From the Daily Kos–At the age of 16, Cyntoia Brown was sold as a sex-slave to a 43-year-old Nashville realtor—Johnny Mitchell Allan. She was subjected to more abuse by Allan, and in a documentary about her life (Me Facing Life: Cyntoia’s Story), she described the abuse and how it made her paranoid. In 2004, she was tried as an adult for killing Allen. She said she shot him because she feared he was going to kill her. During the trial, she said there was always a gun pointed on her during her captivity. She said she was hit, choked and dragged. She feared for her own life, and she acted out of that fear.
She was tried as an adult and sentenced to 51 years. Then there was hope at a clemency hearing. Two judges voted for clemency, two against clemency and the other two voted to keep the 51 year sentence in place. It was challenged on the basis of a minor not being able to be sentenced to life without parole. However, the Tennessee Supreme Court unanimously ruled that she would have to serve all 51 years before she would be able to be released.
Extracts from Rolling Stone, Dec. 11, 2018:
Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam is considering clemency for Cyntoia Brown, and will have an answer about clemency before he leaves office in 6 weeks.
Brown was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison in 2004 for killing a 43-year-old man who had solicited her for sex when she was just 16 years old. The Tennessee Supreme Court ruled last week that Brown must serve 51 years before she’s eligible for parole.
Under Tennessee law, all minors engaged in sex work are legally considered victims of sex trafficking.
Suggestions from Stella Maris:
- Call Governor Haslam’s office and demand clemency for Brown before he leaves office in January. A petition on MoveOn.org urging the governor to grant clemency has over 500,000 signatures.
- Each group listed below works to protect children, women, and families. Send money!
Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project – prevents wrongful deportations by connecting refugee families to community support and emergency legal aid. https://asylumadvocacy.org/
Kids In Need of Defense (KIND) – protecting unaccompanied children who enter the US immigration system alone to ensure that no child appears in court without an attorney. https://supportkind.org/
La Union del Pueblo Entero – founded by Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta, a community union that works in the Rio Grande Valley from the grassroots up. https://lupenet.org/
Texas Civil Rights Project – lawyers and advocates on the front lines of the family separation crisis https://texascivilrightsproject.org/
We Belong Together – mobilizes women in support of common sense immigration policies that will keep families together and empower women. https://www.webelongtogether.org/
Women’s Refugee Commission – advocating for the rights and protection of women, children, and youth fleeing violence and persecution . https://www.womensrefugeecommission.org