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Learn about innocent 15-year-old Latino honor student named Efren Paredes, Jr. who was wrongly convicted in 1989 for a murder and armed robbery he did not commit; a crime to which others plead guilty. The crime occurred in St. Joseph, Michigan (Berrien County), USA.

The case against Efren was entirely circumstantial. There was no physical evidence linking Efren to the crime, no eyewitnesses to the crime, and Efren was home with his parents and two brothers when the crime occurred. He was arrested, tried and convicted in a three month period and was sentenced to three life sentences. Efren was arrested at age 15 and is now 33-years-old.

Efren's sentence is a deplorable injustice which violates the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Convention On Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the Convention On the Rights of the Child (CRC), and other internationally recognized treaties.

Efren has received letters of support from notable scholars and activists across the country including Dr. Carlos Munoz, Jr., Professor Emeritus, University of California, Berkeley, author and activist; Dr. Elizabeth "Betita" Martinez, Director, Institute for MultiRacial Justice, author, and activist; Dr. Martha Grace Duncan, Professor of Law, Emory University, and author; Dr. Walter Garcia-Kawamoto, Journal of Adolescent Research, Manuscript Consulting Editor; Elena Herrada, Director of Centro Obrero, activist, and writer; Elisha Miranda aka E-Fierce, filmmaker, writer, and activist; Michelle Herrera Mulligan, writer, editor; and others.

Efren also enjoys the support of world renowned wrongful convictions expert Paul Ciolino, a veteran private investigator.

Ciolino is the author of numerous articles in professional publications and the book "In the Company of Giants: The Ultimate Investigation Guide for Legal Professionals, Activists, Journalists & the Wrongfully Convicted". In addition he co-wrote the best-selling and critically acclaimed textbooks "Advanced Forensic Criminal Defense Investigations" and "Advanced Forensic Civil Investigations".

Ciolino is chief investigative advisor to Northwestern University Law School's Center on Wrongful Convictions, the Medill School of Journalism, and DePaul University Center for Justice in Capital Cases.

In 2003, when former Illinois governor George Ryan granted clemency and pardons to 167 death row inmates, he cited Ciolino's investigative work, which helped free five innocent men, as one of the reasons for the en masse commutations.

According to Ciolino, "There is not one shred of credible evidence to suggest that Efren was involved in the murder. No weapon, no eyewitnesses, no physical evidence, no motive, no prior conduct to suggest that a 15-year-old student athlete, and honor role student with zero criminal background, would have planned, participated or committed this murder. The community and jury were sold a bill of goods based on the words of drug dealers and thieves."

The National Lawyers Guild has also endorsed our efforts to free Efren. The National Lawyers Guild is a membership of progressive civil rights attorneys. It is dedicated to the need for basic and progressive change in the structure of our political and economic system. Through its members--lawyers, law students, jailhouse lawyers and legal workers united in chapters and committees — the Guild works locally, nationally and internationally as an effective political and social force in the service of the people.

Letters of support from these individuals can be viewed on Efren's web site at www.4Efren.com under the "General Information" tab.

To learn more about this injustice or support a new trial for Efren please visit our 1/29/07 MySpace blog entry and visit the following:

Web Site: www.4Efren.com
Online Petition: http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/4Efren
Blog: http://4Efren.blogspot.com

We now have a PowerPoint presentation that is available about Efren's wrongful conviction for people to download and view. Click here to download the file.

To view the presentation unzip the file and and click on the file pptview.exe in the folder. After that click on the file JusticeforEfrenParedes,Jr3.ppt and the presentation will begin.

You are encouraged to view the presentation and share it with others. You can also comment on the presentation on Efren's MySpace page and Facebook page so others can read them as well.

To assist Efren you are encouraged to:

1) add him as a friend on MySpace and Facebook,
2) move him into your top friends list to give his profile increased visibility,
3) sign his online petition, and
4)share this page with others so they can do the same. A link to Efren's Facebook page is available below.

I am also interested in meeting people who share my interests about combating social injustice and trying to end youth violence. These issues definitely need as much attention and energy as can possibly be generated.

I have started a Facebook group and MySpace group named End Latino Youth Violence Initiative aimed at spreading the end youth violence message. You are encouraged to join those groups and ask others to join them as well.

I am also interested in meeting writers and sharing my writings with people who are interested in reading them.