Defend Wendy Howard

There are far too many stories of criminalized survivors like Wendy. Too often survivors are put in a position where they have to make the decision between defending themselves or being killed. We recently learned of the story of Rene Daniels, a criminalized survivor who is currently in jail awaiting trial in Wyoming. Read more about her story, and donate here:

Click here to Give now to Justice for Rene by William Martz Jr My daughter Rene' Daniels was in an abusive relationship that ended in a tragic accident requiring her to need legal assistance. It has shocked our family to learn how the legal system criminalizes survivors and how much money it will take for Rene to...

Please take a few minutes today to show your support for a pardon for Marisela Andrade, a criminalized survivor who deserves to be free.

From the Wendy Howard Defense Committee: “Wendy Howard is home today because of her sheer strength of will, her beloved family, her excellent legal representation, and a wide network of supporters stretching from Bakersfield to communities across the U.S. who took action to call for her freedom out of a place of love and solidarity with survivors. We called for Wendy’s freedom as we called for the freedom of Tracy McCarter, Michaele Bowers, and Liyah Birru, all survivors who were punished for acting in self-defense. We call for the end of the criminalization of survival. We call for public safety that transforms our communities so all survivors can be free.”

Wendy Howard sentenced to time served, probation on manslaughter charge Howard's supporters think the Kern DA went too far even bringing the case against Howard, a domestic violence survivor. DA Cynthia Zimmer says being abused is not a

****OFFICIAL STATEMENT: WENDY HOWARD CASE CONCLUDES WITH ALFORD PLEA, NO PRISON TIME******

Dear Community,

Yesterday, April 7th, Wendy Howard’s case concluded with her entering an Alford plea for voluntary manslaughter in order to avoid a second retraumatizing trial for her and her family. She received a sentence of time served, no restitution, and one year probation. Simply put, Wendy will not go to prison for defending herself. While any innocent person would feel defeated entering a plea for a crime they did not commit, we consider Wendy’s freedom a victory due to the fact that Kern County DA Cynthia Zimmer sought to incarcerate Wendy, a 53-year-old mother and grandmother, for 50 years to life by shockingly charging her with first-degree murder for defending herself when she was in danger. We are happy to report they lost that battle due to a fabricated narrative and lack of evidence. We would never have secured this hard-fought victory without the dedicated work of Wendy’s defense attorney, Tony Lidgett, and the unwavering support from Wendy’s family, friends, and advocates, to whom we are tremendously grateful.

By entering an Alford plea, Wendy is able to maintain her innocence while simultaneously accepting a conviction. According to an ABC23 interview with Bakersfield defense attorney Kyle Humphrey, “The concept is that sometimes the person who maintains their innocence is offered such a good plea bargain under the circumstances they want to take it, but they don't want to say 'I'm guilty’”. Humphrey says one benefit of the Alford plea to defendants is that it presents less of a long-term risk to employment prospects and other future opportunities for the defendant.”

The opportunity to enter an Alford plea and maintain innocence provides relief to what otherwise feels like a coerced plea deal. When DAs threaten defendants with the financial, emotional, and spiritual burden of facing a second trial, they effectively force them into taking a plea deal, rather than face the nightmare of a retrial. Such was the case of criminalized survivor, Michaele Bowers, who Kern County DA Cynthia Zimmer retried twice, and even threatened with a third trial before Ms. Bowers pled guilty to voluntary manslaughter and was sentenced to six years in prison.

In Wendy’s particular case, she had not only herself, but her daughters, Bayley and Miranda, who were forced to testify to their own sexual abuse, in addition to her entire family to consider. This was a courageous decision made by a loving matriarch who faced indescribable injustice from a system that failed to protect her from a man who had a long history and documented record of severe domestic violence and child sexual abuse.

The Kern County DA failed to keep Tehachapi residents safe from his violence and instead of accounting for their own failure to keep the public safe, they chose to prosecute a woman who was trying to stay alive in an attack that they could have prevented. Wendy's family and Kern County residents should never have had to pay for the DA's failure to protect public safety, and DA Cynthia Zimmer’s legacy will be defined by her office’s terrifying pattern of punishing victims of r**e, domestic violence, and child sexual abuse who defend their lives.

Wendy’s gag order, which the DA requested to silence her nearly four years ago, will be lifted after her sentencing on May 4th. We are hopeful that AB1497 will pass, which would allow survivors to have their violent felonies vacated in cases of domestic violence and human trafficking. This would allow Wendy to petition to clear her record and put this horrendous injustice behind her.

We thank all the community members and advocates who have been tremendously supportive of Wendy throughout this four-year nightmare. Thank you for your prayers, your generous donations to Wendy’s legal defense fund, and your constant messages of support and solidarity. To the criminalized survivors and defense campaigns across the nation that have supported Wendy, thank you in particular for your support; it has meant everything and we send love and solidarity right back at you. To Wendy, Bayley, Miranda, and the entire family: we honor you as beacons of strength, survival, and resilience. To Wendy: you are kind, thoughtful, and risked your life to defend your family. You are not your plea deal, and your plea deal does not define you.

To contribute to the ongoing healing journey of this family, please consider contributing today: https://gogetfunding.com/justiceforwendy/

To view press coverage from this week, please see the comprehensive and heartfelt coverage from The Californian’s Ishani Desai, KGET17’s Mikhala Armstrong, and ABC23’s Brianna Willis.

If you feel moved to get more involved in supporting people like Wendy, please get in touch with Survived & Punished and California Coalition for Women Prisoners, who collectively provided expansive and compassionate support to Wendy.

In Loving Solidarity,
The Wendy Howard Defense Committee
Defendwendy.com

“To Wendy and family, we honor you as beacons of strength, survival, and resilience. You are kind, thoughtful, and care deeply for your family. You are not your plea deal, and your plea deal does not define you.”

See the article for the full statement from the Wendy Howard Defense Committee.

Plea deal reached in Wendy Howard case The Tehachapi woman who said she shot and killed her ex-boyfriend in self-defense back in 2019 agreed to a plea deal Friday morning.

We are deeply saddened to report that Wendy's motion to dismiss was denied by Judge Rodriguez this morning at Kern County Superior Court. The DA offered a plea deal of voluntary manslaughter, time served, meaning Wendy would avoid further incarceration. However, she'd have a felony on her record for defending her life. This isn't justice. If Wendy doesn't accept the plea deal, the Kern County DA will retry her, and her family will be retraumatized all over again. This is how plea deals operate as acts of coercion. Wendy reports back to court Friday when her legal team will announce her decision.

Plea deal offered to woman acquitted of murder, but jurors deadlocked on voluntary manslaughter in ex-partner's death A Tehachapi woman who was acquitted of murder in the shooting death of her partner but jurors deadlocked on a voluntary manslaughter charge is weighing a plea deal offered by

Find our latest statement regarding the ongoing persecution of Wendy and an update from her March 21st court date.

March 21 Update Dear Community, Although we hoped that Judge Rodriguez would grant the motion to dismiss Wendy’s one remaining charge based on her double jeopardy plea, she delayed her decision yet again until April 5th. It appears that Judge Rodriguez will base her decision on whether or not Wendy’s attorney ....

Blood relations or not, we’re a family! We’ll fight this till the end, together. Thank you for your continued support. It’s what keeps us going! 💜

A decision on Wendy’s Motion to Dismiss has been delayed by Judge Rodriguez pending her request for a trial transcript.

The DA remains committed in retrying Wendy, and we will therefore return to court Wednesday, April 5th, for both Judge Rodriguez’ ruling, AND for the readiness hearing for a new trial.

We continue to call on the Kern County DA to stop their pursuit of a survivor and this egregious waste of taxpayer dollars.

We thank Wendy’s Pastor, Dale Rose, her daughter, Bayley Frost, Survived and Punished co-founder Alisa Bierria, formerly incarcerated survivor of domestic violence, Kelly Savage-Rodriguez, and Trial Juror turned Advocate, Mark Christian, for speaking at our press conference today.

Through wind and rain, the fight continues.

Please wish Wendy and her family luck for tomorrow morning. We will update you following the 8:30am court date. We will be live-streaming a press conference on our page following Judge Rodriguez’s ruling on Wendy’s motion to dismiss. (Roughly 9AM, whenever court is finished)

Please keep Wendy, her children, and grandchildren, in your thoughts this weekend. We await Judge Rodriguez’s March 21 ruling on Wendy’s motion to dismiss with hopeful, but anxious hearts. Shoutout to Wendy, who through all the hardship she has faced these past years, continues to support her kids’ favorite hobby: skating! Moms never stop being moms, no matter the obstacles. So as Kylie’s sweatshirt reads: please send us GOOD VIBES! All these kids want is their mom to be free, so they can continue to focus on their favorite things together💜🛼

Happy birthday, darling Wendy. To many, many more beautiful sunsets. 🥳

From the article:
Domestic violence victims advocates across the nation have rallied around Howard's case and called on the DA's office to drop the charge against her. They piled into court Tuesday and asserted in a statement it's a waste of taxpayer dollars to continue Howard's case when she poses "no threat to public safety."

"The DA has never been able to stick to a single story in this because it is not about justice, it is about a conviction," wrote The Wendy Howard Defense Committee, which is advocating for Howard.

Judge hears arguments to retry Wendy Howard case; decision coming next month A Tehachapi woman acquitted of murder in the shooting death of her former partner appeared in court Tuesday as her attorney argued against retrying her on a voluntary manslaughter charge

We will show up until Wendy is free from this nightmare. The DA is obsessed with their conviction rate, and NOT justice, which is why they won’t drop the case. Although we didn’t receive a decision today, we are hopeful that Judge Rodriguez will decide in Wendy’s favor when she rules on the motion-to-dismiss March 21.

Read our Press Release regarding Wendy's February 21 court date here.

February 20, 2023 Statement For Immediate Release Wendy Howard’s Double Jeopardy Hearing on Tuesday, 2/21, 8:30 am Kern County Superior Court, 1415 Truxton Avenue, Bakersfield On October 21, 2022, a jury acquitted domestic violence survivor Wendy Howard of all charges except for voluntary manslaughter on the heat of pas...

Wendy’s next court date is on February 21. We continue to stand with Wendy and her family and call on the DA to drop the charges, so Wendy and her family can focus on healing and moving forward. Because this fight isn’t over, Wendy continues to face legal bills. Please help out, by making a donation. Thank you. https://gogetfunding.com/justiceforwendy/

UPDATE ALERT! Read this to understand why Wendy’s attorney says she can’t be retried.

Motion to dismiss filed in Wendy Howard case BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — Retrying Wendy Howard on a voluntary manslaughter charge would deny her of her Fifth Amendment right against being tried twice for the same offense, her lawyer sa…

Governor Kathy Hochul, please grant clemency where clemency is due and let criminalized survivor Nikki Addimando celebrate the holidays with her children. It would be the best Christmas gift!

https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/news/video/mom-convicted-murder-petitions-clemency-95412185?fbclid=IwAR1Oxljz-6gV1ytTwIms2_117w3mh00Y9I1DdEi11VIXHbcjXF7j_fRlTRE&mibextid=Zxz2cZ

Mom convicted of murder petitions for clemency Nikki Addimando, convicted in 2017 for murdering her then-boyfriend and father of her two kids after claiming self-defense from years of abuse, is asking New York Gov. Kathy Hochul to be released from prison.

Please find our latest update regarding Wendy's 12/2 hearing here:

Wendy Update 12/12/22 Dear Community, A heartfelt thank you to all who have supported Wendy throughout the hardship of her trial! As you know, October 21 Wendy was acquitted of all charges except for voluntary manslaughter on the heat of passion theory, for which there was a hung jury. Friday, December 2, a hearing o...

Please make time to watch this important film featuring Nikki Addimando and two other criminalized survivors. People like Wendy, Nikki and others have been swept up in an unjust system that punishes survivors. We will continue to fight for criminalized survivors until they are all free.

Exciting news! You can now stream the independent film And So I Stayed — featuring Nikki’s story, along with two other criminalized survivors — from now through December 28th.

Watch from anywhere in the U.S. on Vimeo on Demand where you can rent the film for $20: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/andsoistayed/

In addition to the film, you’ll get bonus footage including:

💜A short film about Nikki and her supporters

💜A grounding exercise from Exhale to Inhale

💜And footage of survivor-advocate Kim Dadou Brown talking to Governor Kathy Hochul who promises action on behalf of criminalized survivors.

All proceeds go toward And So I Stayed’s impact campaign goals of getting the film shown inside more prisons throughout the country.

Watch, share, and let us know what you think of the film! Thank you to the filmmakers Natalie and Dan, for their continued support of Nikki and ALL survivors.

Please take a moment to support Marisela Andrade by requesting that Governor Newsom pardon her. Stand with survivors. Find more information on how to send a comment to Governor Newsom here: http://bit.ly/MariselaGovernorBlitz

Wendy’s kids are especially thankful to have their Mom at home this holiday season, giving them another chance to decorate the tree together. A huge THANK YOU to everyone who has followed Wendy and her family’s story through the trenches of the criminal legal system thus far. We wouldn’t have made it this far without you! We are hopeful that Wendy’s February 21st hearing will prove that she can’t be retried for voluntary manslaughter due to double jeopardy, since she was already acquitted of the charge (on the imperfect self-defense theory). Until then, we are going to rest, strategize, and spend time with our family. Happy holidays to you and yours! 🎄🎁🎊

We thank all of the badass women who continue to show up for Wendy day in and day out: friends, family, advocates. This work is tireless, injustice is unrelenting, and so we wake up each day and put our fighting gloves back on. Wendy, despite her gag order, remains a silent, public symbol of strength. We are hopeful that soon she will no longer be silenced. Sending love to all criminalized survivors, and all those who support them in this heavy hearted struggle for freedom. Keep on, keep on.

Wendy's case may set a legal precedent! We are hopeful justice will prevail! For anyone wondering what the next steps will look like for Wendy, please read this excellent article by The Bakersfield Californian's

'Uncommon' legal questions arise in Wendy Howard trial Ink and headlines splashed Wendy Howard’s verdict across pages and screens after jurors acquitted her of first- and second-degree murder but deadlocked on voluntary manslaughter.

Free at last, free at last. Tracy McCarter, a criminalized survivor in NYC, is free at last.

A Judge Dismisses the Murder Charge Against a Domestic Violence Survivor Two weeks after the Manhattan DA filed a motion to dismiss Tracy McCarter’s murder indictment, Judge Diane Kiesel agreed to drop the charge against her. 

And another article on today’s hearing:

Wendy Howard faces retrial following court hearing Friday Wendy Howard was back in court Friday morning after a jury found her not guilty of first-degree murder in the shooting death of her ex-boyfriend Kelly Reese Pitts.

TODAY'S COURT UPDATE:

"Wendy Howard’s defense attorney argued his client has technically been fully acquitted and retrying her would constitute double jeopardy. Once acquitted, a person can’t be retried for the same offense."

A new trial is scheduled to begin April 21. Link in bio!

TODAY'S COURT UPDATE:

"Wendy Howard’s defense attorney argued his client has technically been fully acquitted and retrying her would constitute double jeopardy. Once acquitted, a person can’t be retried for the same offense."

A new trial is scheduled to begin April 21.

Wendy Howard set for retrial, defense argues she’s been fully acquitted BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — The Tehachapi woman acquitted of murder for killing an ex-boyfriend who molested two of her daughters has been scheduled for retrial in April on a charge of volun…

"Wendy Howard shot her abusive ex-partner while defending herself and her daughters. Now the criminal legal system is only adding to the sexist violence she’s already experienced."

Please read this excellent article by Raia Small.

Domestic Violence Survivor Wendy Howard’s Trial Reveals The Prosecution’s Sexism Raia Small shows how the criminal legal system is inflicting even more sexist violence on domestic violence survivor Wendy Howard.

A gorgeous message from Wendy. People are praying hard for her outcome all across the country! “Had to share this! A dear friend of mine, her sister, and Riverlakes Community Church sent me this beautiful prayer blanket! It is absolutely beautiful! Each knot represents a prayer that was specially said.

It means so much to me and couldn’t have came at a better time, with court at the end of the week.

Thank you so very much for keeping my family and I in constant prayers 🙏🏼. We love and appreciate all of you!

🦋💜 🦋”

We hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving! Wendy and her family enjoyed some quality time together. We hope DA Zimmer does the right things and DROPS THE CHARGES, so this family can look forward to many more Thanksgivings together!

An update from the Wendy Howard Defense Committee regarding the delay in Wendy's hearing. We ask that Cynthia Zimmer drop the charges and end the retraumatization of Wendy and her family!

Here’s to holding our breath for two more weeks! December 2 we will learn if the DA will retry Wendy, attempt to coerce her into a plea deal, or drop the charges. We continue to say: DROP THE CHARGES! An outpouring of support from the Kern County community indicates they feel the same. We have a juror who served during Wendy’s trial, her pastor, her family, local, state, and national organizational support, and God on our side. DA Zimmer, just let this one go! You’ll look good for dropping the charges, we promise. Let Wendy and her family finally be free of the shackles of the criminal legal system so they can continue to make memories splashing in the river.

The defense campaign's statement on today's postponement of a decision in Wendy's case.

Press Release 11/18 For Immediate Release Wendy Howard hearing postponed as DA refuses to drop charges Today, the Kern County District Attorney failed to drop criminal charges against Wendy Howard, domestic violence survivor who acted in self-defense when her abuser attacked her. The decision about what will hap...

We continue to call on the Kern County DA to drop all charges against Wendy Howard.

Wendy Howard hearing postponed The future of Wendy Howard's case, the Tehachapi woman charged in the shooting death of her ex-boyfriend, is still is still unknown after a hearing Friday was postponed.