Demand Freedom for Samuel Manning Wrongfully Sentenced to Life in Prison Despite Acquittal

SIGN THE PETITION

My family and I are desperate and in need of legal help.  In 2006, my brother, Samuel Manning, was acquitted of a state (Virginia) charge of first-degree murder, aggravated malicious wounding and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony by a jury. However, years later, federal prosecutors used the murder charge he was acquitted of by the state and added a fictitious drug conspiracy charge to justify trying him again in their jurisdiction.  My brother believes that the prosecutors and his court-appointed lawyer withheld evidence from him — namely the transcripts of his grand jury indictment and other exculpatory evidence such as witness statements that pointed to his innocence. In 2011, he was convicted of 21 U.S.C. 846 Drug Conspiracy and 18 U.S.C. 924(c) 924(j) and 18 U.S.C 924(c) without any physical evidence.  He was found guilty based primarily on the testimony of prior associates, all of whom were given sentence reductions in exchange for corroborating the government's accounting of facts from his 2006 case.  With no prior felony convictions, he was given a sentence of life plus 25 years because he refused to plead guilty and cooperate with the government.
Message from Samuel Manning, a.k.a Mujahid:
Greetings to all, and as-salaamu alaykum to the Muslimoon! My attribute is Mujaahid but my government name is Samuel Manning. I have been incarcerated for almost 18 years and I'm serving a life plus 25-year sentence for drug conspiracy, use of a firearm in furtherance of a drug crime causing the death of another, and use of a firearm in furtherance of a drug crime. What makes my case so unique is that I was found not guilty by a jury of my peers on May 9, 2006, in Newport News, VA, then indicted by the feds Aug 2007 and found guilty by a jury of my peers Feb 2011 for the same conduct. So I'm serving a life plus 25-year sentence for conduct that the jury found me not guilty of. To add to that, I was never given my grand jury transcripts to see what was used to indict me. Also, my lawyer made promises to the jury that he was going to call eyewitnesses who were going to come in and say that I didn't commit this murder. He never fulfilled this promise which is one of the reasons I was found guilty. To exacerbate this, on my appeal, my lawyer sent me my trial transcripts and intentionally left out my opening and closing arguments to hide his ineffective assistance of counsel. By him doing this it caused me to be time-barred on this issue for my 2255, a statute that allows federal prisoners to challenge their convictions and sentences. I also believe that my lawyers and prosecutors intentionally did not turn over Brady Material which is why I'm currently waiting on Freedom of Information (FOI) to turn over statements made to federal agents in my case. Inshaa Allaah I just hope that if anyone can help me in regards to my situation that they do. The Prophet, prayers and peace be upon him, said  "Allah will aid a servant (of His) so long as the servant aids his brother."
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