Pease still healthy as hunger strike hits 17th day

By DUANE SHERRILL / Staff Reporter for the Southern Standard

PEASE

His hunger strike reportedly in its 17th day, the wife of a convicted bank robber maintains her husband will not eat until he gets justice, that being the dismissal of charges which mirror those for which he is already serving federal time.

“Most people in Warren County don’t believe this is justice,” said Donna Pease, wife of Russell Pease, 36, who is in Warren County Jail awaiting trial on charges he robbed Cumberland Bank last year. “He has already been sentenced to serve 93 months by the federal court so by trying him here again, it’s trying him twice for the same crime.”

Russell Pease was given 93 months in federal prison for robbing Cumberland Bank in the Plaza Shopping Center at gunpoint last year. He fled with $14,000. He was caught a short time later in Sparta with his wife maintaining her husband committed the crime because he wanted to be shot by officers.

Although Pease has been sentenced, District Attorney General Dale Potter said he intends to try the case in local court since it was a case made by local lawmen. Potter stressed it is not a case of double jeopardy since the charges come from different jurisdictions.

The fact he is being tried again, reportedly prompted Mr. Pease to begin a hunger strike from his cell at Warren County Jail. However, Sheriff Jackie Matheny said there may also be other issues which are prompting Pease to refuse food, including his dissatisfaction with his accommodations.

“First of all, he was seen by a doctor this week and I was told, and these are the exact words, that he (Pease) is healthy as a horse,” Matheny said, noting Pease is not the first to try a hunger strike. “Generally they start eating.”

Matheny noted Pease, along with protesting his second trial, is also angry he is being kept in the old maximum cell.

“We had 216 inmates in here this week, and that’s more than double the capacity,” Matheny said. “We can’t just let prisoners decide where they want to stay. I think his main problem is wanting to make Dale Potter back off, but I think some of it has to do with his being unhappy out here.”

Matheny noted jailers will monitor Pease and take him for any medical attention he may need. However, Matheny noted he will not force any inmate to eat. As for the hunger strikes, Matheny noted other inmates have turned down trays of food only to sneak and eat later.

In one highly publicized hunger strike three years ago, an inmate, angry over what he saw as too long a sentence, went on a hunger strike and was able to squeeze between his cell bars after losing weight. He was caught before he could run out the front door.

While her husband’s hunger strike continues, Mrs. Pease said she will continue to work from the outside in hopes of getting the local charges dropped. Pease has begun a petition drive which bears 814 signatures declaring Potter’s actions unfair.

“I plan to take or send a copy of this to Jerry Cooper and Phil Bredessen, and if I have to, even try to get a copy to George Bush,” Mrs. Pease said. “A lot of people around here just don’t believe what Mr. Potter is doing to my husband is right.”