In doing strategic planning, or planning any tactic, we always should be thinking long term: what are our goals? But specifically, we want to know, who can give us what we're asking for i.e. who is the target of this action? One of the basic tenets of strategic planning is that you should always personalize the target. For the simple reason that it is easier to gain some influence over a person than an incorporeal corporation or government.


So, when Sedley Alley was due to be executed without even doing DNA testing on the physical evidence that could exonerate him, we knew that the Governor had the power to grant a reprieve and order the release of the physical evidence for DNA testing, so we generated 1000 calls to his office asking that he do just that. As anyone who's been reading our previous posts (or watching the news) knows, the Governor did do the right thing and grant a temporary reprieve, but he refused to take the reasonable and just step of ordering the DNA testing, despite precedent from a number of other Governors, including President George W. Bush when he was Governor of Texas. So Sedley Alley is still alive, but physical evidence still remains untested.

So now, who can order the DNA testing? Well the Governor still can, but the power also resides with the District Attorney of Shelby County, William Gibbons. Mr. Gibbons could cut through all the legal red tape about whether or not Alley has a legal "right" to DNA testing after the initial conviction (prior to DNA testing becoming available) and recognize that every person has the right to justice and should have all evidence examined. He could immediately negotiate the release of the physical evidence to the Innocence Project for testing. So last night, a few dedicated TCASK volunteers got together and we made phone calls again, but just to Memphis this time. Because Bill Gibbons needs to hear from his constituents that we want justice, and that means doing DNA testing whenever it's available.

When we personalize the target, we're able to figure out what messages and messengers (in this case, Memphis residents) will be able to give us what we want. So if you live in Shelby County, make sure that at some point today you call the D.A.'s office at (901) 545-5900. Tell William Gibbons that you want him to negotiate the immediate release of all physical evidence in the Sedley Alley case to the Innocence Project for DNA testing. If we're going to execute anyone, we deserve absolute certainty that, at the very least, we have the guilty party in custody. Tell the D.A. to give us that.