Press Release by Terrence Hattie

PRESS RELEASE

October 8, 1997

TERRENCE W. HATTIE, prisoner #R127-180, is presently being detained as a Political Prisoner by the Ohio Adult Parole Authority at the Grafton Correctional Institution, 2500 S. Avon Belden Rd., Grafton, Ohio 44044, according to documents made public in the case of Terrence W. Hattie v. Gloria Andrews et al., Franklin County Case No. 96CVH07-5495.

The Adult Parole Authority claims that Hattie is in prison by choice for refusing to agree to conditions of parole. However, contained in Hattie's parole file are numerous documents of his repeated pleas to the Adult Parole Authority to stop refusing to permit him to agree to conditions of parole. The only notations to the alleged refusal to agree to conditions of parole refer to Hattie's criminal appeal in Terrence W. Hattie v. Phillip Parker, Case No. 91-4079, 1993 U.S. App. LEXIS 14741 (6th Cir. 1993), and his law suit against parole officials in Terrence W. Hattie v. Brian Johnson et al., Case No. 5:94CV233, N.D. Ohio, appeal pending Hattie v. Anderson et al., Case No. 96-3618 (6th Cir.) alleging violations of at least three fundamental constitutional rights.

Documents made public in the Franklin County case reveal that Hattie was denied parole in May 1996 because he filed a law suit against parole officials for prohibiting Hattie, a convicted robber, from having any contact with his children as a condition of release, and for rescinding a previous grant of parole as a result of the decision of the federal court in Hattie's criminal appeal. At the parole hearing, Parole Board member Gloria Andrews made written references to Hattie's litigation and drew a circle around the parole official's name on a court document. The Franklin County law suit was dismissed by Common Pleas Court Judge James O'Grady, despite substantial evidence of retaliation, solely because Gloria Andrews denied retaliating in an affidavit filed in the case.

Hattie has twice previously been granted parole, but has had both of those paroles rescinded in retaliation for exercising his constitutionally protected right to petition the Court for redress of grievances. Hattie remains in prison solely for challenging the validity of a condition of parole, on the fabricated claim that he refuses to agree to conditions of parole.

Hattie has and continues to agree to abide by all conditions of parole imposed upon him, but stands by his decision to seek damages and injunctive relief against parole officials who have infringed upon his constitutional right to maintain family integrity, and retaliated against him for exercising that right. Parole officials stand by their fabricated claim that Hattie is in prison by choice, making him one of the Adult Parole Authority's Political Prisoners.

Submitted by:Terrence W. Hattie
R#127-180, Grafton Correctional Institution
2500 S, Avon Belden Rd.
Grafton OH 44044

The opinions expressed by this prisoner
are his own and do not necessarily reflect
the opinions of this site editor.

WE are FADS.
WE shall remain in force until the CHANGES we seek are Accomplished.