Sponsored by:
Assemblyman MICHAEL INGANAMORT
District 24 (Morris, Sussex and Warren)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman Fantasia
SYNOPSIS
Urges Cuba to extradite Joanne Chesimard to U.S.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Assembly Resolution urging Cuba to extradite Joanne Chesimard to the United States.
Whereas, Joanne Chesimard, also known as Assata Shakur, was convicted in 1977 of the May 2, 1973 murder of New Jersey State Trooper Werner Foerster and wounding of New Jersey State Trooper James Harper during a shoot-out on the New Jersey Turnpike; and
Whereas, After being pulled over for a routine traffic stop, Joanne Chesimard and fellow members of the radical Black Liberation Army opened fire on Troopers Foerster and Harper, and Joanne Chesimard eventually killed Trooper Foerster reportedly execution style by shooting him in the head as he lay wounded by gunfire; and
Whereas, In 1977, Joanne Chesimard was sentenced to life in prison, but two years later escaped from a maximum security cell in what is now the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women in Union Township, New Jersey, and later fled to Cuba, where she was granted political asylum and has since lived; and
Whereas, State authorities have made numerous efforts to extradite Joanne Chesimard, including an appeal to Pope John Paul II, who made a historic trip to Cuba in 1998; and
Whereas, In 2013, Joanne Chesimard was the first woman named to the Federal Bureau of Investigations most wanted terrorist list, indicating State and federal law enforcement consider her to be one of the greatest threats to the American government; and
Whereas, President Obama recently announced that the United States will restore diplomatic relations it severed with Cuba more than 50 years ago; and
Whereas, In light of the re-establishment of diplomatic relations between the nations, Cuba is urged to extradite Joanne Chesimard to the United States so that she may be brought to justice for the murder of a dedicated law enforcement officer; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. This House urges Cuba to extradite Joanne Chesimard to the United States.
2. Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the Clerk of the General Assembly to the charge daffaires or United States Ambassador to Cuba and the Secretary of State of the United States.
STATEMENT
This Assembly Resolution urges Cuba to extradite Joanne Chesimard to the United States.
Joanne Chesimard, also known as Assata Shakur, was convicted in 1977 of the May 2, 1973 murder of New Jersey State Trooper Werner Foerster and wounding of New Jersey State Trooper James Harper during a shoot-out on the New Jersey Turnpike. After being pulled over for a routine traffic stop, Joanne Chesimard and fellow members of the radical Black Liberation Army opened fire on Troopers Foerster and Harper, and Joanne Chesimard eventually killed Trooper Foerster by shooting him in the head as he lay wounded by gunfire.
In 1977, Joanne Chesimard was sentenced to life in prison, but two years later she escaped from a maximum security cell in what is now the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women in Union Township, New Jersey. Joanne Chesimard later fled to Cuba, where she was granted political asylum and has lived ever since.
State authorities have made numerous efforts to extradite Joanne Chesimard and in 2013, Joanne Chesimard was the first woman named to the Federal Bureau of Investigations most wanted terrorist list.
Cuba is urged to extradite Joanne Chesimard to the United States so that she may be brought to justice for the murder of a dedicated law enforcement officer.