This Wednesday, members of the Student Coalition for Justice will be traveling to Panama City to attend the start of Martin Lee Anderson’s criminal trial. The coalition is comprised of students from Florida A&M University, Florida State University and Tallahassee Community College.
The jury selection for Martin Lee Anderson’s trial began on Tuesday, Sept. 25 and was completed by Sept. 27
Philip Agnew, 22, former student body president, said they are rallying to show their support for Anderson’s family and to demonstrate their disdain for the all white jury that was selected.
Boot camp drill instructors Henry Dickens, Charles Enfinger, Patrick Garrett, Raymond Hauck, Charles Helms Jr., Henry McFadden Jr. and Joseph Walsh II, along with former camp nurse Kristin Schmidt, face charges for aggravated manslaughter of a child for Anderson’s death. If convicted as charged, they could each face 30 years in prison.
Key testimonies are expected to come from Panama City Medical Examiner Charles Siebert Jr., who performed the first autopsy and ruled Anderson’s death as being from natural causes; Tampa Medical Examiner Vernard Adams, who did the second autopsy and ruled the guards suffocated Anderson; and hematologist Dr. E. Randy Eichner, according to an article in Panama City’s News Herald.
Agnew said they are still in need of students to participate in their car-pooling effort.
“It’s very important [for us to be there] because we were there at the beginning and its important for us to be there now at this point in the proceedings just in case they thought they were going to try something-we’re gonna be there watching,” Agnew said.
For more information on the trip, contact Agnew at phillipagnew@yahoo.com or via http://facebook.com.