emotion of Mr Duncan's journey through the court and prison systems in the book, as it was "hard for him to go back there". "One of the greatest challenges was ensuring I found a way to portray Calvin's emotional life with the honesty and depth it deserved ... [other] accounts brushed past the mental and emotional anguish because those things are hard to dwell on. "Calvin says that when he reads the book, he sees himself as he is. Hearing that means more to me than anything." Initial reactions to the launch have been overwhelming, as well. Ms Cull and Mr Duncan were blown away when around three times more people showed up to the launch than they expected. Mr Duncan has even given a clear indication of his preference should his story be immortalised in film. "When a film producer asked Calvin who he'd want to portray him, he didn't hesitate: Denzel Washington," Ms Cull said. "Calvin never forgets to bring a sense of fun to whatever he's doing, even in the midst of serious work." Ms Cull is looking forward to a visit home in November to promote the book. "I always love coming back to Armidale when I visit Australia. It's a special place, and the longer I've been away, the more I appreciate what it meant to grow up here, and what it means to return," she said. "I'm really looking forward to sharing the book closer to home. Even though Calvin's story unfolded a world away, I think it will resonate with anyone who has witnessed injustice in their community and felt moved to act." Australian book sellers can order copies of The Jailhouse Lawyer, but Ms Cull warned that international shipping can be pricey. The book is otherwise available through US retailers or as an e-book and audiobook from Amazon.
Boston Globe
2 days ago
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders to headline signature South Carolina GOP event
Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Sanders, whose name comes up among potential 2028 presidential contenders, has been making trips to South Carolina since her father, former Arkansas governor and current U.S. ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, sought the 2008 GOP nomination. She's recently been in other early-voting states herself, including a speech earlier this month at the Family Leadership Summit in Iowa, an annual event held by a conservative Christian group. Advertisement For years, the South Carolina occasion was billed as Rep. Jeff Duncan's Faith & Freedom BBQ, a fundraiser benefiting his reelection campaign. In a conservative-rich area, it became a showcase for future White House contenders, including then-Vice President Mike Pence, Sens. Ted Cruz, Tim Scott and Marco Rubio, and former U.N. Ambassador and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley. Advertisement The barbecue was upended just weeks after the 2023 event, when Duncan's wife filed for divorce, saying the congressman left her, was having a sexual relationship with a lobbyist and had been unfaithful before during their 35-year marriage. Last year, Duncan opted not to seek reelection to an eighth term, following the 2023 diminishment of his reputation for conservative family values. In her first political run, Biggs — a nurse practitioner and Air National Guard officer — defeated a Trump-backed primary opponent last year. Mark Burns, a Black pastor who has been by Trump's side for nearly a decade, had unsuccessfully run for Congress twice before. Biggs easily won the general election in the district, which has been in GOP hands since Republican Lindsey Graham, who is now seeking his fifth U.S. Senate term, won it in 1994. Six months into her first term, Biggs said that she knew she wanted a district-unifying event of her own, as well as one that could continue to act as a showcase for potential GOP presidential candidates seeking to get to know its voters. 'I do want people to know that I'm here to serve this district, and that means making myself available and being out front and accessible to our voters, and hearing their needs,' she said. 'I'm here to serve the district, and that doesn't just mean everybody who voted for me.' In some ways, Biggs' event will be familiar. It's being held in the same venue as Duncan's barbecue, a civics center in Anderson, and there will still be $1 tickets for law enforcement officers and first responders. As for the menu, Biggs said she'll be shifting away from the buffet line of barbecue, baked beans and rolls, with a catered, 'more of a sit-down type of dinner.' Advertisement 'It's not so much that I don't think the barbecue was great, I just want my own identity,' Biggs said. 'I want people to realize that it's a new ballgame, and I want to move forward on my own accord.'
