A Message From Lynn Warner, Executive Director of The Arc of Connecticut
In the summer of 1992, Richard Lapointe went on trial and was convicted of heinous crimes that the members of the disability field knew he could never commit. As a result of that travesty of justice, The Friends of Richard Lapointe group was formed and given a home base at The Arc of Connecticut by a unanimous vote of its Board of Directors.
In the time since its inception, The Arc of Connecticut has hosted the group, provided conference room space, printed newsletters, and even help with funding.
Who knew at that time that one man, Richard, and this horrendous fate would shape so much of what The Arc of Connecticut continues to fight and advocate for today; such as the electronic recording of interrogations of individuals who become involved with the criminal justice system. We believe that if the interrogation of Richard had been videotaped, he would have never been convicted and sentenced to “life without parole plus 60 years.”
As the executive director for The Arc of Connecticut, I can unreservedly say on behalf of the 23 chapters of The Arc of Connecticut, that it wasn’t in us then and it is not within us now to ever walk away from this man. We will continue to draw attention to this very important matter again and again, until we see it through to completion and Richard walks out of jail a free man.
Sincerely,
Lynn C. Warner
Executive Director
The Arc of Connecticut
submitted September 2008