A
Message from L.C. Underwood
-------------------------------------------------------------
My
attorney contacted
me on Wednesday, December 23, 2009 and informed me that my Federal Writ
of
Habeas Corpus has been granted. A federal judge overturned
my conviction
and
ordered a new trial saying my trial attorneys provided me with
ineffective
assistance of counsel during my 1997 trial. The judge ordered a
retrial
within 180 days. The bad news is the State has appealed the
decision to the
Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, asking the Court to overturn the
federal
judge's decision granting me a new trial and throwing out my
conviction.
My attorney and I expected the State to appeal as North Carolina will
never
admit they were wrong in arresting and trying me to begin with.
So for
the near future I will be sitting in prison while my case winds its way
through
another round of appeals. While they will have to set a bond for
me the
State will set it so high that I will not be able to make it.
--------------------------------------------------------------
L.C.
Underwood,
a retired police officer, has spent more
than $100,000 of his retirement funds to pay for the desperate attempt
to clear
his good name. Now that the federal courts have overturned his
conviction, the State of North Carolina likely will appeal and it will
cost
L.C. at least another $25,000 to continue to fight this miscarriage of
justice. If you would like to contribute to LC’s defense
fund, please use
the email contact below and we will send you the information you need.
If
you would like to
contact L.C, you may either click the email link and your letter will
be
forwarded to him or you may write him at the following address:
Mr.
LC Underwood #0525542
Marion
Correctional Institution
PO
Box 2405
Marion,
NC 28752-2405