Leonard was asked about the underlying offenses, but he also had the opportunity to speak about his grandchildren, and his personality and pride really shone through. A massive amount of material was presented, and we hope the hearing examiner has been convinced of the obvious fact that, if released, Leonard is not in danger of violating the law and that, after 50 years, his release will not be seen as promoting disrespect for the law.

Attorneys Jones and Meltzer-Cohen expect a decision within 21 days and are responsible for spearheading any necessary appeals and subsequent litigation, though they hope such action will not be necessary.

We thank everyone who contributed to this process, including families, our mentors, shout out to Attorney Meltzer-Cohen’s students at CUNY School of Law, the National Conference of Black Lawyers (NCBL) and the National Lawyers Guild (NLG), both organizations to which Attorney Jones is a board member. We also express sincere gratitude to the members of the NLG Mass Incarceration Committee Old Law Prisoner Project, Professor Chuck Weisselberg, Attorney Brad Thompson, Professor Audrey Bomse, Dr. Joel Morrissey, Dr. Giselle Dias, Kalonji Jama Changa, Silja Talvi, the Leonard Peltier Official Ad Hoc Committee and the Jericho Movement and all those who have supported their work and advocacy.

This work is part of the long tradition of liberation work for Indigenous peoples everywhere: When we fight, we win.