Temujin Kensu’s Legal Efforts

Temujin Kensu has been incarcerated continuously without bond since his arrest on murder charges on November 13, 1986. He was convicted of first degree murder in the St. Clair County Circuit Court on May 19, 1987. The battle to free him from this unjust conviction is currently being waged on two fronts: commutation from the Governor and a habeas corpus petition in federal court.

Commutation by Governor Jennifer Granholm
Although a majority of the Clemency Board which advises Governor Granholm voted initially that his petition for clemency had merit, in February, 2008 it inexplicably and without stating any reason reversed its decision and recommended against clemency. The Board also denied his request for a public hearing at which he could have proven his factual innocence as well as all of the assertions in his petition.

Despite the outpouring of support letters from people of all walks of life, Governor Granholm summarily denied the petition on March 20, 2009.

With the support of Proving Innocence and hundreds of people who believe Temujin Kensu should be pardoned, another petition is being prepared for submission to the Clemency Board in June, 2009.

Habeas Petition
A Petition for Habeas Corpus was filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan in 2007, and has been assigned to U. S. District Judge Denise Page Hood. The Attorney General has opposed the petition.

Over one thousand pages of legal claims about the constitutional violations and unfairness in Temujin Kensu’s trial and conviction, along with supporting evidence, have been submitted in the case.

On March 20, 2009, Judge Hood granted Temujin Kensu’s motion to supplement the petition with additional issues, including his actual innocence and other deprivations of his constitutional rights. Judge Hood also granted his motion to expand the record by adding voluminous evidentiary support for his claims.

A decision on the petition is pending.