The NCRJ fundraiser was a huge success

[Visiting from The Leadership Council? A statement released by my attorney.]

The National Center for Reason and Justice fundraiser was a huge success.

On September 18^th, 2003 the National Center for Reason and Justice held its first ever fundraiser event here in New York City. I was co-chair of the organizing committee and considered the event an extremely personal accomplishment

It has always been important to me that "Capturing the Friedmans" would raise awareness about the issue of imaginary crimes and help those less fortunate then myself -- namely those still in prison.

The exoneration of hundreds of people through DNA evidence has received tremendous attention by the press, and rightly so. However, DNA technology could not help me, and cannot help many similarly situated people who are still in prison, because no actual crimes ever occurred and thus no DNA evidence exists.

The NCRJ is a non-profit organization devoted to helping those imprisoned unjustly due to mass-hysteria sex-abuse scandals, and hopes to educate the public about the issue of imaginary crimes.

The fundraiser was a huge success. Information about the event, a Pay-Pal button for donations, and some informative links are at www.ncrj.org/fr

Andrew Jarecki generously granted permission for a private screening of Capturing the Friedmans. The film was followed by formal presentations by journalists Katha Pollitt (The Nation), Debbie Nathan (The Village Voice), myself, Bob Chatelle (founder of the National Center for Reason and Justice) and attorney John Swomley (who is working to achieve the freedom of Bernard Baran).

Katha Pollitt discussed the case of Bernard Baran (www.FreeBaran.org), one of the cases sponsored by the NCRJ. Baran was working in a day-care center in a small town in Massachusetts when he was arrested at the age of nineteen. Through a combination of homophobia, drug-addicted parents, and over-zealous prosecutorial aggression, Baran was convicted, sentenced to life-imprisonment and has been incarcerated for almost twenty years already.

Debbie Nathan, co-author of Satan’s Silence, spoke about the history of mass-hysteria in this country and provided a context for understanding the day-care center witch-hunt trials of the 1980’s.

I offered a brief thank you to everyone for attending, and then read some of Bernard Baran’s letters from prison. I - more than anyone - know what it is like to find one’s self in prison at the age of nineteen falsely accused of child molestation.

Bob Chatelle spoke about the founding of the NCRJ, and introduced Baran’s mother and niece who were in attendance at the fundraiser - their first time in New York City.

The presentation ended with John Swomley who is currently working tirelessly on Baran’s appeal. Thankfully the event ended on a hopeful note as there has finally been some forward progress with the motions and being granted access to discovery materials which will surely exonerate Baran.

Andrew Jarecki brought a film crew to record portions of the event, most likely for inclusion on the DVD for Capturing the Friedmans.

The event was a huge success. Organizing everything was exhausting what with so much stuff to do organizing and then hosting and then I wanted to just be a guest myself and talk to so many wonderful people who were there.

For me, the night was exhausting, what with being host and making sure everything was organized and, of course, having to rush home because of parole curfew. I, sadly, did not have time to talk to all the people I wanted to meet. However, it was marvelous that so many important guests got to meet other important guests.

The number of people who are owed tremendous thanks you’s are numerous, and I can’t possibly thank everyone who, I feel, is deserving of thank you’s. I hope that those who attended, or made a donation towards the event, know how I feel personally grateful for there support of the NCRJ as if it were direct support for me. If the National Center for Reason and Justice existed in 1987 there is a likelihood I would never have ended up in prison for half my life.

10/4/03