Stewart Sentencing Delayed
Again By Clint Parker 5/08/2003
Retired Marine Sergeant Terry Stewart, who was to be sentenced in
late April, petitioned the court and received a court-appointed
lawyer in his sentencing trial.
Stewart applied for the lawyer after his first sentencing trial
was continued. He also asked for the continuance after all of his
motions before the court at the sentencing were denied, and it
looked as if prosecutors would ask that Stewart be sentenced to life
in prison.
Jack Stewart, an Asheville attorney and no relation to defendant
Stewart, was appointed by Judge Lacy Thornburg to act as defense
attorney. The case has also attracted the attention of the Omaha,
Nebraska-based "Free the Innocent."
"Free the Innocent" is a national non-profit organization
dedicated to helping those wrongly accused and/or convicted of
crimes. A representative of the group has already met with Terry
Stewart at the McDowell County prison where he's being held.
Along with "Free the Innocent" another group call AVIDD (American
Veterans in Domestic Defense) is looking at the Stewart case to see
if they wish to get involved.
AVIDD, a Houston, Texas-based group states that its mission
"...is a simple one. We want to once again serve our country and
help return the United States to the vision of our forefathers,
under the Constitution and our Bill of Rights.
"As concerned veterans, AVIDD will search out and identify
specifically who or what is causing the problems for America and
neutralize the negative impact on our society. We will study the
methods of these 'domestic enemies,' of the United States and plan a
strategy to neutralize their destructiveness.
"Our plan is to be as diplomatic as possible, but as assertive as
the law permits. AVIDD will encourage and support those individuals,
organizations, and corporations who are upholding our laws under the
Constitution, freedom, morality, Christian principles, etc.
"AVIDD will run interference for the good guys."
There are also three retired Marine Corp. generals and former
commandants of the Corp that are also being apprised of Stewart's
situation.
Stewart was convicted over several different charges in a case
involving Banyon International, a company that was run by Phillip
Mark Vaughan. The company specialized in investing for trusts, but
government prosecutors said that the business was nothing more than
a "ponsa" scheme.
The government also said that Stewart was a part of Banyon and
the scheme in which investors lost millions of dollars, but Stewart
has maintained that he was never a part of Banyon and has rejected
any thought of plea-bargaining.
However, without a lawyer and due to, what the Stewarts say is a
suppression of evidence and testimony, Stewart was convicted in
2001. Stewart has been in jail since then without being sentenced
until this year, when the Tribune ran a series of articles.
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