May he rest in peace

and recover from the dehumanizing treatment

from Ulster County, New York State and its

criminal justice system

 

Gary McGivern

1944-2001

 

As family members who visited New York's prisons

for 28 years, we speak from personal experience:

Brenda McGivern Mercurio

Dana Mercurio

Lisa Mercurio

Nancy Mercurio

and many family members

now on The Other Side

 

We witnessed Gary McGivern's long and painful struggle,

over years, to prove his innocence.

 

We witnessed and suffered through

the gross distortions in the media.

 

We witnessed the three trials in Ulster,

the more than reasonable doubt, the hung jury,

the death sentence thrown out by the state's highest court,

the appeals and dissent of judges.

 

We witnessed Gary's repeated requests for a polygraph

tests for years and finally he took two tests,

administered by national polygraph experts,

in conjunction with the NYS Lieutenant Governor's

office in 1979, and he passed.

 

We witnessed how Gary McGivern became

a prisoner of state and national politics.

 

We witnessed how Westchester County

and the state took no responsibility for negligence

in the transport of three prisoners in 1968.

 

We witnessed and felt deeply

the bias in the newspapers, the inexcusable

name calling and insensitivity

shown to Gary and many other families like us.

 

We have persisted because of

the loving care and concern

shown by hundreds of people over the years

who believe that what happened is unacceptable.

 

We support the establishment of an Innocence Commission

in New York State so that cases in dispute like this

are considered outside of local, state and national politics.

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Join us in remembering:

Family Life

Links

 

Visiting Gary McGivern in Prison

The Struggle for Gary's Freedom

 

Share Gary's story with us,

so that others don't have to endure a similar injustice.