A very gentle and loving mother of 5 was sentenced on September 12, 2007, for failing to act or provide medical attention for her son, whom, unknown to her, had ingested something that would ultimately kill him. Nine months of CPS investigation could not find her guilty of child abuse. Ten months of the DA’s investigation and 8 days of testimony could not convince the jury that she purposely poisoned this little boy... Now five children are without a mother...
ABC News documented Hannah's story on the 20/20 broadcast for October 24. The story is currently on their homepage. a 20/20 article and video can be found here:
Exclusive: Mom Accused of Murder Speaks Out: Andrew Burd, 4, Died from Salt Poisoning; Hannah Overton Awaits Appeal in Case
To hear previous Iron Sharpens Iron broadcasts on Hannah Overton, click here.
A website, http://www.freehannah.com/, has been created by friends in her church, Calvary Chapel Coastlands, to inform the public of this injustice and to rally national support for an overturning of this verdict in upcoming appellate courts. In the meantime, this Christian mother sits in jail with a life sentence without parole! Once one learns about some of the details of the case, the godly reaction is one of righteous anger.
Recently, Pastor John Otis sent the following for those of you concerned for Hannah:
Below are very important addresses and email addresses for key positions in the state of Texas for you to write about Hannah's miscarriage of justice.
Before I give them, let me encourage you from God's word about our responsibilites before God. If you are convinced of Hannah's innocence, especially after the 20/20 show last night, then it is imperative for you to follow through.
Jesus said that the extent to which we minister to believers in prison is directly related to ministering to Jesus (Matthew 25:39-40). We are to be doers of the word not hearers only (James 1:22).
Defending Hannah falls well into this category - “ Woe to those who enact evil statutes, and to those who constantly record unjust decisions, so as to deprive the needy of justice, and rob the poor of My people of their rights, in order that widows may be their spoil, and that they may plunder the orphans” (Isaiah 10:1-2).
It is time for thousands of Christians and concerned citizens to rise up in Hannah's defense and send letters and emails to appropriate bodies. Your letters will make a difference.
First, go to the comment page that ABC news has set up about this case and leave a comment. The webaddress is: http://abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=6079830&page=1
Second, go to the ABC affliate television station here in Corpus Christi and leave a comment on the viewing of 20/20 last night. Here is the web address to do that.
Third, help reinforce what a delegation of us pastors in Corpus Christi did back in March when we handed a seven page letter to representatives of the governor's office in Austin Texas stating that Hannah's conviction was a travesty of justice, and a blot on the judicial system of the state of Texas.
One of the governor's representatives was a lady named Dede Keith. Her email address at the governor's office is: dkeith@governor.state.tx.us
Write to her and tell her that you watched ABC's 20/20 broadcast on October 24 about the Hannah Overton conviction and that you cannot believe such incompetency in the Texas judicial system took place and that Governor Perry must see that this injustice is corrected.
You can send a physical letter to the governor of Texas. That address is: Office of the Governor
P.O. Box 12428
Austin, Texas 78711
Fourth, write to the Texas Attorney General's office about this travesty of justice. His email address is: greg.abbott@oag.tx.us
The physical address for the Attorney General's office is: Texas Attorney General
P.O. Box 12548
Austin, Texas 78711-2548
Fifth, you need to send a complaint to the Texas State Bar Association stating that you have followed the case of the unjust conviciton of Hannah Overton and that you watched the ABC news 20/20 special October 24 on this case. You need to register a complaint against the District Attorney of Corpus Christi, Carlos Valdez, and against the prosecuting attorney in Hannah's case, Sandra Eastwood. Eastwood, I believe perjured herself in the November 15, 2007 hearing where she under oath swore that Dr. Cortes never expressed his view that Andrew Burg's death was accidental. Dr. Cortes emphatically testified at that hearing and on 20/20 that he believed Andrew Burg's death was accidental and Hannah's conviction was unjust, and that he stated that to the DA's office 5 months before the trial; hence, a major violation of the Brady Law has been committed.
The address for The Texas State Bar Association is: Texas State Bar Association
Texas Law Center
P.O. Box 12487
Austin, Texas 78711
Sixth, Write the District Attorney's office here in Corpus Christi and state that you are appalled as a U.S. citizen that he and his office participated in this miscarriage of justice and ask for his and Sandra Eastwood's resignation. Mention that you watched the ABC news 20/20 special on Hannah, and could not believe that such a shoddy case was aggressively pursued by this office. District Attorneys are to pursue justice not unjust convictions to augment their careers.
That address is: Nueces District Attorney
901 Leopard St.
Corpus Christi, Texas 78401
Seventh, write a letter to the editor of the Corpus Christi Caller Times stating that you watched the 20/20 special on Hannah Overton and state that many Corpus Christi law abiding citizens are appalled that the Caller Times helped inflame an ungodly perception of the Overtons, leading to an unjust conviction.
This letter is to be done as an email: caller.com/commcentral/email.ed.html
I know this may take an hour of your time to write all of these places, but consider this. Hannah Overton has a LIFE SENTENCE WITHOUT PAROLE due to this travesty. What is an hour of your time, when this godly Christian mother needs our help? It is the least you can do. Don't think it won't make a difference, for it will. Above all, Jesus Christ is watching, and His approval is the most important of all.
May God vindicate Hannah Overton and free her soon.
Pastor John Otis- Corpus Christi
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