Sunday, March 11, 2018

Justice For Kenne McFadden Rally and March Tuesday

Kenne McFadden was murdered while we were fighting to kill the unjust SB 6 bill.   Her body was found on April 9 by a barge operator on San Antonio's famed River Walk.

Her lifeless body was found floating in the San Antonio River near East Commerce and St Mary's Streets and was the 12th murder of a trans person in 2017.   The alleged killer, 20 year old Mark Daniel Lewis was arrested for McFadden's murder while he was in the Bexar County jail for another crime and indicted by a grand jury in November on manslaughter.

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Lewis pushed McFadden, who was intoxicated at the time and a non swimmer, into the San Antonio River and refused to help her as she drowned.


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The Bexar County DA Nico LaHood, for some unknown reason reason decided to present this evidence during a probation hearing for Lewis in an attempt to revoke his probation for failing to register as a sex offender.

187th state District Court Judge Joey Contreras heads to a runoff. Photo: Marvin Pfeiffer /San Antonio Express-News / Express-News 2017
On March 8, State District Judge Joey Contreras (R) a Gov Greg Abbott appointee to the 187th Criminal District Court ruled that Lewis pushing her into the river didn't rise to the level of criminal conduct.

Unfortunately, the probation hearing became a defacto trial, and once the judge made his ruling, Lewis couldn't be tried for her murder because of double jeopardy laws.

Fortunately for us in the Lone Star State, this is an election year, so Judge Contreras and DA LaHood have to face the voters.

FYI gentlemen, trans people and our allies vote     Judge Contreras is in a GOP runoff for his seat that will take place on May 22.   LaHood has already been punished at the polls.  He went down to defeat in the March 6 Democratic primary after just one controversial term in office.. 

In addition to LaHood having a contentious relationship with the San Antonio press corps, he'd made controversial anti-Islamic comments, stating the loud and wrong claim that vaccines cause autism, and threatened to destroy an attorney's career.

The result in this botched case has incensed the San Antonio trans community, and they are organizing a Justice for Kenne rally and protest on Tuesday.   The groups involved in coordinating the protest are the Trans Education Network of Texas (TENT), the San Antonio Gender Association (SAGA) and the Pride Center San Antonio.

There will be a press conference in front of Bexar County DA Nico LaHood's office at noon Tuesday, wirth the rally and march taking place at Crockett Park starting at 6PM 

And yes, I've been asked to speak at that rally, so see you Alamo City peeps Tuesday.

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