Free Robert!

Just spoke with Robert, his clemency application was denied, meaning his release date is still sometime in September.  His lawyer will be appealing the decision, and more letters of support will be needed, so if you haven’t sent yours in yet, please take the time to do so now.  See earlier posts for details and a sample letter.

In an effort to get as many letters as possible supporting Robert’s case, the deadline for submissions is now Apr 21st!  Please check out the last posting for a sample letter and details where to mail it!

Robert’s new lawyer will be applying for Clemency on his behalf and he needs as many letters of support as possible to convince the judge that Robert is a good person and has a great success rate at rehabilitation when he is released.  The letters cannot say anything derogatory about the Army or his incarceration, and don’t have to be from someone who knows him personally.  You will find below a sample letter to use if you don’t know him, just fill in how you found out about him, and if possible, personalize it a bit.  The letters MUST be sent to girightslawyer@gmail.com or be faxed to 1-866-757-8785 no later than APRIIL7!!

If you have known Robert since before his deployment to Iraq, please mention any changes you’ve seen in him since he returned from service, as his last trial glossed over the effect of Post Traumatic Service Disorder and his new lawyer wants to stress this as an issue.

Thank you for your help, and please take a moment to copy and send this email.  A minute of your life would mean so much to a forgotten soldier.

***

To Whom it May Concern,

I have come to know of Robert Giles through _________________.  From all the effort his friends and family have put into spreading the word about his plight, I can tell that he is the sort of person who is well-loved by all who meet him. He is also blessed with a supportive and loving family who stay in close contact with him and his friends.

Whereas many people in a situation similar to his would expect to lose touch with many friends, old and new, Robert has not only stayed in contact with all of his close friends, he has received many letters from old friends who he hasn’t heard from since high school, his service in Iraq, basic training, and old band mates.  He has also made many new friends from people who have heard of his situation, or know of him through acquaintances, all of whom want to show their support and offer friendship for this difficult period.

Many lives have been affected by Robert’s incarceration, and he is missed by everyone who knows him.  We are all hoping and praying for his swift return to our lives.  He is a positive influence on those around him, living, as he always has, a life free of drugs and alcohol, and has never had a run-in with the law before this incident.  He is a positive role model, not only for the youth of the local music scene, but for his peers too. With Robert’s broad network of supportive friends, family and co-workers, it is assured that he will make his transition to everyday life easily and as seamlessly as possible.

Sincerely,

Your Name Here

Robert finally had a face-to-face meeting with his lawyer provided by Disposable Warriors this week, and he sounded very hopeful that he could get Robert a new hearing in April or May.  Interestingly, he said that Robert’s sentence was only the second longest he’s ever seen for AWOL charges, the longest being 18 months, but Robert’s 15-month sentence was also exceptional.  To put this in perspective, other prisoners charged with what most civilians would consider actual crimes, like drug charges and violent crimes child molestation and assault generally serve only a few months.  The Army has a tendency to punish more severely actions that are only considered crimes within the military. 

If you’d like to help the cause, pin-up model and burlesque performer Bettina May will be donating 100% of the sales from her online store to Disposable Warriors until the end of March, so check out her online store to help.

This past weekend, Robert’s new lawyer went to visit him for the first time at Fort Sill, but was denied access to him, even though Robert is supposed to have unlimited access to his lawyer.  We’re now waiting to hear why this occurred, and Robert is hoping he’ll be able to get another visit soon.  It seems obvious, however, that the army is not willing to cooperate, and will make it very difficult for Robert to appeal.  It’s also frustrating because his new lawyer has taken on the case free of charge, so driving out of his way only to be detained for a few hours and then turned away took valuable time away from the 70+ other cases he’s working on through DisposableWarriors.com.

If you haven’t done so already, please consider donating to Chuck Luther directly through his website above so he can continue advocating on behalf of veterans abused by the US Army, or use the paypal link at the top of this page and we’ll forward that money onto Chuck for you.

Quoted from the facebook group for Robert set up by his band, The Old Guard:

“Recently, A soldiers advocate by the name of Chuck Luther has found out about Robert’s situation and is currently working on his case with the help of another attorney. They have been given all of the documentation regarding his case and feel that it is a situation which deserves their attention.

Please take the time to email Chuck Luther thanking him for his time and interest in Robert’s case! His email address is chuckluther@disposablewarriors.com

For more on his organization and the kind of work that he does, or to make a donation,visit www.disposablewarriors.com”

Please support Chuck and all the great work he does to support and honour veterans.

Robert had his trial today, and unfortunately the judge gave him 15 months, so he will be in for another year, since he’s already served 3 months waiting for his trial date.  To add insult to injury, he will be locked up in solitary over Christmas while he is waiting to be released into the general population of the jail he’s already been serving time in the pretrial section, unnecessarily cruel.

This sentencing also means that he will no longer be receiving the paltry salary the army was giving him while he was in pretrial, so he is in desperate need of donations so he can continue to call his family and write letters, he needs to pay for all the calls and stamps and paper himself. Please donate whatever you are able using the paypal button above, and if you are able to donate items for an upcoming auction or want to help organize a fundraiser, please contact us at xrobertgilesx@gmail.com.

Robert is hoping to have a trial date of December 21st, and his lawyer has found someone who served with him in Iraq to testify on his behalf, so there is some hope that he could be out soon.  He is always in need of funds to pay for phone calls home and postage to mail family and friends, so please help a lonely soldier and hardcore kid make the best of a Christmas in Army prison and donate whatever you can today.  If you want to write him letters or send him books, write xrobertgilesx@gmail.com and we’ll send you his mailing address.