Press Releases

CA NAACP Takes Up Cause Of Clearlake 3

Sacramento, CA. The California State Conference of the NAACP has taken an advocacy role in a criminal case known as the Clearlake 3 in which a young man is charged with murdering his two childhood friends when they allegedly broke into a home to buy drugs. The owner of the home shot the two young men in the back after they were off his property and in the middle of the street and the third young man was charged with their murder under the Provocative Act Doctrine. The homeowner was not charged with any crime. According to Alice Huffman the President of the California NAACP, “The NAACP strongly feels that this is a current civil rights injustice case that should not be occurring in this day and time. There are elements of the case that make no sense and it is clear that justice for the murdered victims will not be vindicated until the true culprit is punished, and it is equally evident that the rights of the young man accused in this case have been compromised. We feel it is urgent to bring this civil rights case before the public.”

The California State Conference of the NAACP has enlisted the services of attorney, Stratton Barbee to file an amicus brief in support of Renato Hughes receiving a change of venue in this case. It is believed that this young man cannot receive a fair trial by a jury of his peers since less than 1% of the population is African American. This request for change of venue will be heard in Lake County Court on Wednesday, November 14, 2007 and the CA NAACP plans on attending that hearing and arranging for supporters of the Clearlake 3 to arrive at court in support of the families of these three young African American men.

Specifics of the case were reported to the CA NAACP at their annual convention when the families of the three young African American men involved in this case, were invited to address the delegates. Two young African American men, Christian Foster and Rashad Williams were killed by homeowner, Shannon Edmonds, after they and Renato Hughes allegedly broke into the Edmonds home to rob him of medicinal marijuana he was growing. They supposedly escaped and then Foster and Williams were shot in the back in the street off of the property of Shannon Edmonds. Ranato Hughes was soon arrested and charged with murder under the little used Provocative Act Doctrine which states that if someone while committing a crime provokes another person into killing an individual then the provoker can be charged with murder. It is believed that this case was not fully investigated and there was an immediate rush to judgment without fully vetting the background and circumstances of this tragic event and that of the homeowner, Shannon Edmonds.

The CA NAACP passed a resolution that:

1. formed a coordinating committee to inform and increase the awareness of this issue;
2. called for immediate release of Renato Hughes;
3. seeks the immediate prosecution of Shannon Edmonds, a known drug dealer, who admitted to the killing of Christian Foster and Rashad Williams;
4. asks for the immediate removal of Lake County prosecutor, Jon Hopkins;
5. and, a change of venue for Ranato Hughes because it is felt he cannot get a fair and impartial trial in Lake County.

Alice Huffman formed the Coordinating Committee under the leadership of Ken Nelson, President of the NAACP Richmond Branch and Reverend Amos Brown, President of the NAACP San Francisco Branch.