Judges for Justice member speaks about Christopher Tapp’s release
Judge Mike Heavey (Ret.), a member of the Judges for Justice group, has issued a statement about Christopher Tapp’s pending release. Judge Heavey was one of the members of the group who worked for years to clear Christopher Tapp’s name.
The letter from Judge Heavey is included below in its entirety:
Shalom amigos,
Tomorrow, Wednesday, March 22, 2017, Chris Tapp will be free after over 20 years in prison. He has been locked up continuously since January 29, 1997.
He is an innocent person.
It has been an honor to have worked on this case the past four years.
It was Divine providence, when after spending two years listening to 25 hours of interrogation video, that I chose to view a polygraph video. It was in the polygraph videos that we see the coercion, manipulation and eventual brainwashing of an impressionable 20 year-old high school dropout. In my opinion, this Divine intuition, broke the logjam of this obvious wrongful conviction.
It is imperfect justice that Chris walks out of prison with a 2nd degree murder conviction. I spent an hour yesterday trying to talk him out of that result. If we held on for the April hearing in front of Judge Alan Stephens he would have complete exoneration. But I respect that he wants out NOW . I would feel the same way.
I want to thank all of you who have worked on this case and supported Judges for Justice. J4J is a big reason he is being freed tomorrow, the polygraph coercion was the “new evidence” that got him out. But no person or entity is the sole reason. If Carol Dodge, the victim’s mother, would not have been so tenacious and courageous in pursuing her daughter’s killer, Chris Tapp would be in prison for the rest of his life. Also he would still be in prison if Tapp’s public defender, John Thomas, would not have continued to passionately represent him (his boss said do not work on Tapp case), or if Angel O’Brien had not done all of the early work, or if Idaho Innocence Project and Greg Hampikian had not gotten this case exposure in the national media, if Gregg McCrary, Dr. Charles Honts, Steve Moore, and Steve Drizin not been involved, if New York Innocence Project, Peter Neufeld, Vanessa Potkin been not involved. I hesitate to name names, because so many were instrumental in Chris’ release.
Judges for Justice and our supporters had so many involved – Faraz Zarghami our videographer was key – see videos at http://www.judgesforjustice.org/, also key – my wife Connie Heavey, Jolyn Thomas, Steve Moore, Cambea Ezell, Tom Palm, Christine Wieloch, Jim Lovering, Tom Wright, Vic Kepler, Jon Keasey, Mark O’Donnell, Eric Gillett, Bill Finkbeiner, son Michael James Heavey, Jack Connelly, Micah LeBank, Brooke Marvin, Leo Novsky, Chris Taylor, Maria Cantwell, John Rudolf, Nanc Rudolf, Jonathan Parramore, Kathryn Evans, Jerry Evans, Bruce Fischer and many more.
If Gregg McCrary had not written, pro bono, the first false confession report, nothing might have happened. Also our polygraph expert, Dr. Charles Honts (polygraph was a “psychological rubber hose”), it may not have come to together.
The Idaho Falls newspaper Post Register was courageous and exemplified the best characteristics of the Fourth Estate, their coverage was critical to our goal of changing public opinion. We were able to help change public opinion from the belief that Chris was a cold-blooded killer to a belief that he was an innocent man, wrongfully convicted.
Also the judges that have been supported us and been involved – Carol Schapira, Deb Fleck, Richard Sanders, Peter Deegan, the list goes on.
My deepest and heartfelt thanks to you all,
Mike
