The Campaign to End the Death Penalty is holding a press event Tuesday, July 15th at 12:30 PM at the Travis County Courthouse Plaza, off Guadalupe between 10th and 11th Streets. They are demanding that all charges be dropped against Michael Scott and Robert Springsteen in the in the Yogurt Shop Case.
The Austin Chronicle reported in an April article on the case that “a lawyer for yogurt shop defendant Robert Springsteen says that retested DNA evidence proves his client is not guilty and should be released from prison”.
For more info on the case, contact CEDP at 494-0667 or cedpaustin@gmailcom.
From the CEDP email annoucing Tuesday’s event:
Things are heating up in the Yogurt Shop case! As many of you may know, long time CEDP member Jeannine Scott is fighting for her husband Michael Scott, who was wrongfully imprisoned for murder in this case. Several years ago, 4 teenage girls were murdered in an Austin area yogurt shop. 8 years and dozens of false confessions later, 4 young men were indicted for the murders. With no physical evidence, Robert Springsteen was sent to death row and Michael Scott given life. Two other men were not even taken to trial. The basis of the convictions were “confessions” from Mike and Robert, which have been shown to have been coerced Although both men refused to testify against each other, each of their so-called confessions were used in the other’s trial as evidence. It is on the basis of this misuse of the “confessions” that both men had their convictions thrown out and were granted new trials.
Mike’s trial has been postponed until October while new DNA testing is done on crucial evidence from the crime scene. Recent results from that testing, as well as all prior DNA testing has fully exonerated all four men of this crime!
Jeannine Scott, wife of wrongly convicted Yogurt Shop defendant Michael Scott, has been a tireless fighter against the death penalty and has worked on behalf of so many men and women for justice over the years. With Mike’s new trial around the corner, we have a real chance to win justice and bring him home. It is our turn to do everything we can to support Jeannine now, so please come out!
