March 25, 2023
Encouraging news, after 𝟑𝟔 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 of unspeakable injustice:
On Aug. 28-30, Junior Chandler's lawyers with Duke's Wrongful Convictions Clinic will present evidence of his innocence at a hearing in Boone before Superior Court Judge Gary Gavenus.
Earlier, Judge Gavenus denied, without an evidentiary hearing, five of Junior’s seven claims supporting his innocence, but he ordered the August hearing on the last two:
1) that, during Junior’s trial in 1987 [background in first comment], prosecutors violated Brady v. Maryland, a federal constitutional requirement that they turn over evidence favorable to the defendant and withheld significant evidence demonstrating that Junior did not commit the crimes he was charged with – and that, in fact, no crimes ever occurred; and
2) that prosecutors allowed their most important witnesses to testify falsely, which Junior's lawyers could not prove without the Brady evidence being withheld.
These are powerful and well documented claims, deeply rooted in this country's promise of fair treatment for all defendants -- a promise that for Junior Chandler has remained broken since 1987. ... See MoreSee Less

Junior Chandler's affect in a Boone courtroom over three days in late August gave few clues that the rest of his life was at stake.
Wearing an orange jumpsuit and wrist shackles, Junior sat composed and attentive a few feet in front of Superior Court Judge Gary Gavenus as half a dozen lawyers debated the 1987 trial that resulted in consecutive life sentences plus 21 years for the "satanic ritual abuse" of his Madison County day-care bus riders.
Occasionally he would wince at seeing video of a pediatrician or social worker struggling to defend their profoundly flawed testimony of 36 years ago.
I asked Junior what he would've told Judge Gavenus had he himself been called to testify. Here's what he wrote me from Avery-Mitchell Correctional Institution:
"My name is Andrew Edward Chandler Jr. I am 66 years old, and I have been been in prison since April 17, 1987, for crimes I am 100% innocent of!
"I have lost many of my family in that time. My son Andy is now 44 years old, son Nathan will be 40 this month. My Mom is 87 years old. My brother Robert, who took care of Mom, passed away on June 12th, the day before her birthday.
"How much time is enough when there was only hearsay evidence that convicted me! I can only Hope and Pray that Justice will finally come my way and I will have the chance to get to know my sons and grandkids and great grandsons one day!"
It's been almost four months since Junior's hearing in Boone -- and 2.5 years since Judge Gavenus received his Motion for Appropriate Relief. Is it too much to expect that Junior be granted that relief before beginning yet another year behind bars? ... See MoreSee Less

Notes from this week's evidentiary hearing in Boone on Junior Chandler's Motion for Appropriate Relief (background in first comment):
"𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐌𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐲 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐉𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐫 𝐝𝐢𝐝."
-- Bus rider being prompted in interview with social worker Linda King (reported in the original transcript, but omitted from the prosecution's trial summary)
"𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐮𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐧'𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐝."
-- Jim Coleman, noting prosecutors' violation of the Brady Rule against withholding evidence
"𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐥𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲."
-- John Honeycutt, assistant DA for Madison County, dismissing the defense's claims as irrelevant
"𝐘𝐨𝐮'𝐯𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐞."
-- Superior Court Judge Gary Gavenus, scolding the defense for straying beyond the limits of subject matter he had authorized
"𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐅𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐦."
-- Social worker King, insisting that one of Junior's bus riders actually could've fallen into the French Broad River, as claimed, without her parents noticing anything amiss when she arrived home. ... See MoreSee Less