TCRP Wins Release of Deserving Prisoner

This summer, Raymond Gross will walk out of prison a free man, thanks to the work of the Texas Civil Rights Project.

Mr. Gross will have served over 11 years in prison for committing a crime where no one was injured. During his time in prison, he has maintained a perfect disciplinary record and completed every educational program available to him. He has completed correspondence courses in religious studies, and learned several trades. For the past several years, he has operated the prison’s boiler system, outside the prison gates, with little to no supervision by guards.

“Ray’s case illustrates the problems with the parole system in Texas,” explains TCRP Prisoners’ Rights Attorney Scott Medlock. “He had done everything he could to turn his life around, and was denied parole until he had an attorney step in to help him out. Ray’s hard work made him an ideal candidate for parole today, but he was also an ideal candidate years ago when he first became eligible for parole. The Parole Board needs to take a harder look at cases like Ray’s where someone has completely changed themselves and earned another chance. Someone like Ray shouldn’t have needed a lawyer to be paroled.”

In 2003, Mr. Gross filed a lawsuit without the assistance of a lawyer claiming the Parole Board failed to provide him with due process. His case was dismissed by the district court, and his appeal to the Fifth Circuit was also rejected.

Remarkably, when he appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, still without the assistance of counsel, Mr. Gross won and the case was remanded to the Fifth Circuit. TCRP began representing Mr. Gross before the Fifth Circuit, but the claims were eventually dismissed on remand. Before filing another suit, TCRP represented Mr. Gross before the Parole Board during his 2008 review, and was able to secure his release.

“TCRP believes there are serious constitutional problems with the parole system in Texas,” explained Medlock, “but we are glad we have to find another client to pursue these claims.”

Letter from Mr. Gross, thanking TCRP:

Dear Scott,

This is the first letter I have written in the past eleven years where I believed I had another chance at life. There are absolutely no words that could express the array of emotions I am experiencing at this moment.

I have not heard from the Parole Board, and your letter this morning seems like a dream I am afraid I will awaken from and find it’s not true. Please tell everyone in your office, that if I was there I would hug everyone’s neck!

Please, please, tell all of them how grateful I am, and how thankful I will always be for their support over these past years.

Also, please let them know I fully understand the position is places all of you in when representing someone who is released from prison. Then foolishly does something which questions, or undermines the efforts and resources you generously gave. I assure you that I will never make any decision in life where I could be considered a criminal. I will be one of the people you can look back on and know you made the right decision in helping get their life back. I truly intend on being an example in which the TCRP can use to justify your efforts and purpose.

It would be a privilege to be able to one day work with you all, even in a volunteer position. This will be one of my personal goals.

Scott, thank you. Those two words seem so insufficient for what you have done. There really is no way for me to express my gratitude towards you. But I can assure you, some way in the future, I will find some way to remind you of what true gratitude is. I have learned many life lessons in these past eleven years. One of the greatest lessons I learned is loyalty and the value of friends. As you know, you are my friend first, lawyer second. I only hope I can be as true a friend towards you as you have been an attorney towards me.

Please tell your Mother, “The hardened criminal” said, her son did a real good job in giving someone a second chance at life!

I hope to hear from you soon,

As always, you and your family are in my Prayers,

God Bless you Scott!