RELEASE MONTELL JOHNSON (UPDATE: PARDONED)

[Dazzler]

I've sent this email to Rich Miller, administrator and Illinois blogger at The Capitol Fax Blog...a well-known Illinois news source.  I'm hoping we'll get a response from him:

Rich, a very ill man in the Illinois Department of Corrections needs help.  He's dying a torturous death with advanced multiple sclerosis.  He is not receiving proper care or treatment from the State and he's now being placed on a gastric tube to sustain his life.  His mother is begging the IDOC to allow her to take him home and care for him until he passes.  The IDOC won't even allow her to visit him recently, as he is riddled with bedsores.  The medical treatment received by inmates in Illinois is horrid.  It's a crisis.  In this particular case, Montell Johnson, formerly on death row, had his sentence commuted to 40 years by Gov. Ryan as there are many innocence issues regarding his sentence.  The mother of the woman he supposedly murdered is backing his medical release as she says he is innocent and didn't kill her daughter.  She says he was railroaded.  Montell's whole story, including letters from his mother and his victim's mother are posted on www.illinoisprisontalk.com and they are both begging Gov. Blagojevich to grant Montell an executive medical clemency.  If ever there was a case of someone deserving of clemency and being returned to finish his last days it is this one.  Montell's brother is in the Marine Corps serving in Iraq.  He also is asking the governor to allow his brother to return to the loving care of family.  Is there anything you could do to bring some attention to this heartbreaking situation?  It's so unfortunate that inmates receive no compassion, even when so justified.  Montell Johnson can no longer speak, eat, or care for his own personal needs.  He is paralyzed and cannot swallow.  Is there no mercy in our justice system in Illinois? 

[momm316]

Nice job Dazz.  If enought media get the information about what's going on in the Illinois Prison system, maybe they'll get on the Adm and hold them accountable for the haneous murders IDOC staff are committing right in our prisons.

Thanks and God Bless
Momm

[Sister]

Yes, I hope and pray that this does the job, also.     I hope and pray that somebody, somewhere, will listen to the pleas..........

[jewels]

Okay IPT folks. Here is the verdict.

It was cancelled. The judge ruled it was not an emergency.

We need to do something pretty dramatic to force them to change their attitude. Any ideas anyone? Serious ideas that we can achieve.

[Dazzler]

What was cancelled?  The emergency order?  Or the whole case?  And what does cancelled mean...dismissed?   Ruled against?

[loretjord7]

That is just terrible, and hard to beliieve. Oh my God!

[Scout]

This is the latest ruling:

MINUTE entry before Judge Amy J. St. Eve :Hearing held on 9/24/2007 Plaintiffs' renewed motion for emergency examination pursuant to Rule 35 and for deposition of Dr. Skias 3536 is denied as to the emergency nature of the motion. The motion regarding the deposition of Dr. Skias is denied as moot based on the affidavit provided in court. Any reports from mental examinations of Plaintiff must be produced to Plaintiff immediately. Defendants to immediately notify the Plaintiff if the feeding tube is scheduled to be inserted, as stated in open court. Mailed notice (tmh, ) (Entered: 09/24/2007)

From what I interpret, the denial was that of an emergency examination of Montell.

The only other ruling of that was granting the defendant's a reply to plaintiff's response to defendant's motion to dismiss...and that was just yesterday...so I'm not sure what Jewels is referring to.

Bottom line, from what I can see, the case is still going.

[jewels]

I posted exactly what his lawyer told me Scout.


Dazzler, did you get any response from Rich Miller?

[jewels]

Judge Conlon did not take it up either as he said it was not an emergency.

Montell's mother was again denied her visit on Friday last.

[Scout]

what are they telling her at Dixon?  That he's refusing visits?  These people are something else...the lawyer needs to try to get in to see him then.

[jewels]

They tell visitors and lawyers in many prisons that the inmate does not want to see them and this is what they are telling her.  They have  probably put that tube down him and they don't want anyone to know.

[momm316]

I have spent a few minutes tonight trying to contact media personnel to see if we can get somebody interested in helping Montel and his family.  I can not imagine the suffering his mother is experiencing at not being able to see her son and know what his condition is.  Here is what I wrote to CNN & Anderson Cooper, FOX and O'reilly as well as Hannity & Combes, and R Bird at Sauk Valley news.  I am sure that others of you know somebody you can contact to see if anybody out there cares.


Here is what I wrote:
"I coordinate a prison ministry and participate in an Illinois forum that attempts to help the incarcerated and their families.  For the last several months, I have been monitoring a part of the forum that is trying to help a mother get proper medical care for her incarcerated son who is suffering from the final stages of MS.  The Illinois Prison Administration is not permitting her to see her son.  I won't go into the whole story, but you can view it at the following link.  http://www.illinoisprisontalk.com/index.php/topic,9628.0.html  I sure would appreciate you looking into this and helping this mother get medical care for her son.

Momm316
Fishers of Men Prison Ministries "

[Bill]

I have spent a few minutes tonight trying to contact media personnel to see if we can get somebody interested in helping Montel and his family.  I can not imagine the suffering his mother is experiencing at not being able to see her son and know what his condition is.  Here is what I wrote to CNN & Anderson Cooper, FOX and O'reilly as well as Hannity & Combes, and R Bird at Sauk Valley news.  I am sure that others of you know somebody you can contact to see if anybody out there cares.


Here is what I wrote:
"I coordinate a prison ministry and participate in an Illinois forum that attempts to help the incarcerated and their families.  For the last several months, I have been monitoring a part of the forum that is trying to help a mother get proper medical care for her incarcerated son who is suffering from the final stages of MS.  The Illinois Prison Administration is not permitting her to see her son.  I won't go into the whole story, but you can view it at the following link.  http://www.illinoisprisontalk.com/index.php/topic,9628.0.html  I sure would appreciate you looking into this and helping this mother get medical care for her son.

Momm316
Fishers of Men Prison Ministries "

We need to keep doing things like this. There is an HJR 80 committee meetin Oct. 15. I will be out of town and Ted Pearson will represent me. Ted will give update on his work and that US Attorney has been contacted abut human rights violatons because of medical care in IDOC and hopefully committee will support this. Gloria will hopefully be there to talk about Montell.

[Still love my son]

I have emailed the following state legistl/directors/wardens--
not sure IF I have all of the addys correct as a few of them had middle initials but it is def worth a try---

larry.bomke@illinois.gov>, raymond.poe@illinois.gov, lisa.madigan@illinois.gov, michael.madigan@illinois.gov, emil.jones@illinois.gov, durbin.senate.gov/contact.cfm, obama.senate.gov/contact/, sergio.molina@illinois.gov, shelith.hansbro@illinois.gov, roberta.fews@illinois.gov, ed.huntley@illinois.gov, James.reinhart@illinois.gov, deanne.benos@illinois.gov, roger.walker@illinois.gov, nedra.chandler@illinois.gov, ken.bartley@illinois.gov, rod.blagojevich@illinois.gov,ill.morganthaler@illinois.gov, Louanne.Peters@illinois.gov

For any of you that would like to cut and paste go for it--I have felt bad all week that I have not taken the time to DO MORE-Thanks for the encouragement to ALL, DAZ, Bill, momm, jewels----

The Fire starts burning with one small SPARK--PASS IT ON!!!!!
(HELP SOMEONE I NEEEEDDDDD a CANDLE icon PLEASE!!!  & THANKS)

******************************************************************************************************
WELL---CRAP--I sent an email---some adresses went through and some did not----I dont know where else to search for them--
Def Obama and Durbin did not go through even though I cut and pasted from their web sites----
Walker and Madigan did not go through either--there were a few more, but many of them also went through-Kepp your fingers crossed!!!!

                                                                                                                                                                   >?)^%

[Still love my son]

DAZZZZZ
Has the final letter been sent?
Can it be posted here for us to all see with the millions of names that were signed on the petition?
Has anyone heard anything else-??
Any other suggestions of celebrities or news commentators that may be interested in helping montell?????

[Dazzler]

So far we've heard nothing from any of the news groups, Montel Williams or others that have been contacted. 

The final letter is probably the one we've already posted, with the additional names added collected on IPT.  I don't think we should post the addtitional names as many were sent privately via email and PM's...some didn't want their names published on the forum.  We just have to keep our fingers crossed that this will get some media coverage soon...

[momm316]

I received one response from the emails I sent out.  They were definitely  interested and had read some of the posts from the IPT forum that I had referenced.  They wanted Montell's mother's number.  I forwardeed it to Ted Pearson and he forwarded it to Mrs. Johnson.  I'm praying that is the beginning of some positive-for-Montell media coverage.  That will definitely give IDOC the hee-bee-gee-bees.

Be Blessed
Momm

[jewels]

I contacted Montell Williams ages ago and received no response then either!

[Dazzler]

I received this email tonight from our member Ted Pearson regarding Montell's condition.  I hope it's okay with his family to share this with all of you.  His condition is becoming more grave as the IDOC continues to cover their asses...



Montell Johnson was taken to the hospital Monday evening.  He has a high fever and his bedsores have become infected.

His  attorneys will appear in Judge Suzanne Conlon’s Courtroom (Room 1743, Dirkson Federal Building, 219 S. Dearborn St.) tomorrow morning (Thursday) at 9:00 am on behalf of his “Motion for Order Directing Visit and Examination.”

The court documents speak to the current situation:

“Around 4:40 P.M. on Tuesday October 16, Plaintiff Gloria Johnson-Ester received a call telling her that Montell Johnson had been transferred from Dixon Correctional Center to a local hospital on the evening of Monday October 15. The assistant warden who called her was not able to provide her with any information about Mr. Johnson's medical condition. He could only tell her that she could visit Mr. Johnson either on Tuesday evening or first thing on Wednesday morning”.

When Gloria arrived at the hospital Tuesday evening she was barred from seeing Montell, again.  She returned on Wednesday, and was able to see him.  Hospital staff told her that he had a high fever and that his bedsores had become infected.

She has not been allowed to see her son since September 5, despite more than weekly visits to Dixon for that purpose.  Again, from court documents:

“… on July 16, Ms. Johnson-Ester was told that she could not see Mr. Johnson, purportedly because he did not want to see her. The Dixon lieutenant who told her this also threatened to have her arrested.

“Thereafter, Ms. Johnson-Ester was again denied a visit to her son when she

arrived at Dixon to visit on August 16,2007. She was able to see him on the three following weeks, but the last visit, on September 5, was cut short because Mr. Johnson was ill and wanted to return to his room from the "visiting room" (in fact a foulsmelling
laundry room) to which he had been brought.

“Ms. Johnson-Ester drove to Dixon to attempt to see Mr. Johnson on September 12, September 19 (when she was told to come back on Friday, September 21), September 21,

September 28, October 5, and October 12. On each of these dates she was not permitted to see Mr. Johnson.

“Prior to Ms. Johnson-Ester's last trip to Dixon, on Friday, October 12,2007, when she was once again turned away, counsel for Defendants Chandler, Elyea and Sheridan had provided a copy of a letter and report to Plaintiffs' counsel which stated that, on October 10, 2007, Mr. Johnson had been asked if he wished to see his mother and had indicated that yes, he did.

“In addition, on October 11, Ms. Johnson-Ester had spoken by telephone to Warden Chandler's assistant to tell her that she would be accompanied by Mr. Johnson's sister,

Dametra Jackson, on her visit on October 12. On October 11, Warden Chandler's assistant told Ms. Johnson-Ester that Ms. Jackson, who is a nursing assistant, would be able to see Mr. Johnson on October 12.  However, both Ms. Johnson-Ester and Ms. Jackson were turned away on October 12 by Assistant Warden Trancoso and not permitted to see Mr. Johnson. “

Further, “There is reason for concern about Mr. Johnson's condition and care. In June 2007, Mr. Johnson told his visitors that his doctor had said that his bedsores were infected with maggots. The medical records produced by the IDOC to date to Plaintiffs' counsel do not continue beyond July 2007. Counsel for defendants Chandler, Elyea and Sheridan have repeatedly referred Plaintiffs' counsel to a report by Dr. Demetrios Skias as the authoritative analysis of Mr. Johnson's current medical condition and care.

However, the only version of that "report" Plaintiffs' counsel have received is a single page of handwritten notations. In any event that "report" documents an examination on June 21, 2007. Thus neither Plaintiffs' counsel nor Ms. Johnson-Ester have any means - let alone independent means - of assessing Mr. Johnson's current condition and treatment.”

 
       

[ielene]

This is so sad, I so wish there was something I could do to help this women and her son. I will continue to pray for her.