Letter from Randy Credico on Judge Chapman's Decision

April 2, 2003

Dear Friends,

The Kunstler Fund has wonderful news from Tulia, Texas, where
over 10% of the African American community was arrested,
prosecuted and incarcerated for drug law violations -- all on the
word one of undercover agent, Tom Coleman.  Yesterday Dallas
Judge Steve Chapman recommended that a higher court grant new
trials to everyone convicted as a result of the sting.

In Tulia and around the country, many individual activists, family
members, lawyers and advocacy organizations have worked tirelessly
for the freedom of the wrongly accused. Jeff Blackburn and the Tulia
Legal Defense Project, the Friends of Justice, the NAACP Legal
Defense Fund and the American Civil Liberties Union, in particular,
were pivotal in leading the legal effort and expanding public
pressure.

With support from the Drug Policy Alliance, the Kunstler Fund
helped initiate and support this coalition and has made sure that
both the media and the public stayed focused on the unfolding scandal.
With the support of the Drug Policy Alliance and the NAACP LDF, the
Kunstler Fund produced a short documentary that has been shown
around the country and has rallied many people to the cause, helping to
secure appellate representation for the defendants and encouraging
journalists to continue reporting on the story.

To view the Kunstler Fund documentary, Tulia, Texas: Scenes from
the Drug War or read some of the news articles written during this
4 year struggle for justice, visit: http://www.kunstler.org
Thanks for your continued support. Without you, the work of the
Kunstler Fund would not be possible.

In celebration and in struggle,

Randy Credico
Director
William Moses Kunstler Fund for Racial Justice