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THE GUERRILLA ANGEL REPORT — UPDATED Jan. 6, 2014 — CeCe’s release date likely Jan. 13, 2014. See below.)

It appears possible that CeCe McDonald may soon be released from prison. While I’ve been unable to track down news media sources to confirm this, however, activity on social media points to this happening. Capturing my attention was a post by the artist who drew the famed CeCe poster on the Free CeCe McDonald Facebook page (and elsewhere) asking people for donations of furniture and supplies to help CeCe get settled when she gets out of prison in two weeks. This is pretty much all we know at this point. [Cece’s release date has been confirmed.] ———-

Update Jan. 6, 2014: An official announcement regarding CeCe’s release from her support group:

“The rumors are true: CeCe is scheduled to be released from prison in January. She will wait and write a public statement about her release after she gets out of prison, because she wants to tell you all in her own words and own time. She would like to spend her first days out in privacy, with people she feels close to. Again, information about her release will be shared when CeCe feels it is the right time to do so. In the meantime, she and her support committee ask everyone to be patient.”

More: http://supportcece.wordpress.com/2014/01/07/the-rumors-are-true-ceces-getting-out/

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Update Dec. 28, 2013: it appears an official announcement on the matter is forthcoming from CeCe and her support committee, likely via this FB page: https://www.facebook.com/freecece.mcdonald

A comment from FreeCeCe McDonald on that FB page:

“An official statement from CeCe and her support committee will be posted before her release. We posted a call for a few donations to locals here in Minneapolis yesterday, not posting it to this site because she only needs a few things like a bed frame we can get locally. She is not being released early, her release date is just coming up soon. Again, an official statement is coming. Imani Henry is correct and has been talking directly with CeCe’s support committee which talks directly to CeCe herself. Her lawyer Hersch Izek is not her spokesperson.”

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Updated Dec. 28, 2013: Monica Roberts is reporting a projected release date of Jan. 13th:

“According to information posted on the Minnesota Department of Corrections website, CeCe McDonald has a projected release date of January 13, 2014 with another 13 months of supervised release.”

http://transgriot.blogspot.com/2013/12/cece-mcdonald-may-be-released-soon.html

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[Originally published May 2, 2012] In what amounts to a surprising turn of events, CeCe McDonald pleaded guilty to second degree manslaughter on the third day of her murder trial. She is reported to be sentenced to 3 years and 5 month in prison next month.

Among some of the possible reasons for the plea agreement is the judge’s refusal to allow certain evidence, the attempt by the DA to bring in McDonald’s past minor crime history and perhaps the makeup of the jury. It was also brought up that McDonald had a weapon and the deceased did not. Keep in mind that none of these things have been confirmed by the defense team at this point.

According to Hennepin County District Attorney Mike Freeman the plea agreement was suggested by McDonald’s lawyer.

Freeman: “My feeling is that this is an appropriate resolution to a tragic situation. One person is dead and another person going to prison for 41 months.”

Sylvia Rivera Law Project’s Dean Spade was at the trial. He spoke to Pretty Queer:

“At about 11:30 or 11:45, they brought folks in and it was to do a plea deal. They did not continue jury selection. Basically what that means is that CeCe took the stand and her lawyer went through with her the facts of the evening she was attacked, and then the prosecutor and judge asked her a few questions and she pled guilty. . . .

My understanding is that from the perspective of her attorneys this was a legal victory even though it is unjust because this is one of the lowest possible plea deals she could get.

It is obviously not a victory for justice, but one of the better legal options. Of course, there were a lot of mixed feelings and a lot of sadness in the courtroom.”

More from Dean Spears: http://www.prettyqueer.com/2012/05/02/dean-spade-speaks-on-cece-mcdonald-trial/

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This is a great write-up on the CeCe McDonald saga by Jillian T. Weiss:

“Many defendants are pressured into plea deals when facing hyper-aggressive charges. In this case, Ms. McDonald faced 40 years in prison under Minnesota’s second degree murder charge. The judge’s rulings against her on the evidence were also likely determining factors in her decision. These would have allowed in the gruesomely bloody shirt of the victim, but not his swastika tattoo, her own bad check conviction, but not the theft convictions of the witnesses against her. She also would have had to face the likely transphobia of the jury. . . .”

http://www.bilerico.com/2012/05/death_and_the_maiden.php

For details on events following imprisonment https://lexiecannes.wordpress.com/?s=cece+mcdonald

For details on the events leading up to the charges: https://lexiecannes.wordpress.com/2012/02/10/the-saga-of-jailed-trans-woman-chrishaun-cece-mcdonald/

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Jillian T. Weiss: http://www.bilerico.com/2012/05/death_and_the_maiden.php

Huffington Post: CeCe McDonald, Minnesota Transgender Woman, Pleads Guilty In Manslaughter Case Despite Supporters’ Defense

More details and comments from DA Freeman: http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/news/2012/05/02/cece-mcdonald-pleads-guilty-manslaughter

Poster: http://www.micahbazant.com/free-cece-support-trans-women-of-color/

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Here’s a transgender feature film that I’d be honored if you watched: “Lexie Cannes” http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0963781332 Or via PayPal: http://www.lexiecannes.com/id13.html

THE GUERRILLA ANGEL REPORT is associated with Wipe Out Transphobia: http://www.wipeouttransphobia.com/ Read Lexie Cannes in The Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/courtney-odonnell/

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Categories: Transgender, Transsexual, Trans