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LIVE: Killer Susan Smith Fights to Get Out of Prison — Parole Hearing — Transcript

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0:03[Music]
0:10the systems Rigg man it's time to break
0:12free Eyes Wide Open got to see what I
0:15see standing on the front lines fighting
0:17for the truth lift the V of Lies it's
0:20time to be the proof take a stand don't
0:23you back down
0:32[Music]
0:39the systems rig man it's time to break
0:40free Eyes Wide Open got to see what I
0:43see standing on the front lines fighting
0:45for the truth lift the veil of Lies it's
0:48time to be the proof take a stand don't
0:51you back down back down Raise Your Voice
0:56let's shake the town sh the to where the
1:00voices that won't be
1:04ignored Breaking Chains yeah we're ready
1:09forward with the
1:18[Music]
1:23power the systems Rigg man it's time to
1:26break free Eyes Wide Open got to see
1:29what I see standing on the front lines
1:31fighting for the truth lift the ve of
1:33Lies it's time to be the proof take a
1:36stand don't you back down back down
1:40Raise Your Voice let's shake the
1:44town with the voices that won't be
1:49ignored Breaking Chains yeah we're ready
1:55forward with the power
2:03[Music]
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13:38the board is I'm sorry I still had you
13:40muted my apologies the board is I just
13:44need to confirm there is some other
13:45conversation is everything okay yes
13:48ma'am we are ready thank
13:51you thank you so much Miss Hunter if you
13:53can advise when the recording has
13:57begun the recorder has be
14:00done thank you the time now was 11:41
14:03a.m. we're resuming our hearings our
14:06next case will be case number
14:0934 case number 34 Susan
14:13Smith one moment as leth connects and
14:17she does have supporters and we'll be
14:19represented by attorney Tommy Thomas
14:22thank you one moment as all parties
14:24connect Miss Brown Henry H I do have a
14:26statement that I need to read into the
14:28record please
14:30please yes ma'am thank you I have
14:33received this
14:35correspondence it is addressed to The
14:37Honorable chair Kimberly Frederick dated
14:40November 20th
14:412024 please be advised that I will
14:44recuse myself in the parole hearing of
14:46Susan Smith number
14:5022487 I was acting Warden at Camille
14:53gram Correctional Center in 1999 where
14:56inmate Smith was housed and subsequent
14:59ly transfer to Le Correctional
15:01Institution I have determined that it is
15:03appropriate to recuse to eliminate any
15:05appearance of affecting her opportunity
15:08for Paro respectfully Gerald deine P
15:12Mir thank you Mrs Mir this is accepted
15:15if you would please exit the
15:17room thank
15:25you Mrs miror has recused herself of
15:28this case and has exited the R thank
15:32you thank you we have moved her site
15:35into the lobby
15:37briefly and one moment as we admit to
15:40all
15:54parties there at least May I'm
15:56confirming you are Miss Susan Smith
16:01yes
16:02ma'am you and attorney Tommy Thomas are
16:05you able to hear us yes ma'am I am thank
16:08you and they're at the support site
16:09confirm you are hearing support of Miss
16:11Susan
16:14Smith ask can you
16:17hear yes we can
16:20hear and you're here in support of Miss
16:23Smith yes ma'am thank you all for
16:26joining you before the board please a
16:28wait for the chairman to address you
16:31good morning Miss Smith good morning Mr
16:33Thomas and good morning to the folks at
16:35Watkins thank you all for being here
16:37with us today we hope everyone is doing
16:39well miss Smith I want you to know that
16:42we have received the packet of
16:43information that Mr Thomas's office
16:46provided to us on your behalf and we
16:48have reviewed that packet so thank you
16:50for submitting that in advance of this
16:52hearing today Mr Thomas are you going to
16:55begin or is your client going to begin
16:59uh yes ma'am I'll be glad to begin yes
17:03sir uh members of the board good morning
17:06uh this is Susan Smith's um role hearing
17:09this has probably been one of the most
17:12difficult cases that um I have had to
17:15put together for a parole presentation
17:18um just lots of different factors to
17:20consider um she's been convicted of
17:23murder of course uh she has served 30
17:27years and she was 23 at the time time
17:29that this incident occurred um she was
17:32sentenced to life with the elig
17:34eligibility appr Pro so that's why she
17:36is here today um I'm not really going to
17:39speak much about the crime um there are
17:41some things that I want to cover and
17:44that's not out of
17:45disrespect um we were very concerned
17:48about that um today is Susan's parole
17:52heing and uh so today it's going to be
17:55about Susan and I want to make sure that
17:58uh the things that are important not
18:00only to her uh but to this hearing and
18:03this board um are presented and I want
18:06to thank you in advance for your time um
18:09to listen to everything um this story is
18:13really a mental health story um some of
18:17this stuff I've known Susan for a couple
18:19of years and we've been working on this
18:22case um one of the things when I first
18:25met her was of course trying to kind of
18:28figure out out some Rhyme or Reason as
18:30to you know how these things have
18:32happened and uh was able to uh find and
18:37have uh someone come to see her on a
18:40routine basis for uh
18:42counseling and um also to try to help
18:46her you know through the daily things
18:48with Department of
18:49Corrections um as a result that's kind
18:52of what I kind of uh came to the
18:54conclusion was it is a mental health
18:57story um it's about about uh the dangers
19:01of untreated mental health it is about
19:04um the lack of insight the lack of
19:08diagnosis into mental health and it's
19:12about stigmas uh old stigmas um of
19:15course I'm 68 years old I remember those
19:18um hopefully they're not as bad today
19:20Susan was hospitalized uh as a young
19:24teen uh for a short period of time uh
19:27for mental health health treatment and
19:31not to disparage anybody but her mom um
19:35was telling folks that she was in the
19:36hospital because she had a um strip uh
19:40infection so those were things that we
19:42didn't talk about those were things that
19:45um were pushed under the rug so to speak
19:49because they were embarrassing they
19:50showed weakness I don't know what they
19:53showed um but they showed up and
19:56culminated in Susan um as a result of a
20:01day that all of this uh came together
20:05and produced um some horrendous um
20:08results so I think it's important to
20:11Susan if anybody if anything comes out
20:14of this hearing it's that people
20:18understand um there's nothing to be
20:20ashamed of um there's nothing and no
20:23reason not to reach out and seek
20:26treatment and there is certainly um um
20:29no Stigma that should be involved in
20:32trying to better yourself help yourself
20:35um for yourself and for others members
20:37of the family and everyone Susan uh
20:40moving on Susan is a high school
20:42graduate she has uh some college with uh
20:45USC Union she uh has attended
20:48International Christian college and
20:50she's worked on an associates degree
20:52she's still actually working on that uh
20:55in Christian Counseling um she has no
20:58prior record that I'm aware of uh if her
21:02she be living with her brother uh Scotty
21:04Von Scotty is here today and very
21:06briefly wanted to address the board the
21:09job for her um she has served 30 years
21:12so she's been in Department Corrections
21:14for a long time would be through
21:16vocational rehab um the P program as
21:20probation of Paro uh would know it and
21:23we have made arranged much for after
21:26care uh with the licensed mental health
21:29professional uh you have that
21:30information in the packet that's been
21:32provided to you um some of the programs
21:36that I I took the time to look at
21:38everything to look at the programs that
21:40she's been involved in and um I'm not
21:43going to speak about all of those that
21:45you because you have those in the packet
21:48uh the ones that I think are important
21:50and relevant
21:51today uh is the uh self harmers group uh
21:56she has committed uh a attempted to
21:59commit suicide uh on several different
22:02occasions within the Department of
22:03Corrections uh seven habits uh Beyond
22:07abuse jump start uh which she is a great
22:10fan of she does not have um a drug or
22:14alcohol addiction thank goodness um she
22:17has been active on OVO and the cipher
22:20Works programs uh loss and grief uh
22:23healing seminars women's empowerment
22:27anger management
22:29self-esteem and domestic violence uh
22:32workshops I normally and I've presented
22:35a number of parole hearings um I first
22:39started with this thinking that it had
22:41to be different than normally what I
22:43would do as far as a
22:45presentation um and I came to the
22:47conclusion maybe this week that it
22:50doesn't um I think it is and I will
22:53stick with what I would normally do in
22:55as far as the structure of my
22:56presentation
22:58um what I always begin with with the
23:01board is contributing factors because I
23:03believe that's important um we need to
23:07know um what was going on why it was
23:10going on for the board to be able to uh
23:14make a informed decision about her
23:16parole um expectations and her parole
23:20eligibility uh and um what kind of
23:22candidate she is for parole one of the
23:26things that has jumped out at me and I
23:27saw this last night um in the media um
23:31and I know that Susan wants to speak and
23:34because she feels like it's important to
23:36get the truth out there is this is not
23:40about the love for another man um I saw
23:42it on local TV about uh how this was all
23:45about another man and and him not
23:47wanting children from what I have been
23:50able to determine that is just not true
23:53uh I had spoken with David Brook who was
23:55the defense attorney on a number of
23:57different occasions
23:59uh David has been a great source of
24:01information uh in regards to Susan uh he
24:05indicated to me that uh this was a
24:09theory um of uh a motive um by the state
24:14that's think that's where we think it
24:16developed uh however um this was never
24:19proven at trial and it was actually
24:22abandoned uh by the state so um but it
24:25has stuck and I just wanted to I know
24:27it's important to her to bring this to
24:29your attention um the contributing
24:32factors in this case were multiple
24:35stress points um they converged all at
24:38the same time and um we are certainly
24:42not trying um to to uh say anything
24:47about you know the horrific of this
24:50crime it is and she was found guilty but
24:53we're trying to kind of maybe present to
24:55the parole board how how these
24:58um things developed and how it's
25:01possible that something like this could
25:03happen um one of the things that has
25:06been important in her life and I think
25:08is a um a huge contributor uh to this
25:12crime is the suicide of her dad at age
25:15six um horrific um just horrific and she
25:20was she blamed
25:23herself uh how could he leave me um and
25:27I think it sets the stage um for the
25:30beginning of some serious mental health
25:33issues some serious
25:35depression um which just kind of
25:37culminates and and continues to to
25:40snowball um and the lack of you know
25:43recognition and treatment for this issue
25:45with her dad I mean it was like uh the
25:48old stigma of um you know we just tough
25:52through these these terrible situations
25:55and you know that's how it's done um
25:58it's not done that way um there were
26:01some attempts to get some sort of
26:04psychological help for her after a
26:06couple of suicide attempts um and uh
26:11never R went anywhere she was the child
26:15um the adults in the picture um did not
26:19can't blame them I think it was the
26:21times uh did not seek and try to uh
26:25understand the depth and the
26:26significance of this and what it was
26:28going to produce um at a later date um
26:33severe
26:34depression
26:36um
26:37potentially um depression after um the
26:42birth of her last child um which was
26:45also
26:46undiagnosed and that postpartum
26:49depression that existed in a severe
26:52situation um just in culmination I
26:56apologize for reading something to the
26:58board but I've looked at so much
27:00material and if I can beg the board's uh
27:03attention for a few minutes I would like
27:05to say this and read this because I
27:08think it summarizes everything that I've
27:11been talking about and everything that
27:14um Susan uh wanted to talk about what
27:17happened um she said to me and this was
27:20not in preparation for parole I found
27:23this uh buried in a bunch of documents
27:26that had been provided to me and it is
27:29from Susan and she says I believe this
27:32is what happened to me on October 25th
27:361994 I lost touch with reality my
27:40thoughts were not rational nor logic I
27:44don't think I understood that if I
27:46allowed this car to go into the lake um
27:50that I would never see my children again
27:53the finality of it was not real to me
27:56because my thought were so screwed up at
27:58the time my mind I thought was doing
28:02what was best for them I knew Jesus
28:05would take better care of them than I
28:09could I was truly it was truly a moment
28:12of
28:13insanity there are no easy explanations
28:17and not um much understanding how can
28:21you make sense of something that is
28:24senseless and I think that um shows the
28:28remorse that she's had she's lived with
28:30this for forever since this thing um
28:34when I first met her and I would go and
28:36see her um remorse is difficult you know
28:40that's something with the parole
28:42hearings that I presented for years is
28:45to how do you say uh how do you
28:48demonstrate remorse um people do it in
28:51different manners and I always look for
28:53that I always ask my clients um you know
28:56and and look for the remorse I could see
28:58the pain on her face um it was so
29:03difficult um talking about things were
29:06extremely difficult and not because she
29:11didn't want to talk about them it's just
29:12because it was so hard to talk about
29:15them so I think that she is truly
29:17remorseful for what happened um and I
29:20think she would do anything in the world
29:23um to bring these children back but
29:27moving on to the next um consideration
29:30in this presentation is really changes
29:33what changes has she made in herself in
29:36prison one of the things I think is
29:37important is that she has no prior
29:39history um nothing that would lead up to
29:44believe that um someone would be capable
29:47of a crime of this nature which I think
29:49is also indicative of what their risk is
29:53if the board was um inclined to allow
29:57her to to participate on parole I don't
30:00think that was is a risk and I think
30:02that's what our um counselor who uh had
30:07seen her on a regular basis for a number
30:09of years also uh indicated that it was
30:12very low risk she's been IRC uh chairman
30:16uh W within the institution that means
30:19something um you're voted on by your
30:22peers and uh it is an honor um to be in
30:25that position she is a been a math tutor
30:28in education she's helped uh numerous
30:31inmates uh obtain their GED she's been
30:34in the character arts
30:36program uh prison fellowship which is I
30:39think is extremely important to her um
30:42she's much stronger in her faith um than
30:46she has ever been um and that is a
30:51comfort for her it's something that um
30:54that she enjoys is something that is
30:56extremely important jum start good
30:58program um she's been in that program um
31:02she would actually like to go to jump if
31:05the board would consider her um for
31:08parole um he has been out of the program
31:11for a couple of years and that would be
31:13she'd have to do some other things for
31:15that to happen so that's why we have
31:17chosen that um she would go and live
31:20with her brother good solid individual
31:23in the community willing to um uh help
31:27her in any manner and um one thing I've
31:32noticed from the family and friends is
31:35that we mourn with her um the pain of
31:41this crime but um we still love her and
31:45we're there for her um so she has that
31:49uh for her and uh which is a great
31:53resource if the board was going to
31:54consider um her for uh parole
31:58one of the other things I've noticed is
32:00giving back to the community uh arts and
32:02crafts she's made arts and crafts that
32:05she's donated to charity uh she's helped
32:08uh St judees um she's helped staff
32:12members she said that um an insight into
32:16what's going on with her um stand on her
32:20own two feet not to be influenced by
32:22others uh live a better life think
32:26before acting um and you know other
32:29people are affected by um your decisions
32:32and your actions and the importance of
32:34mental health I think that comes back
32:37into what we're talking about um it's
32:41not a it's not an excuse but it is
32:44certainly uh some indication or maybe
32:47explanation as to um what was going on
32:51um the goals and this is is my final
32:54area for my presentation is that
33:00um I don't think she'll ever be able to
33:02forgive
33:03herself um that is something that she
33:05struggles with forever I don't think
33:07that creates a danger to anyone except
33:10potentially maybe a danger to her um her
33:14medications her mental health
33:16medications have been um balanced well U
33:20by the Department of Corrections um I
33:23think she thinks as clear now as she
33:25ever has um I think think that she is
33:28able to establish goals and what she
33:32would like to do um in her life and and
33:36I think on the top of that list is to
33:38give back and to try to help others um
33:43she said that um no one should suffer um
33:47in the way that um uh in their treatment
33:51um there is there is help available and
33:55um she wants to help to get out and
33:58maybe help to promote that um that
34:01concept that there's help out there um
34:04you just have to seek it and um she said
34:07she'd like to live a quiet life she
34:10would welcome supervision uh if granted
34:12parole and maybe that is the best thing
34:15about this situation um from that type
34:18of um situation is that uh if she's
34:22granted parole um it is for life and she
34:26will be supervised and she will be
34:28monitored by the uh Department of
34:31Probation and Parole services for the
34:33rest of her life um she said that she
34:36would welcome that because that is
34:39another pillar of stability that is
34:42available for her that she can reach out
34:45to and she said that that would be a
34:48vital and instrumental part of her life
34:50she loves animals um she said that would
34:54like to find a job helping with dogs and
34:56cats I often ask my clients um if you
35:01could choose and you could make these
35:03wishes come true what would you like to
35:05do you know what is the job that you
35:08truly would enjoy often that's different
35:11um than the job that we have and um I
35:15think that job for Susan is the the Care
35:18for Animals and being involved in um in
35:23that area uh of help um
35:30in
35:31closing
35:36um I think that uh she has indicated to
35:40me that her desire is to um make her
35:45life mean
35:47something um something other than uh the
35:51things that that she has
35:53done um to make a positive impact in her
35:58life I talked to somebody I've spoken to
36:01a number of people and I've spoken to
36:03one person that told me um State they
36:09were at the
36:10trial and they said that their
36:13impression of Susan was that she was
36:16living to
36:17die um I didn't really understand that I
36:22think the more that I have uh been
36:27talking to her and preparing this case
36:29that um uh maybe I do um I think that
36:33has been Susan's life is living to die
36:39um for the things that she has done and
36:44um I think that what she's asking today
36:48is to board is to ask the board to
36:50consider a parole for her um so maybe
36:54she can make something positive
36:58um out of a um a horrific situation I
37:02want to thank you for your time I know
37:03I've taken a lot of time today um I
37:06would just ask if you would please um
37:08consider her for for
37:10release thank you Mr Thomas and we
37:13appreciate all and again thank you for
37:16the the very detailed packet that you
37:18presented Miss Smith ma'am what would
37:21you like to tell us today
37:28first of all I want to say how very
37:32sorry I am
37:47um it's okay Susan
37:50just
37:52just just talk with us
38:01I know that what I do was
38:08[Music]
38:08[Laughter]
38:15horrible and I give anything if I can go
38:18back and change
38:20it and I love Michael and Alice with all
38:24my heart
38:37were you under the influence of drugs or
38:39alcohol the night that you murdered your
38:43children no ma'am I was
38:46not your attorney your attorney talked
38:49about working with mental health is that
38:52helpful to
38:55you Ma'am
38:58Mr
38:59Thomas Mr Thomas talked about the fact
39:02that you were working with mental health
39:03and my question is is that helpful to
39:08you yes ma'am is that something that you
39:11would be willing to continue with on the
39:13outside if he were granted
39:18parole yes
39:22ma'am Miss Smith your crime took a lot
39:26of of resources is from the law
39:28enforcement Community what if anything
39:31would you say to the folks who worked so
39:34hard to find your children if you had
39:36the opportunity to speak to them
39:42today that I'm sorry that I put them
39:44through that I really really H and I'm
39:47especially sorry to the diers that I had
39:50to find
39:51them I wish I could take that thing I
39:54really do
39:57I was really I didn't lie to get away
40:01with it really didn't I was just
40:04scared I didn't know how I could tell
40:07the people that loved them that they
40:08would never see them
40:10again I didn't know how I could tell
40:12David he couldn't see his son
40:16again and I'm I'm I'm just I'm sorry I
40:20don't know I know that's not enough I
40:22know it's not but I don't know I know
40:26that's just how like words but they come
40:28from my heart they really
40:31do right one of the things that we
40:33review is your institutional record and
40:36you've had some infractions throughout
40:38the years um some involving um the use
40:43of some narcotics do you have any issues
40:46with drugs or alcohol at this
40:49point I don't no ma' I don't and you had
40:52a
40:53recent you had a recent disciplinary
40:56infraction just a few months
40:59ago so why should this board think that
41:03if we Grant you parole that you're going
41:05to go out and follow the rules and the
41:07laws of society if you do not follow the
41:11rules within the
41:16institution well this last
41:19infraction
41:22um I was trusted the wrong person this
41:25lady contacted me and I trusted her I
41:29thought she was going to do a
41:31documentary on mental health and I
41:34really am not guilty of what they what
41:36they charged me with and I have filed an
41:39appeal on that
41:41charge um and as far as your question
41:48um I've never been in trouble before and
41:51the things that I have been found guilty
41:53of in here
41:58have been just stupidity I just made I I
42:03know I made a lot of mistakes in here
42:05and I have learned from them and before
42:08this last infraction had been 10 years
42:11cuz I grew up and I knew that I needed
42:14to stop making dumb decisions and I did
42:18I I just I knew it was time to just to
42:22grow up and do the right thing I just
42:24made a lot of dumb choices and mistakes
42:28in here so I know I've learned from
42:31those
42:32mistakes what do you feel is the most
42:35that you've learned while you've been
42:38incarcerated ma'am what do you think is
42:41the most important thing that you have
42:42learned while you have been
42:48incarcerated that
42:52um that people are important that it's
42:58that forgiveness and love um that family
43:03is important and that decisions we make
43:06not just affect us they affect the
43:09people that we
43:11love and not to take things or people
43:13for
43:15granted all right is there anything else
43:18that you would like to tell us today
43:20that wasn't in your packet or that has
43:21not already been
43:25said um
43:27um I would just like to say that
43:32um I am a Christian and God is a big
43:36part of my life and I know he has
43:39forgiven
43:40me and it is by his grace and mercy that
43:44and I have a lot of faith and I live by
43:46that every day and I just ask that that
43:50you um show that same kind of Mercy as
43:54well um
43:59and I guess see yeah that's it thank you
44:04are there any other questions from the
44:08board Folks at Watkins I need each of
44:11you to please state your name for the
44:13record and your relationship to Miss
44:16Smith ma'am can we begin with you please
44:28what man St your name in the
44:32relationship I did not is it is it I yes
44:37uh I'm an Curry I'm a longterm friend
44:41and um
44:45supporter thank you Miss Curry and sir
44:47your name
44:50please and the I
44:54think your relationship name Rel okay uh
44:59I'm the Reverend Tom Curry uh I've known
45:04Susan briefly when she was a teenager
45:07when I was called in for one session
45:10each counseling about two different
45:13matters once by her teacher and once by
45:16Susan and I testified in her trial uh
45:21which the in the sentencing phase and I
45:25have kept up with her uh by writing
45:31her thank you we weekly for the last 30
45:35years I did this because I felt that she
45:40needed somebody to remind her that her
45:45whole life was not caught up in that one
45:49experience but that she could put her
45:53life back together because her life was
45:55in such ter more when all this happened
45:59and I think she's a different person now
46:01and that's what I want to talk about
46:03when I get a chance to say a word about
46:06it I have new hearing age and I can't
46:10always hear your questions but my mind's
46:13fine and uh I'm just retired pres
46:16Minister along well thank you Mr cry we
46:20appreciate that and you're welcome
46:22you're welcome to make your statement
46:24that you would like to make right now
46:28all right okay I want to start with her
46:31trial uh Mr Curry let me interrupt you
46:35before you get too far into that we are
46:37not here to retry her case in any form
46:40or fashion that is not the purpose of
46:43the parole board we are here to
46:45determine if she is a good candidate for
46:47parole and if so we would set the
46:49parameters of that parole but in no way
46:52can we discuss the trial or retry her
46:56case she was was convicted of two counts
46:58of murder if you'd like to speak to
47:00anything outside of that you're welcome
47:04to okay me now I just want to say two
47:08things about the trial I only went to
47:10the trial uh for one part of one morning
47:15to testify in the sentencing phe against
47:18the death penalty and the two things
47:20that I picked up for
47:29Tri itself was one a prison guard who
47:33came a female who said that uh she had
47:37not seen a a
47:40criminal as remor as Susan was uh and
47:46that she felt her remorse remorse for
47:48what she had done was genuine and the
47:51second thing was one of the jurors uh
47:54the prosecuting attorney was put pushing
47:57hard for the death penalty and the jury
47:59voted not and they voted life as you all
48:02have already mentioned but one of the
48:04juror said that she felt
48:08like that it would be harder for Susan
48:11to live with what she had done that to
48:16die and I thought that was a true
48:19statement and it certainly has been
48:21puruan during her 30 years in prison and
48:26especially the first part of her time
48:28that she was there it's been mentioned
48:30she attempted suicide several times and
48:34she had a couple of run-ins where guards
48:37were able to use her for their pleasure
48:41uh and uh that's a bad situation and uh
48:46was dealt with and she was not the only
48:48uh prisoner involved and thank you Mr
48:51Curry thank you for your
48:53comments thank you for your comments Mrs
48:56Curry do you wish to say
48:59anything um yes please and thank you for
49:02letting us speak I just want to say that
49:06I really think Susan is ready for Coro
49:09now she has surrounded herself with a
49:14caring support Community to that advises
49:18and encourages her and she listens to
49:23them as um Mr Thomas said said she has
49:28done everything she can to prepare
49:30herself to live outside of prison and
49:33taking courses in learning how to teach
49:37in caring about other people in working
49:39on teams and projects together and
49:44thirdly as um both of them have said she
49:49is not the young woman who went into
49:51prison 30 years ago she is much stronger
49:56she has grieved is still grieving will
49:59always
50:00grieve um but she's learned from it and
50:04she has
50:06experienced paralyzing remorse and
50:10survived today she wants to begin to
50:14rebuild her life and I hope you'll give
50:17her that chance I want to say one more
50:20word for the last two years now remember
50:23I wrote her for 30 years once a week
50:26pretty close today every week and that
50:29is the last two years I've ended my
50:32letters by saying Susan you live in a
50:35needy Place PR share God's love with
50:40those around you and with your other
50:42contacts but always live in Hope for
50:45your own future there is a time when you
50:49will live on your own
50:51again past prison and that's what I hope
50:54you all will give her the chance to do
50:56do at this time she is a very different
51:01person from what she was 30 years ago
51:06and I've probably been in contact with
51:08her talking about spiritual things but
51:12also talk just trying to enlarge her
51:15life by telling her about what's going
51:18on in the world around her and in the
51:21curry family she's the same age as one
51:24of my children all right thank you Mr
51:26Curry
51:27we appreciate all of your
51:29comments we appreciate all of your
51:31comments and all of the information Mr
51:33Thomas anything in closing
51:36sir no ma'am um nothing further than um
51:41I really um would ask the board to take
51:43the time to consider um Susan's request
51:46for um parole I do believe that if we
51:51look at uh insight into uh things that
51:55uh we've done and as far as things that
51:57um we need to do to um to get out of um
52:01Department Corrections and to try to
52:03make our life worthwhile or mean
52:05something I think Susan is at that point
52:08and uh I just again want to thank you
52:10for listening today and um and hope you
52:13would um consider our presentation thank
52:16you Mr Thomas thank you Miss Smith and
52:18thank you Mr Mrs Curry we certainly
52:20appreciate all of you joining us today
52:22if you all will please exit the rooms we
52:24will have an answer for you later today
52:26thank you for joining
52:28us thank you one moment as the room
52:40clears and the room is clear we do have
52:43additional testimony facilitated by the
52:44office of victim
52:47services please wait as all victims join
52:50from central office
53:10good
53:18afternoon you come on thank you
53:27can you may just a little further around
53:28so we can get everyone in thank you so
53:38much thank you good afternoon you all
53:42are here for the coral consideration
53:44case of Susan Smith is that correct yes
53:48we are so very very sorry for the
53:50circumstances that brought you all to be
53:52a part of this hearing today but we
53:55cannot tell you how much we appreciate
53:56you joining us and being here with us
53:58today thank you so much before we begin
54:02I do need each of you to please state
54:04your name for the record and your
54:06interest in this case sir can we begin
54:09with you please stand up you don't have
54:11to stand up you you do whatever is
54:13comfortable for you I'm David Smith I'm
54:16the father of Michael Al thank you Mr
54:19Smith and um Tiffany Smith I Am David
54:23Smith's
54:25wife I'm Rebecca Smith French I'm the
54:28aunt of Michael
54:30N I'm Savannah Smith and I am David's
54:33daughter of Michael N
54:34sister Austin Hughes I'm a friend of the
54:37victim family I'm Tommy v i was the
54:40solicitor in the original
54:42trial I'm Kevin bracket I'm the 16th
54:45circuit solicitor currently and was a
54:47prosecutor on the original
54:49case Laura Hudson with the Crime Victims
54:53councel Mark Reynolds I'm with the
54:55victims
54:57Bailey Bailey personal
54:59friend Kathy Bailey personal
55:02friend Jeff Bailey Sheriff Union
55:05County Scott coper Sheriff's Office
55:08Union County Michael cogal
55:11documentarian Swan
55:15andicha Doug Smith Dave's
55:18Uncle thank you all and again we are so
55:21very very sorry for the circumstances
55:24but thank you for being here with us
55:26today we do have the facts of the
55:29offense and we've heard from this SM now
55:31we want to hear from you all whether you
55:33were for or against parole and if anyone
55:37would like to make a statement you are
55:39certainly welcome to do so Mr Smith
55:42would you like to begin or would you
55:44like to conclude at the end it's
55:46completely up to
55:47me conclude at the end please who would
55:51like to speak first I'll speak first
55:53please ma'am thank you yes sir so I'm
55:57Tommy Pope I was the 16th circuit
55:59solicitor and um this was a death
56:01penalty case and the reason it was a
56:03death penalty case you know the
56:05solicitor has that discretion but the
56:06reason it was a death Mony case uh you
56:09know the facts and circumstances and I I
56:11just felt strongly that had the black
56:13man with the deogan committed the crime
56:16people would expect a death penalty if
56:18David Smith had committed the crime
56:21people would expected the death penalty
56:23and I thought it was very important that
56:25the Betrayal that Susan Smith showed
56:27that she be treated the same we knew it
56:29was going to be difficult we knew there
56:31was a likelihood of of not achieving the
56:33death penalty uh but I think it's
56:35important to note the jury at the time
56:37actually asked would what did life mean
56:40and and you may be aware but in that
56:42time life did not mean life life became
56:44life in 96 we tried the case in 95 um so
56:48the jury was asking the judge was
56:50required to instruct the jury that you
56:52take life and death in its plain and
56:54usual meaning caring that forward the
56:57jury showed her mercy the jury gave her
56:59the life sentence but one of the jurors
57:01or more of the jurors after the fact and
57:03speaking to the media said that they
57:06believed the life sentence was the
57:08greater punishment because they believed
57:11that Susan should have to reflect on
57:13what she did to Michael and Alex that
57:16she should have to spend the rest of her
57:18life uh thinking about what she' done
57:21the two fallacies in that logic that the
57:23jury could not have known are number one
57:25obviously here today so life did not
57:27mean life uh number two and you have it
57:30before you Susan's conduct from the day
57:33she rolled the kids in the lake the
57:35defense claimed a a botch suicide but
57:38she was able to save herself she was
57:40able to blame a black guy she wasn't wet
57:42she wasn't injured when she runs to the
57:44house and concocts his story Susan has
57:47always focused on Susan I will believe
57:50to to the end of my time that Susan made
57:53a horrible horrible choice to choose a
57:56man over her family I said the boys were
57:59in the car her wedding gown was in the
58:01car her wedding album was in the car she
58:04thought in a nice packet she could roll
58:06that away if she could have put David in
58:08the car he would have been there too she
58:09in a nice packet she could roll that
58:33away and start this new life with this
58:35other man and she led everyone on
58:37including David for nine horrible days
58:40and so as you look at her conduct in
58:42prison whether it was a relationship
58:44with guards um the social media the
58:48attention uh the conduct recently with
58:50the the publisher um Susan you know
58:53she's got people outside I'm sure you've
58:55heard from them that want to take care
58:57of her Susan has always focused on
59:00what's best for Susan and so the
59:02evidence that you have before you I
59:03think tells clearly that she has not
59:06focused on Michael and Alex she only has
59:09and continues to focus on herself and so
59:12on behalf of this family on behalf of
59:14justice and the justice for this case
59:17it's not about her behavior or what she
59:19would do when getting out but I know one
59:21of your criteria is the nature of the
59:23crime and whether the punishment is
59:25there and I would submit for the crime
59:27she committed the actions she committed
59:29that punishment has not been achieved
59:31yet and so I would ask you to deny
59:33perole now I thank you for your time
59:35thank rep appreciate
59:38it would anyone else like to
59:41speak yes yes sir Madam chairman uh
59:45chair lady and members of the board
59:47thank you so much for giving me the
59:48opportunity to speak here today I was on
59:50the prosecution team that handled the
59:53prosecution along with uh solic Pope and
59:56speaker pope now uh who you just heard
59:59from I wanted to bring to you a a couple
1:00:02of vignettes from the case to help bring
1:00:05this alive for you um in the course of
1:00:08preparing for today I've gone back over
1:00:10the case I've reviewed the file I pulled
1:00:13some of the evidence out which is in a
1:00:14closet just off my office evidence like
1:00:17the note that was written uh to Susan
1:00:20Smith by her her boyfriend the man she
1:00:22was cheating on her husband with who
1:00:24told her in the note that
1:00:26he could not be with her anymore because
1:00:28he didn't want children and that they
1:00:30had no long-term future because he
1:00:32didn't want children and then one week
1:00:34later she's rolling her car down the
1:00:37ramp at John D long lake with her two
1:00:39children strapped into the back she
1:00:41betrayed her husband when she cheated on
1:00:43him and she betrayed her
1:00:47children against the laws of
1:00:50nature when she should have been sworn
1:00:52to protect those children she betrayed
1:00:56them when she left them in the seat and
1:00:58rolled that car down and she was not
1:01:00trying to commit suicide she was trying
1:01:02to change her life she wanted to kill
1:01:03her old life and start a new she was
1:01:06wearing a sweatshirt that the man who
1:01:09she was cheating with had given to her
1:01:11when she was on TV two hours later after
1:01:15claiming that a black man in a tobogan
1:01:17had carjacked her and spirited her two
1:01:20children away how many black men in red
1:01:23Mazdas got pulled over across the
1:01:26country because they were looking for
1:01:28those two kids and they were looking for
1:01:29this fictitious man that didn't exist
1:01:32purely a figment of her
1:01:34imagination I was on the banks of John D
1:01:36long lake standing there with about 40
1:01:39or 45 people 50 people as the tow truck
1:01:43from Greer's wrecker launched its line
1:01:46into the water where divers hooked it up
1:01:48to the car and pulled it
1:01:50out total silence as that car emerged
1:01:53from the Dark Water everybody sitting
1:01:56there hoping and praying that maybe it
1:01:58was a different car maybe it was a wrong
1:02:00car maybe the kids weren't in there not
1:02:03a word was said it was one of the most
1:02:06haunting memories of my life and it will
1:02:07live with me forever and that's the last
1:02:10point I want to
1:02:12make you're going to hear from this man
1:02:15and he's going to tell you what this did
1:02:17to
1:02:19him I can't begin to describe it I sat
1:02:22in court and listened to him testify and
1:02:24it was heart-wrenching he described that
1:02:26his hopes and dreams for the future were
1:02:29destroyed that night when she killed
1:02:32their two
1:02:34children this didn't just traumatize him
1:02:37it
1:02:38traumatized Union it traumatized South
1:02:41Carolina the entire country was in the
1:02:45grips of her lie and her
1:02:49treachery the entire country this was a
1:02:52global sensation people were fixated on
1:03:00this they're not the only victims and on
1:03:03behalf of the community that I represent
1:03:06now I don't believe she should ever be
1:03:09released from jail until the last person
1:03:13alive who remembers Michael and Alex is
1:03:16dead and that will not be in her
1:03:19lifetime she should never be released
1:03:21and she should not be released now his
1:03:24hopes and dreams were dashed I hope you
1:03:26dash hers today and every two years here
1:03:37after thank
1:03:40you do anyone else wish to
1:03:48speak
1:03:50okay you're welcome to stay seated if
1:03:53you're more comfortable whatever's best
1:03:54for you thank you
1:04:00I want to read what I wrote okay e you
1:04:03don't mind when Susan murdered Michael
1:04:05and Alex she altered the course of my
1:04:08life and my family's life forever having
1:04:11grown up with three older brothers Susan
1:04:13was like the sister I never had I was a
1:04:16teenage mom of just 16 so I looked up to
1:04:19her and even admired her I thought she
1:04:22was the best mother to the boys and I
1:04:24strived to be just like her I would even
1:04:26leave my own daughter with her while
1:04:28attended night school Susan betrayed us
1:04:31and took the lives of those boys and
1:04:32then lied about it for days when she did
1:04:36this she destroyed a trust in me that
1:04:38I've never regained and as a result I do
1:04:40not develop close relationships with
1:04:42others easily in particular
1:04:45females anxiety and depression have
1:04:47plagued my life for years I push it away
1:04:49during spring and summer as best
1:04:51possible but it always creeps back
1:04:54during back up around Alex's birthday
1:04:56when it rolls around in August because I
1:04:58know Michaels won't be far behind in
1:05:01October and then the anniversary of
1:05:03their death on the 25th cuz in my mind
1:05:06it always refer to this period of time
1:05:08as a sad
1:05:09months throughout my career the majority
1:05:12of any time missed at work is around
1:05:15Michael Alex's birthdays and the
1:05:17anniversary of their
1:05:19death I stay in bed and sleep to deal
1:05:22with the depression it's just easier
1:05:25this way or at least it seems to
1:05:29be something as simple as taking up a
1:05:32new hobby turned into a nightmare for me
1:05:34last year my boyfriend and I decided to
1:05:36take scuba diving lessons I geared up
1:05:39with all the equipment face mask on
1:05:41oxygen tank on my back stepped off the
1:05:44side of the pool into 15 ft of water and
1:05:46immediately sank to the bottom from all
1:05:49the weight I was caring normally you'd
1:05:51remember to breathe and begin to ascend
1:05:54as I had studied for all the the week
1:05:55leading up to that point but nothing
1:05:58prepared me for dropping into a body of
1:06:00water and the feeling of being waited
1:06:02down unable to breathe and seeing
1:06:05Michael Alex's
1:06:07face I immediately Panic ripping off my
1:06:10face mask sucking in water and not being
1:06:12able to come to the surface from all the
1:06:13weight I was carrying I was drowning and
1:06:17I knew in that moment that was the
1:06:19closest I'd ever come to KN what my
1:06:22nephews had endured and how her terrific
1:06:25and scared their last moments had to
1:06:28have B something as simple as taking up
1:06:31a new hobby was yet one more thing Susan
1:06:34was taken from
1:06:36me in over 25 years I have found myself
1:06:40finding Comfort going to the cemetery
1:06:42where the boys are buried beside our
1:06:44older brother I go there often and I'll
1:06:47tidy up their graves where people have
1:06:49left trinkets or gifts and I
1:06:57talk to them I go there when I'm happy I
1:07:00go there when I'm upset rainy days sunny
1:07:04days cold days and hot days it doesn't
1:07:07matter it brings me peace just being
1:07:10there but as a result I'm I'm not able
1:07:14to bring myself to move away from Union
1:07:16County because now I don't want to leave
1:07:20them we have missed Michael KN his
1:07:23kindergarten
1:07:24graduations humous birthdays birthday
1:07:27parties summer vacations
1:07:30easers along with annual Easter hunt egg
1:07:33hunts at M malls thanksgivings
1:07:36Christmases football soccer baseball
1:07:38games
1:07:39proms High School graduations possible
1:07:44marriages and births of their own
1:07:46children we don't
1:07:48know because they never had a
1:07:52chance they never had a chance to live a
1:07:55life of their own Susan took that from
1:07:58them she took that from us
1:08:02all and now she wants a chance to be
1:08:04free after only serving 30
1:08:08years
1:08:09no life should mean
1:08:13life I'm respectfully asking you to
1:08:16please not her request for
1:08:18p thank you thank you ma'
1:08:28I apologize if I get a little bit
1:08:30emotional uh I drove down from
1:08:35Detroit on Monday night which was
1:08:37Halloween before uh of that week and um
1:08:42young man middle-aged man then I'm an
1:08:44old man now but the boys never got
1:08:50to as Becky said they missed they missed
1:08:53a lot they missed her life
1:08:56today they would be in their 30s David
1:08:59would probably be a Granddad the boys
1:09:02were still
1:09:03here I took my sister out to the lake
1:09:07yesterday and it's a beautiful drive out
1:09:10there I just
1:09:12thinking all the all that time she had
1:09:15time to change her mind to stop and turn
1:09:18around and not go through with it but
1:09:20she
1:09:21did and then the boys were gone a year
1:09:24later came back down for the trial Tommy
1:09:29pope did a good job that proved that she
1:09:32was
1:09:34guilty during the sentence and trial
1:09:38they came back and recommended life
1:09:42Tommy had argued for for death penalty
1:09:45the family was for death penalty they
1:09:47come back and recommend a life but we we
1:09:51said well we'll live with
1:09:53it you know she'll have to live with it
1:09:55for the every day for the rest of her
1:09:57life so we were we were satisfied with
1:10:01life but we do not want a Paro against
1:10:05any parole for her and then two other
1:10:08items going back 30 years the the Friday
1:10:11morning
1:10:23after apologize
1:10:31but the Friday morning after David his
1:10:34dad my brother's wife and and I the four
1:10:37of us were sitting at hul funeral home
1:10:40and
1:10:41Union and uh discussing the funeral
1:10:44arrangements David asked to see the
1:10:46boys and Mr hulkin had a funny look on
1:10:50his face and he he said Mr Smith could I
1:10:53see you
1:11:02so we we went out and he said you know
1:11:06your nephew can't see the voice and he
1:11:09told me why he said you know the boys
1:11:11were in the water for N9
1:11:19days so I went back and told David I
1:11:23said you know you better that you don't
1:11:25see the
1:11:26boys and I think deep down he understood
1:11:38why the next day Saturday three of us
1:11:42David his dad and I went out to the uh
1:11:44banville United Methodist Church
1:11:48Cemetery and to look where the boys are
1:11:50going to be buried and David's brother
1:11:54Danny who who had died 3 years earlier
1:11:56was buried there David one of his boys
1:11:59buried next to his his uh brother their
1:12:02uncle but the way the cemetery is laid
1:12:05out there was no room for for the boys
1:12:08to be put next to
1:12:19Danny so I found the uh the uh Cemetery
1:12:25estan and asked him it were possible to
1:12:29move
1:12:30Danny and he said well yes if that's
1:12:32what the family wants we can move
1:12:34Danny so I went back and told my
1:12:39brother said you know David wants the
1:12:41boys be next to their Uncle would you
1:12:44have a problem if we move Danny
1:12:56and he said
1:12:57no so if you go out to the cemetery
1:13:02you'll find that Danny and the boys are
1:13:05side by
1:13:14side does anyone else wish to speak
1:13:20yese
1:13:22um so as as David
1:13:25wife I have stood by him for the last 30
1:13:28years and watched his pain his
1:13:32suffering his dark days that you cannot
1:13:39imagine it's been hard as a loving wife
1:13:43to stand back and watch him suffer the
1:13:46pain that he has gone
1:13:49through to not want to get out of bed
1:13:51some days
1:13:55to not be able to get out of
1:14:01bed because the pain was so much for
1:14:09him and for 30 years we had thought this
1:14:12day would never come but yeah here we
1:14:19are I don't feel that that it's time for
1:14:22her to be let out because she took two
1:14:25lives she didn't just take one she took
1:14:28two gracious little
1:14:30boys that we haven't been able to watch
1:14:33grow
1:14:36up and it's Becky stated earlier all the
1:14:39things that we've missed out on because
1:14:41of them not being here all the things
1:14:44they missed out on growing up in and
1:14:48doing
1:14:56and for her to be in prison for the last
1:14:5930 years you would think that she would
1:15:00have thought about what she's done she
1:15:03would have said I'm sorry but she hasn't
1:15:05said I'm sorry she hasn't even called
1:15:08him hasn't even told him she was
1:15:12sorry much less the
1:15:14world for nine days all I can think
1:15:17about is how much she
1:15:19lied and manipulated
1:15:22everybody the whole world I watched it
1:15:25and believed her
1:15:29myself I wanted her to be telling the
1:15:34truth but to be betrayed by her
1:15:38lies and that just makes me feel like if
1:15:41she could do that then whatever she's
1:15:43told you today I'm sure will probably
1:15:45lies as
1:15:47well because she has shown in her last
1:15:5030 years what she does in prison she's
1:15:53all about herself
1:15:55is all about what she can do to to make
1:15:58her life
1:16:04better Michael and Alex didn't get a
1:16:07chance at life they were forced to death
1:16:12penalty she took that from
1:16:23them the lives of this family has been
1:16:25forever
1:16:29changed it caused us to be a little
1:16:31overprotective of our now
1:16:33daughter little bit more than we
1:16:35probably should have
1:16:38been because we were afraid something
1:16:40might happened to
1:16:46her it's changed the way we look at life
1:16:49has changed the way that we look
1:16:51at everybody who can I trust
1:16:56for a long time I didn't trust a lot of
1:16:57people I had to be careful you know
1:17:00around certain people I didn't know if I
1:17:02could trust them or
1:17:03not all because of her
1:17:13lies so to help give us to give this
1:17:16family some
1:17:18peace it would be best if Susan stayed
1:17:20behind
1:17:23bars and stay in prison for the rest of
1:17:26her
1:17:27life I respectfully ask you to keep her
1:17:30in thank you thank
1:17:37you does anyone else wish to speak for
1:17:41Mr SMI she
1:17:48anyone forgive me
1:17:55most of what I have to say is going to
1:17:57be pretty
1:18:01redundant but
1:18:04um primarily I would just like to focus
1:18:10on since I came after the
1:18:13fact what I had stolen from
1:18:16me was two older
1:18:19brothers the good and the bad of having
1:18:21older siblings
1:18:27and I now try to use my
1:18:31life as a way to live for
1:18:35them and growing
1:18:38up I didn't quite understand it my whole
1:18:40life but when I finally
1:18:42did I felt like I had witnessed it like
1:18:45I was
1:18:47there the pain that Not only was caused
1:18:49to
1:18:51me and
1:18:55like a domino effect but what I have
1:18:57seen
1:18:58firsthand with my father my
1:19:03aunt and our whole
1:19:08Hometown we can no longer say that we're
1:19:11from Union County without Susan's
1:19:13actions being brought
1:19:20up and just for the sake of all of us
1:19:24and our whole Community I asked that you
1:19:26deny her
1:19:34request Mr Smith you're welcome to stay
1:19:38seated if you
1:19:45are Madam chairman members of the
1:19:48committee
1:19:55it's been a tough 30
1:19:58years
1:20:01um I'm not here to speak about what
1:20:04she's done in prison you all have the
1:20:08records and accounts of all
1:20:10that just here to
1:20:12Advocate on Michael Alex's
1:20:16behalf and as their
1:20:22father you know
1:20:25God gives us free
1:20:27choice and she made free choice at night
1:20:31to end her life this wasn't a tragic
1:20:35mistake wasn't something that she didn't
1:20:38mean to do she
1:20:43purposly meant to end their
1:20:48life I
1:20:49never have felt any remorse from her for
1:20:53it she never express any to me I've
1:20:56never seen it on
1:21:00paper
1:21:06um now she you've heard she changed my
1:21:10life for the rest of my life that night
1:21:25some for the better some for the worse
1:21:33but but what she did not only to Michael
1:21:37and
1:21:40Alex she came pretty
1:21:43close to causing me to end my
1:21:46life because of the grief that she
1:21:49brought upon
1:21:53me but thank she
1:21:58didn't I understand back
1:22:02in
1:22:0495 that through the state's
1:22:07law life impr prisonment 30 years to
1:22:12life and now that's different but at
1:22:14that time that's what counts I
1:22:17understand
1:22:22that but ultimately to me that's only 15
1:22:27years per
1:22:29child her own
1:22:34children it's just not
1:22:39enough so I'm asking that you
1:22:42please do not hurt PE
1:22:48today and hopefully in the future but
1:22:51specifically today
1:22:55not let her
1:22:58out I miss him very
1:23:01much and I love them very
1:23:04much and I will be here every two years
1:23:08going
1:23:10forward to ensure
1:23:13that your death doesn't go in
1:23:16V thank
1:23:19you thank you so much Mr SMI
1:23:25again please know how very very sorry
1:23:28this board is to all of you for all the
1:23:32pain that this CRM caused you but we
1:23:36sincerely appreciate you all being here
1:23:38with us today thank you very much and
1:23:41thank you for the reminder with the
1:23:44picture of Alex and Michael they were
1:23:46beautiful
1:23:49children say thank you for reminding us
1:23:51of that
1:23:53today we wish the very best and if no
1:23:57one else has anything else that they
1:23:58would like to say if you all will exit
1:24:01with these ladies over here we'll have
1:24:02an answer for you
1:24:04shortly thank you so much for being here
1:24:44the room is clear
1:24:55as a reminder Mrs Mir did recuse
1:24:59herself Miss Sean Smith is Deni parole
1:25:03the vote is unanimous numbers one and
1:25:06six thank
1:25:11you thank you the time now is 12:51 p.m.
1:25:15we will pause our recording Miss Hunter
1:25:18if you can advise when the recording has
1:25:20been
1:25:22paused the recording has been paused
1:25:25thank you so much thank you so much this
1:25:27is Valerie sub associate deputy director
1:25:29for pearls pards and relief services if
1:25:31everyone would just give me a moment to
1:25:33give some instructions as the room
1:25:35clears from the board I would like for
1:25:37media to pay attention you are given the
1:25:41next 15 minutes for bathroom break
1:25:43please use the restroom prepare
1:25:45yourselves for the press conference we
1:25:47will allow you into the building
1:25:48beginning 15 minutes from now once we
1:25:50check you in we'll start the press
1:25:52conference once everybody is inside if
1:25:54there are any questions please address
1:25:56it to the staff and we'll get you an
1:25:57answer as quickly as possible again
1:25:59there is 15 minutes between the time we
1:26:02are ending this and beginning entrance
1:26:05back into the building anybody who is in
1:26:07the building who needs to leave and get
1:26:09their cameras or phones are allowed to
1:26:11do so during that 15minute period and
1:26:13then check back in at the front door
1:26:15thank you all so much and the board will
1:26:16be at recess for
1:26:17lunch thank you
1:26:24sh
1:27:05[Music]
1:27:12the systems rig man it's time to break
1:27:14free Eyes Wide Open got to see what I
1:27:17see standing on the flood lines fighting
1:27:19for the truth lift the veil of Lies it's
1:27:21time to be the proof take us stand don't
1:27:25you back down back down Raise Your Voice
1:27:30let's shake the
1:27:32town we're the voices that won't be
1:27:37ignored Breaking Chains yeah we're ready
1:27:43forward with the power
1:27:51[Music]
1:27:58the systems Rigg man it's time to break
1:28:00free Eyes Wide Open got to see

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