Nearly a decade into serving a life-sentence, former Murder Inc. Records affiliate and 1980's crack kingpin Kenneth "Supreme" McGriff is putting up a hail-Mary in hopes that he can get the President's attention before he leaves office in January. The 55-year-old Queens, NY native, who has been living life behind bars at a federal supermax prison in Pennington Gap, VA, is hopeful that he's got a case that might gain him consideration for clemency. McGriff is arguing he was not afforded his constitutional right to testify.
McGriff, who cemented a legacy at the forefront of the notorious "Supreme Team" street enterprise, attempted to transition into a new life after being released from a nearly 10-year-bid in prison in [1997.] However, the federal agents kept their eyes on him as he went along building up a network behind his music and movie production company. McGriff still kept his rep in the streets, but everything came to the helm in January of 2003 when police raided the offices of Murder Inc. digging for evidence to establish a link between McGriff and label boss Irv Gotti. McGriff was investigated for ordering the murders of Eric "E-Moneybags" Smith and "Big Noise" Troy Singleton; a charge he was convicted of in 2007.
McGriff's push for a presidential pardon is part of a campaign that is being fought on several fronts. His family is petitioning on Change.org to raise money to fund a potential retrial. The summary of the petition, like McGriff's handwritten letter to Obama, charges the lawyer defending him at the time of his conviction [David Ruhnke] with colluding with prosecutor Carolyn Pokorny to railroad his case. It also names Judge Frederic Block, saying that he recognized violations that were made at trial, but did not acknowledge them during McGriff's appeal. They are asking that the U.S. Department of Justice stage an investigation of the parties mentioned above. Meanwhile, McGriff waits to hear a response to his 8-page plea.
"Mr. President, I implore you to correct this gross miscarriage of justice with a stroke of your pen. My true request is to be restored to my proper place in the legal process before my Constitutional right to testify was violated. To restore my guaranteed right to prove my innocence. My testimony is vital to my defense and only I can attest to the truth. Not my lawyer!" McGriff writes.
There are actually three distinct clauses of the U.S. Constitution, which promise a criminal defendant's right to testify on their own behalf. The Fourteenth Amendment secures a defendant's right to choose to remain silent or testify should he or she so choose. The Sixth Amendment, which is what McGriff is citing, ensures the right of a defendant to either call upon testimony from witnesses on his/her own behalf or testify him/herself should the defendant so choose. Section II, Article 2 of the Constitution gives the President the authority to "grant reprieves and pardons for offenses against the United States." Obama has pardoned four convicts so far this year, none of whom were in prison for violent offenses.
Source: globalgrind.com
