Freedom Campaigns

Mary Ramp is FREE!

On March 29, 2004 Judge Demetras of San Joaquin Superior Court granted the habeas petition filed by Keker & Van Nest LLP in San Francisco under Penal Code Section 1473.5 on behalf of Mary Ramp. Mary is a 56-year-old grandmother who had served more than 15 years in prison for her role in the death of her husband, who had repeatedly battered her. She was released from prison a few days later and has rejoined her family in Stockton.

Mary’s release was long overdue. Keker & Van Nest prepared a clemency petition on Mary’s behalf in 1992 that was submitted to then Governor Wilson, who never ruled on it. The clemency petition presented the Governor with evidence establishing that Mary had been trapped in an extremely abusive relationship, feared for her life, had tried unsuccessfully to leave her husband, and believed that there was no way out—both for her and for their young children.

Keker & Van Nest continued to represent Mary—who had been a model prisoner—in parole hearings before the Board of Prison Terms. They were unable to obtain her parole, though in 2002 the Board of Prison Terms approved her parole only to have former Gov. Davis inexplicably block her release.

Mary feels greatly indebted to the collaborating organizations of the California Habeas Project: Legal Services for Prisoners with Children, Free Battered Women (a project of the CA Coalition for Women Prisoners), USC Post-Conviction Justice Project, and CA Women’s Law Center, who fought for legislation to address the cases of women, like Mary, who were imprisoned for killing their batterers before the California Evidence Code was changed to explicitly allow expert testimony to explain battering and its effects. Indeed, Mary would still be in prison but for the groups’ efforts that led to the passage of Penal Code Section 1473.5, which allowed her to present the evidence of abuse as part of her habeas petition.

The Keker & Van Nest attorneys who worked on Mary’s case were Christopher Kearney, Andrea Evans, and Steve Taylor, assisted by Aaron Madfes and other KVN staff.