News (Media Awareness Project) - CN BC: Wife Pleads To Save Her Husband From U.S. Prison |
| Title: | CN BC: Wife Pleads To Save Her Husband From U.S. Prison |
| Published On: | 1999-11-11 |
| Source: | Vancouver Sun (CN BC) |
| Fetched On: | 2008-09-05 15:45:09 |
WIFE PLEADS TO SAVE HER HUSBAND FROM U.S. PRISON
In remission with breast cancer, Amalia Richardson says she needs her
husband.
The wife of a West Vancouver man wanted in New York state for escaping
from a prison work camp 28 years ago made an emotional public plea
Wednesday for the Canadian government to let him stay in B.C.
Amalia Richardson, who said she lives in fear of a recurrence of
breast cancer, asked Immigration Canada to allow her husband Allen
Richardson -- who is facing deportation for entering Canada with a
criminal record and lying about his identity -- to stay in the country
on "humanitarian and compassionate" grounds.
Allen Richardson was convicted in 1971 under his real name,
Christopher Perlstein, for selling $20 of LSD to an undercover police
officer. He ran away from a work camp months later.
His wife, whose cancer is currently in remission, said she would be
devastated if he were forced to return to the U.S.
"Millions of women have breast cancer," Amalia said. "I know they
will all share my immense dread at being left alone to deal with it.
To die alone is everybody's worst nightmare. "
On Tuesday, in Rochester, N.Y., Judge John Connell denied Allen
Richardson's bid to have his four-year sentence for drug dealing
vacated and ordered him to return next month saying it would set a bad
precedent to forgive his escape from prison.
But Amalia Richardson said her husband's crime should be
forgiven.
"He perhaps made a mistake way back in his youth -- who hasn't?" she
said.
"I'm making this plea to the government of Canada, to the minister of
immigration, to find some means by which my husband can remain with
me," Amalia Richardson said.
She said an application she made last year for Richardson to stay in
the country on compassionate and humanitarian grounds was rejected by
Immigration Canada. She said a second application, made nine months
ago, has so far gone unanswered.
Howard Relin, the district attorney in Rochester, has said some
arrangement could probably be made for Richardson to serve his
sentence in a Canadian prison.
In remission with breast cancer, Amalia Richardson says she needs her
husband.
The wife of a West Vancouver man wanted in New York state for escaping
from a prison work camp 28 years ago made an emotional public plea
Wednesday for the Canadian government to let him stay in B.C.
Amalia Richardson, who said she lives in fear of a recurrence of
breast cancer, asked Immigration Canada to allow her husband Allen
Richardson -- who is facing deportation for entering Canada with a
criminal record and lying about his identity -- to stay in the country
on "humanitarian and compassionate" grounds.
Allen Richardson was convicted in 1971 under his real name,
Christopher Perlstein, for selling $20 of LSD to an undercover police
officer. He ran away from a work camp months later.
His wife, whose cancer is currently in remission, said she would be
devastated if he were forced to return to the U.S.
"Millions of women have breast cancer," Amalia said. "I know they
will all share my immense dread at being left alone to deal with it.
To die alone is everybody's worst nightmare. "
On Tuesday, in Rochester, N.Y., Judge John Connell denied Allen
Richardson's bid to have his four-year sentence for drug dealing
vacated and ordered him to return next month saying it would set a bad
precedent to forgive his escape from prison.
But Amalia Richardson said her husband's crime should be
forgiven.
"He perhaps made a mistake way back in his youth -- who hasn't?" she
said.
"I'm making this plea to the government of Canada, to the minister of
immigration, to find some means by which my husband can remain with
me," Amalia Richardson said.
She said an application she made last year for Richardson to stay in
the country on compassionate and humanitarian grounds was rejected by
Immigration Canada. She said a second application, made nine months
ago, has so far gone unanswered.
Howard Relin, the district attorney in Rochester, has said some
arrangement could probably be made for Richardson to serve his
sentence in a Canadian prison.
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