Letters to the Editor: 7-1-2021
Cooley deal Dear ER: Manhattan Beach Mayor Suzanne Hadley, Councilman Richard Montgomery and the rest of the city council did not do their homework when they voted to support the recall of Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon, led by former D.A. Steve Cooley (“Former DA leads recall rally,” Easy Reader June 10, 2021). The documentary “Crime After Crime” is an expose’ of Cooley’s role in blocking the release of Debbie Peagler, a Black survivor of domestic violence, wrongly convicted of the murder of her abusive boyfriend turned pimp. She was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison, and served 21 of these years. Two decades after her sentencing, the two men who committed the crime were identified. Uncovered by pro bono, was the fact that the D.A. had no evidence to justify the plea bargain offered Peagler. She was told to “take the deal” — prison for life — or take a chance on being executed. Young Peagler, who had a history of emotional abuse and physical battery, accepted the deal, motivated by concern for her six-year-old daughter. The D.A.’s office’s internal memo revealed the lie behind Peagler’s coerced deal. This memo should have opened the door to charges of…
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