Monday, December 31, 2012

Irma Muniz Seeks a Meeting With President Barack Obama


Irma L. Muñiz
PMB 216 5403 Everhart Road
Corpus Christi, TX  78411
(409) 363-1878 imuniz1310@earthlink.net
________________________________________________ 

 
                                                         December 31, 2012

 
 
The Honorable Barack Obama
President of the United States
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500


Re: Ramiro “Ramsey” Muñiz

To the Honorable President Barack Obama:

I take this opportunity to appeal to your sense of justice and mercy to please release my husband from prison.  Ramiro “Ramsey” Muñiz, is now 70 years of age and he is now close to completing twenty years of a life sentence that resulted from a “three strikes and you are out” law in the state of Texas.  He is sorrowful that his poor judgment contributed to his conviction, and he wishes to spend the years that he has left with family members who have shared in the pain and suffering of his lengthy incarceration.



I would like to discuss my husband’s situation with you at your earliest convenience. I pray that you find it in your heart to send Ramsey home where he can be properly cared for in the time that he has left. 
 
 
                                                     In prayer,
                                                                  Irma Muñiz
 
 



 

An Appeal for Clemency on Behalf of Ramiro “Ramsey” Muñiz


National Committee to Free Ramsey Muñiz
Contact: Dr. Emilio Zamora
512 739-0168

 
The National Committee to Free Ramsey Muñiz requests President Barack Obama to commute Muñiz’s life sentence and restore his freedom.  Attorneys representing Muñiz are preparing a second application for a Commutation of Sentence that will be submitted to the Department of Justice and the Office of the President. In this document, however, we introduce the President to Muñiz and plead for clemency, mostly on moral and symbolic grounds.

Muñiz showed singular discipline and determination at an early age.  Born and raised in a poor, predominantly Mexican American community of Corpus Christi, Texas he contributed to his family’s earnings by setting pins at a bowling alley until 10:00 in the evening and delivering newspapers before the start of school.  Muñiz also excelled in school and in football.

Football scouts from Baylor University singled out Muñiz for his extraordinary athletic ability and awarded him a four-year scholarship.  He did very well in the classroom and became an outstanding player in the Southwest Conference.  Muñiz recalls that he was motivated by a deep desire to please his mother and the hope to better provide for his family.

Muñiz earned a Bachelor of Arts and Science Degree in Political Science and Master’s Degree in History from Baylor University.  His grades and high score on the Law School Admissions Test made it possible for Muñiz to attend Baylor School of Law, all the while working as an assistant football coach at the same university.

While attending law school, Muñiz demonstrated a passion for civil rights and began working on behalf of Mexican American and African American communities in Central Texas.  He is especially proud of his work with the Model Cities Program in Waco, especially in Head Start, breakfast, and dropout prevention programs for minority youth in the area. Muñiz was also instrumental in creating a Community Center in Waco, Texas.  A good number of citizens from Central Texas still remember Ramsey for his generous and dedicated community service.

Once Muñiz received his Juris Doctorate degree in law, he sought the office of Governor of the State of Texas in order to speak out for the rights of poor Texans who lacked effective political representation.  His 1972 and 1974 campaigns as a Raza Unida Party candidate demonstrated his genuine concern for extending justice and equality to poor Mexican Americans, African Americans, and European Americans. Drug charges, however, cut short his promising political career.

Muñiz was sentenced to life without parole in federal court in the Northern District of Texas in 1994 under the newly enacted “Three Strikes and You Are Out” statute.  This occurred after the sentencing Judge in the 1994 drug conviction held that Muniz’s two prior drug indictments, one in the San Antonio Division of the Western District of Texas and the other in the Corpus Christi Division of the Southern District of Texas (for which Muniz had pled guilty in the 1970’s) constituted two separate prior felony convictions.  Ramsey’s attorney in both the San Antonio and Corpus Christi cases had entered into an agreement with the federal prosecutor that both sentences were to be combined into one and that a federal prosecutor’s affidavit would reflect this understanding.

During the 1994 sentencing, defense attorney Dick DeGuerin introduced the federal prosecutor’s affidavit into evidence.  The sentencing Judge (the same one who had presided over the trial) disregarded it and ruled that the Three Strikes Statute still applied.  If the Judge had ruled otherwise and Muniz had not been deemed a career criminal, he would have already served his sentence, especially if authorities had also credited him for good time.

The Texas Criminal Justice Policy Council recently issued a report that underscores the excessive nature of the 1994 ruling.  The Council notes that aggravated violent offenders convicted in 1994 served an average of 5.85 years while nonviolent offenders typically served 3.74 years. This means that the majority of persons convicted in 1994, including violent offenders, were most probably released by 2000.

Legal issues notwithstanding, our major concern is that Muñiz is approaching 20 years of incarceration, an excessive amount of time for someone who has never committed a violent act in his life. Also, Ramsey turned 70 on December 13, 2012 and, according to life expectancy projections, he has few years to live.  A relevant study on recidivism by the United States Justice Department states that persons above 55 years of age return to prison at the low rate of 2 percent.

The wife, children, mother-in-law, and siblings of Ramsey Muñiz have undergone their own continuous pain and suffering. This has been made all the more difficult by enduring the distance that has long separated them from him.

We must add the incalculable worth of Muñiz’s political legacy in our appeal.  He modeled a caring progressive leadership with his support for public education, local community control, bilingual education, public health, and women’s and workers’ rights.  Ramsey also inspired a generation of young Mexican Americans who entered politics in the 1970s and now serve as leaders in government, business, and education.  Ramsey has great symbolic value for the Mexican American community; he embodied the historic hope for change and the tragedy of unfulfilled dreams at a time of striking social needs and collective resolve for change.  History and community, in other words, add symbolic weight to our appeal.

Everyone who is close to Muñiz knows that he does not represent a threat to society.  His non-violent past, along with his exemplary conduct before and after his incarceration, offers ample proof of his peaceful nature.  Muñiz expressed his pacific countenance and commitment to live his life well in a letter to President Barack Obama, “I am not a threat to society. I have learned the importance of using good judgment in my selection of acquaintances and friends, and I intend to live the remaining years of my life with my loving wife and family.”

Muñiz is a loving person in all his relationships, as a father, a brother, a son-in-law to a mother who regards him as her son, an uncle, and grandfather. He is also a mentor and friend to many persons. His wife, family members, and friends have responded with their own steadfast love.  They have supported him throughout his long incarceration, believing that his suffering will end when President Obama grants him the freedom that he deserves. Their greatest hope is that his family will be finally reunited.

Our appeal has attracted the attention and support of national organizations such as the League of United Latin American Citizens (National and Texas LULAC), the League of Latin American Citizens, the American GI Forum, and Friends of Justice.  Congressmen, attorneys, and educators from throughout the country have also joined our cause. Public support continues to grow as we appeal for the release of Ramsey Muñiz, a man who has done so much to improve and advance the lives of others.

-------------------------------------------

Consult the following for information on Ramiro “Ramsey” Muñiz and the Raza Unida Party: Ignacio García, United We Win; The Rise and Fall of La Raza Unida Party (Tucson: University of Arizona Press, 1989); Teresa Palomo Acosta, “Raza Unida Party”; http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/war01, Accessed November 2012; Steve Fischer, “Its Time to Free Ramsey Muñiz,” Corpus Christi Caller, Caller.com, http://www.caller.com/news/2012/feb/26/its-time-to-free-ramsey-muniz/, Accessed November 2012; Allen J. Beck, Ph.D., Timothy A. Hughes, Doris J. James Wilson, “Trends in State Parole, 1990-2000,” October 3, 2001, http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/index.cfm?ty=pbdetail&iid=822, Accessed November 2012.

Sunday, October 28, 2012

Mail a Letter to President Barack Obama


                                                          October 28, 2012

 
The Honorable Barack Obama
President of the United States
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500 

Dear Mr. President: 

               We have struggled for many years to free Ramiro “Ramsey” Muñiz from imprisonment for a 1994 conviction and excessive sentence of life without parole for a non-violent drug offense. Ramsey and his family and friends have endured pain and suffering as a result of nearly 20 years of suffering. He is now turning 70 years of age and we refuse to let him die in prison.

               Wrong perceptions, judgment, mistakes, withholding evidence, and Ramsey’s political background contributed to his convictions. He was a community activist during the Civil Rights and Chicano Movements. Ramsey raised the political consciousness in Texas and the Southwest. He enabled many to gain a political voice and seek public office at local, state, and national levels. He incurred legal problems as a result of this activism.

               We have fought this case for many years, and all appeals have been exhausted as the law did not work in our favor. We now seek your assistance and we ask that you grant Ramsey Muñiz a Commutation of Sentence on humanitarian grounds.

               We believe in your leadership and we ask that you help free an innocent
man so that he can be reunited with his family once again. To learn more about Ramsey Muñiz, go to www.freeramsey.com.


Very truly yours,


Open Letter of Support for President Barack Obama


                                                            October 20, 2012

 
The Honorable Barack Obama
President of the United States
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500


Dear President Obama:

Although I have been judicially confined in the prisons of the United States of America for nearly 20 years of my life, I continue to believe that history will one day affirm your re-election as President of the United States of America.

It is a well-known historical fact that as a graduate from Baylor School of Law and a practicing attorney for many years, I was and continue to be an advocate of human rights. This issue is one which has been a mainstay of your presidency.

Statistically, it is now a known political fact that Mexican Americans, Hispanics, Latinos, and Chicanos will be the ultimate deciding political factor of this presidential election and all future national and state elections in the United States of America. This population change has created a new direction for humanity never before seen.

Because of my present incarceration for nearly 20 years I am ineligible to vote. However, I am advocating that all Hispanic and Latino national organizations and individuals support you and vote for your re-election.

 This will be an election like no other. Together with Mexican Americans, Hispanics, Latinos, and all Americans, we shall recreate national political history today and in the future.

I wish you great success and may God bless you and your loving family.
 

Very truly yours,

Ramiro R. Muñiz

 
"As President of our country, I accept that people are going to call me awful things every day and I will defend their right to do so." USA Today, 2012.

 

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

 

National Campaign to
Free Ramsey!

Seeking dignity, freedom, and human rights
 



In remembrance of
Diez y Seis de Septiembre


 Saturday, September 15, 2012

10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Sociedad Mutualista Obrera Mexicana
5804 Canal Street
Houston, Texas 77011

Join us in Houston, Texas on Saturday, September 15, 2012 for a conference of the National Campaign to free Ramsey Muñiz, the first to seek the Governorship of the State of Texas under the Raza Unida Party. Ramsey is approaching 70 years of age and he has suffered 20 years of pain and suffering through unjust imprisonment. In seeking his freedom we will:

· Organize communications through social media

· Coordinate plans to contact the media

· Hold a candlelight prayer

· Send a resolution to President Barack Obama
in Washington, D.C.

 
Registration
To register send email to Irma Muñiz at imuniz1310@earthlink.net
Send your contact information: Name _Address_ Email_ Telephone and number of attendees
Onsite registration is also available. For additional information contact:
Jesus Cantu Medel at chano6_@hotmail.com


Sponsored by the National Committee to Free Ramsey Muñiz

PMB 216 5403 Everhart Road - Corpus Christi, TX 78411
Phone: (409) 363-1878 Email:
imuniz1310@earthlink.net www.freeramsey.com - www.freeramsey.blogspot.com - www.studentsfreeramsey.blogspot.com

Sunday, July 22, 2012

Please Write to President Barack Obama for Ramsey Muniz

July 22, 2012


Dear Friends: 

My name is Irma Muñiz and I have struggled for many years to free my husband, Ramiro “Ramsey” Muñiz from imprisonment for a 1994 conviction and excessive sentence of life without parole for a non-violent drug offense. Ramsey and our family have endured pain, agony, and nearly 20 years of suffering. Ramsey is now turning 70 years of age and we refuse to let him die in prison.

Wrong perceptions and judgment, mistakes, withholding evidence, and Ramsey’s political background contributed to his convictions. He was a community activist during the Civil Rights Movement. Ramsey raised political consciousness in Texas and the Southwest. He enabled many to gain a political voice and seek public office at local, state, and national levels. He incurred legal problems as a result of this activism.

We have fought my husband’s case for many years, but all appeals have been exhausted as the laws favor the government. I now seek an audience with President Barack Obama so that I can present my husband’s situation to him. I seek letters of support.

To send a letter of support by mail, please print and sign the sample letter and mail it to me so that I can compile it with others. See the sample letter on the next page. 

To send a letter to President Barack Obama by email, go to the White House website at http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/submit-questions-and-comments. Copy and paste the letter and sign it or write your own.

Thank you in advance for helping me to free my husband from his wrongful incarceration since 1994. To learn about him, go to:

www.studentsfreeramsey.blogspot.com .

Sincerely,

Irma Muñiz, Chairperson

National Committee to Free Ramsey Muñiz
PMB 216 5403 Everhart Road
Corpus Christi, TX  78411
(409) 363-1878 imuniz1310@earthlink.net 


************************************
July 22, 2012

The Honorable Barack Obama
President of the United States
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500 

Re: Meeting Requested by Irma Muñiz, wife of Ramsey Muñiz 

Dear President Obama:

I am writing to express my support for Irma Muñiz, who seeks a meeting to discuss the case of her husband, Ramiro “Ramsey” Muñiz. This will allow her to present information about her husband’s situation and seek your assistance.

This humanitarian issue pertains to the suffering that incarceration has on families. Irma Muñiz and her family have struggled for many years to free a husband, father, and son-in-law who is turning 70 years of age.

You and First Lady Michelle Obama stress the essence of the family. As President of the United States, we ask that you grant Irma Muñiz a meeting and allow her to share one family’s perspective on suffering. Her experience can serve as an example to many who seek a means of overcoming hardship through faith and the love that God gives to all families.

Sincerely,

Sunday, June 24, 2012


Press Release

Irma Muñiz, wife of Ramiro “Ramsey” Muñiz, has sent correspondence to the White House requesting a meeting with President Barack Obama. She wishes to discuss the situation of her husband who has been incarcerated for approximately 20 years for a non-violent drug conviction. She seeks an opportunity to convey the devastating effect that his incarceration has had on her husband, his supportive wife, and families who continue to suffer after many years. Muñiz, who is turning 70 years of age, is supported by family, friends, and supporters who continue years of efforts to obtain his freedom. Organizations and various supporters, including National LULAC, the American GI Forum, the League of Latin American Citizens, Friends of Justice, and the Chicano Studies Network have submitted letters of support. Congressman Blake Farenthold (TX-27) also enclosed a letter requesting that Mrs. Muñiz be given due consideration for a meeting. Mrs. Muñiz has stated in her correspondence, “As President of the most powerful country, you stress the essence of the family. Our family has suffered greatly without my husband, and we thank God for granting us the faith, strength, and spirituality to continue to struggle for his freedom.


Dr. Alan Bean, Executive Director of Friends of Justice, published a narrative revealing troubling questions raised from the 1994 conviction of Ramsey Muñiz. His analysis of the Muñiz trials can be accessed through the Friends of Justice website (2012, Friends of Justice, http://friendsofjustice.wordpress.com/2012/05/11/the-law-falls-silent-the-conviction-of-a-latino-icon-raises-troubling-questions/).


Steven Fischer, a law professor who is a member of the State Bar of Texas Board of Directors and past District Attorney, wrote an editorial calling for Ramsey's release stating, “What I do know is Ramiro Muñiz turns 70 in this, his 18th year of incarceration. Society is safe from Muñiz, and further prison is a waste of our money….Let Ramsey Muñiz out of prison to live his remaining years with his family and those who believe in him.” (2012, Corpus Christi Caller Times, http://www.caller.com/news/2012/feb/26/its-time-to-free-ramsey-muniz/).



Speaking about her husband, Mrs. Muñiz states, “Ramsey made great contributions to the Civil Rights and Chicano Movements. He ran for Governor of Texas when he was only 30 years of age, and due to his work as a community volunteer, he brought about significant social, educational, political and economic advancements for Mexican Americans, Hispanics, and other Americans throughout Texas, the Southwest, and nation. Because my husband was an advocate and spokesman for civil rights, he encountered many problems in his adult life.”



Contact

Irma Muñiz

National Committee to Free Ramsey Muñiz

PMB 216 5403 Everhart Rd.

Corpus Christi, TX 78411

(409) 363-1878 imuniz1310@earthlink.net


www.freeramsey.blogspot.com


Saturday, May 5, 2012


May 5, 2012


The Honorable Barack Obama
President of the United States
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500



     Re: Meeting Request to Discuss the Ramsey Muñiz Incarceration


Dear President Obama:
 
I wish to express my political, moral, and spiritual support for Mrs. Irma Muñiz, who seeks freedom and justice for her husband, Ramiro “Ramsey” Muñiz.  We believe that as President of the United States you would want all facts pertaining to this case and to hear from all parties.

I am one of many who support her efforts to meet with you about the incarceration and suffering of her husband and family. Supporters are united in the ongoing efforts to obtain freedom for Ramsey Muñiz, who made positive contributions for Mexican Americans, Hispanics, Latinos, and many others.

Ramsey Muñiz received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in political science from Baylor University and a Juris Doctor Degree from Baylor School of Law. He was a practicing attorney for years. He is known for becoming one of the first Hispanic candidates for Governor in the state of Texas at the age of 30. His community activism and volunteerism brought about advancements for Mexican Americans, Hispanics, Latinos and others throughout the Southwest.

Historically, Ramsey Muñiz made a positive political impact on the lives of many.  During the Civil Rights and Chicano Movements, which focused on Mexican Americans and Hispanics, he pursued a vision that helped thousands of Hispanics and Latinos obtain freedom, justice, and the right to make a contribution to humanity.  Ramsey Muñiz was an advocate and spokesman for civil rights and he encountered many problems in his life since then.

The continued incarceration of Ramsey Muñiz violates his constitutional rights and his God-given right to freedom. We will continue to follow this case until he is free, and can return to his family.

Ramsey Muñiz has suffered immense pain and agony for the last 20 years, and the sadness that his family has felt throughout his confinement has been great.  His wife has struggled to see him throughout his long imprisonment. His daughter and family suffer greatly from the separation of a father and grandfather.  Ramsey’s siblings and 83 year old mother-in-law can no longer travel the distance to visit him because of their failing health.


           Ramsey has the love and support of family, friends, and supporters who seek to end his suffering. National Hispanic organizations and civil rights organizations such as National LULAC, the American GI Forum, the League of Latin American Citizens, Friends of Justice, and the Chicano Studies Network have provided support during the years and efforts to obtain his freedom, and they will continue to appeal for help until he is free.    

We seek your attention in this matter which is important to Hispanics, Latinos, and many others throughout the United States of America. We anxiously await a reply to the meeting requested by Mrs. Irma Muñiz, which many will view as a response that addresses issues pertaining to family, Mexican Americans, Hispanics, Latinos, and all Americans.


Very truly yours,




Sunday, February 5, 2012

Dear Friends:

Two days ago KRIS TV aired a newscast on Ramsey Muñiz. See the link http://www.kristv.com/news/petition-drive-to-free-ramsey-muniz that describes his family’s efforts to free him after 20 years of wrongful incarceration. Ramsey is a natural born leader who advocated freedom, justice, equality, and love. He is 69 years of age, and he remains wrongfully incarcerated. We petition the White House to investigate his case and we need 25,000 signatures by March 4, 2012!

Please follow the instructions below to sign the petition and forward our appeal to university and high school students. We need their help in forwarding this message through email, facebook, and twitter. We need to gather many signatures to bring this issue to the attention of the White House!

We ask students to help by forwarding this message to others through email, facebook, twitter, and other forms of electronic communications.



Step 1: Register for an Account in the White House Website

1.   Go to www.whitehouse.gov.  (Click on No Thanks. Go to the website).

2.    Scroll down. On the right, below the words We the People, click GET STARTED NOW. 

3.    Click on SIGN IN/CREATE AN ACCOUNT on the bottom right (blue area).

4.    Click Create an Account

5.    Fill in the required blanks (shown in yellow).

6.    Type the code displayed on the bottom right in the blank below it.

7.    Click the Register button.

8.    Close the window and open your email.



Step 2: Open Your Email and Paste the Received Link in the Address Bar

1.     Open the message from whitehouse.gov.

2.     Highlight the link in the messag, paste it in the address bar, and press enter.

3.     You go to the White House website. Enter a password and confirm it.

4.     Click Save Changes.


Step 3: Copy/Paste Ramsey’s Petition in the Browser (You MUST be logged in).

1.      Click GET STARTED NOW to enter petitions in the White House website.

2.      Copy/paste the link below in the address bar, and press enter. WAIT for the petition to appear. Click to sign the petition and then log out.


THANK YOU for helping us petition the White House to review the case of Ramsey Muñiz, a defender of freedom, justice, equality, and love for all humanity.

National Committee to Free Ramsey Muñiz