A short update from Dave Atwood, TX

Hi Connie,

We have been busy in Houston as you might expect. Earlier in the year we were active with an ad hoc coalition to promote the early retirement of Harris County District Attorney Chuck Rosenthal. He and his predecessor Johnny Holmes have been responsible for the high number of death sentences coming from Harris County . We are hoping for a sea-change in Harris County politics in the upcoming election, similar to what they recently experienced in Dallas.

On May 3, the Houston Chapter of the TCADP participated in the NAMI Walk here. NAMI stands for the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill. We carried a big banner that said, "MENTAL ILLNESS IS NOT A CRIME". We were warmly received by the other marchers and raised over $1000 for NAMI.

On May 9, we had the Houston premier of the movie "At the Death House Door".
The filmmakers Steve James and Peter Gilbert, as well as Rev. Carroll Pickett and Professor David Dow held a panel discussion after the film. It was a great evening.

Right now we are planning on hosting Capital "X" in Houston on May 30 and 31. On May 30 there will be a "Salute to Capital "X" at a local establishment and on May 31 we plan to have a program in front of the Walls Unit in Huntsville.

Best wishes and love to you and the rest of the JOH crew.

Dave Atwood