8/11/2016

CrimeAfterCrimeIsDocumentaryAboutDeborahPeaglersMurderConvictionAndTheCampaignToFreeHerJusticeDenied

CrimeAfterCrimeIsDocumentary
AboutDeborahPeaglersMurder
ConvictionAndTheCampaignToFree
Her
Categories:HabeasCorpus,Murder,Rape,SexualAssault,Torture,UnitedStates
byHansSherrer
July27,2011
DeborahDebbieDenisePeaglerwas23whensentencedto25yearstolifeinprisonin
Californiaaftershepledguiltyin1983tofirstdegreemurderinthedeathofOliver
Wilson,whowaskilledbytwogangmembers.
Becausetherewasnotrialitwasntpublicly
disclosedthatWilsonterrorizedPeaglerinto
prostitutingherselfbyphysicallybeatingher
andpsychologicalabusethatincluded
threateningtokillherandforcinghertoplay
RussianRoullette.Whenshetriedtoescape
Wilsonwouldtrackherdownandafter
beatingherandevenusingawhiponher,she
wouldbeforcedtoresumeprostituting
DebbiePeaglerwithherlawyersJoshua
herself.WhenPeaglerfoundoutthatWilson
SafranandNadiaCostabeforeher
abusedher6yearolddaughtershefled
releasefromprison.(LifeSentence
againandsoughtthehelpoftwogang
Films)
memberstomakeWilsonleaveherandher
daughteralone.Wilsonwaskilledduringa
violentencounterwiththetwogangmembersinapublicpark.Peaglerwasntpresent
whenWilsonwaskilled,butshewaschargedwithconspiracyandfirstdegreemurder.
PeaglerspublicdefenderconvincedhertopledguiltybecausetheLACountyDA
threatenedtoseekthedeathpenaltyifshewenttotrialandlost.
In2002Californiaenactedalawthatretroactivelyallowedabatteredwomanto
challengeherconvictionifevidencerelatedtoherabusehadntbeenconsideredwhen
shewasconvicted.AftertheCaliforniaHabeasProjectinterviewedPeaglerand
determinedshemightbeeligibleforreliefunderthelaw,NadiaCostaandJoshua
Safran,realestatelawyerswithnocriminallawexperience,agreedtotakePeaglers
caseprobono.Therewerethenabletoconvinceaprivateinvestigatortoworkonher
caseprobono.CostaandSafranworkedonPeaglerscaseforsevenyearsbeforeshe
wasreleasedin2009after27yearsofincarcerationfromthetimeofherarrest.
Sheshouldhavebeenreleasedfouryearsearlier,butin2005LosAngelesCounty
DistrictAttorneySteveCooleyrenegedonhiswrittenagreementsupportingthevacating
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CrimeAfterCrimeIsDocumentaryAboutDeborahPeaglersMurderConvictionAndTheCampaignToFreeHerJusticeDenied

ofPeaglersfirstdegreemurderconviction
basedontheevidenceshewasabusedby
Wilson,andforittobesubstitutedwithher
guiltypleatovoluntarymanslaughteranda
sentenceoftimeserved.DACooleyeven
wrotethattheagreementservestheinterests
ofjustice.AfterCooleyrenegedPeaglers
lawyerssuedforenforcementofthe
agreement,buttheylost.
FreeDebbiePeaglerprotestersoutside
GovernorSchwarzeneggersLos
AngelesofficeonAugust19,2009.(Life
SentenceFilms)

In2007theinvestigatorworkingonPeaglers
caseobtainedacopyofamemowrittenon
October26,1983byanassistantdistrict
attorneythathadbeenkeptsecretfor24
yearsbytheDAsOffice.Thememodetails
thattheDAsOfficeknewtheinformantwhowasthekeywitnessagainstPeaglerandthe
twomalesaccusedofmurderingWilsoncommittedperjuryduringPeaglerspreliminary
hearingandthatitnotonlyunderminedhiscredibility,buthisperjuredtestimonywas
theonlyevidencethatsupportedseekingthedeathpenaltyagainsther.Also
underminingtheinformantscredibilitywasthememosstatementthatHewasalso
suspectedofdealinginnarcoticsandstolengoods.Althoughthememoincluded
informationthatcouldpossiblyresultinPeaglersacquittalbyajury,theDAsOffice
concealeditasitcontinuedtoputpressureonherlawyerthatshecouldgetthedeath
penaltyifhedidntconvincehertopleadguiltytofirstdegreemurder.Oneofthepeople
involvedinconcealingthememofromPeaglerwasFrederickP.Horn,aprosecutor
involvedinhercaseandwhoisnowanOrangeCountySuperiorCourtjudge.
PeaglerwasdiagnosedwithterminallungcancerinFebruary2009,andonJuly10,
2009theCaliforniaBoardofParoleHearingsfoundshewassuitablefora
compassionaterelease.DACooleysentalettertoGovernorArnoldSchwarzenegger
thatsuggestedPeaglershouldntbereleased.
OnAugust19,2009Peaglersfamilymembersand
othersupportersprotestedoutside
SchwarzeneggersLosAngelesoffice,demanding
herrelease.ThenextdaySchwarzenegger
declinedtoreviewtheparoleboardsfinding,which
allowedtheirdecisiontostand.Peaglerwas
releasedtwodayslateronAugust22.
DebbiePeaglerdiedonJune8,2010.Shewas50.
Beginningin2005filmmakerYoavPotashbegan
chroniclingtheeffortsofCostaandSafrantofree
Peagler.TheresultisthedocumentaryCrimeAfter
CrimewhichpremieredinJanuary2011atthe
SundanceFilmFestival.CrimeAfterCrimehas
CrimeAfterCrimeposter
gottenravereviewsfromLosAngelestoNewYork.
Onrottentomatoes.com89%oftheprofessional
reviewsarepositive,anditwaslikedby100%ofthepeoplewhosawitandregistered
theiropinion.TheNewYorkDailyNewsgavetheCrimeAfterCrime4starsandits
reviewstatesinpart:

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CrimeAfterCrimeIsDocumentaryAboutDeborahPeaglersMurderConvictionAndTheCampaignToFreeHerJusticeDenied

Ifyourelookingforamovietoshakeyoutoyourcore,skipTransformers
andseekoutYoavPotashsgutwrenchingdocumentary,instead.Hegivesus
extraordinaryheroesandunbelievablevillains,mindbendingtwistsand
heartbreakingturns.
HissubjectisDeborahPeaglerwhosservingalifesentenceforkillingapimp
whoforcedherintoprostitutionandsexuallyabusedtheirtoddler.Her
devoted,probonoattorneysworkforyearstoexposetheineptitudeand
corruptionthathasseeminglyledtoanillegalimprisonmentPotash
chroniclesitallwithcompassion.
Thisstorydoesntgowellwithpopcorn,andyouwontbeabletoshakeitoff
likesomanyblockbusters.Thatsaid,itslikelytobethemostunforgettable
filmyouseeallsummer.
ClickhereforCrimeAfterCrimeswebsite.Thedocumentaryisbeingshowninalimited
numberoftheatersaroundtheU.S.ItwillbeshowninSeattlebeginningonAugust26.
Clickheretoseeifitisscheduledtobeshowninatheaterinyourarea.
ByHansSherrer
JusticeDenied
Tags:abuse,beating,California,CrimeAfterCrime,deathsentence,DebbiePeagler,
DeborahPeagler,documentary,hanssherrer,innocence,innocencenetwork,innocence
project,innocent,JoshuaSafran,justicedenied,justicedenied,LosAngeles,miscarriage
ofjustice,murder,NadiaCosta,rape,sherrer,wrongfullyconvicted,wronglyconvicted,
YoavPotash
Permanentlinktothisarticle:http://justicedenied.org/wordpress/archives/1365

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