AABANY Letter In Support

February 7, 2003

Richard Cantwell
Clinton County District Attorney
Clinton County Government Center
137 Margaret Street
Plattsburgh, NY, 12901

Dear Mr. Cantwell:

On behalf of the Asian American Bar Association of New York (AABANY), we are writing to express our concern with the second-degree murder conviction of Asian American immigrant David Wong.

A recent April 2002 New York Times article written by David Chen identified new evidence and testimony that would warrant further investigation by the District Attorney’s office. More specifically, the new evidence identified another individual with a motive who committed the crime. Equally important, one of the two eyewitnesses that the prosecutor heavily relied upon, Peter Dellfava, has recanted his critical testimony that he allegedly saw Mr. Wong commit the crime. As you know, Mr. Wong has always maintained his innocence in this alleged crime.

Given the amount of new information, it is respectfully requested that the District Attorney’s office take the time to investigate and follow up to determine if in fact a new trial is warranted.

Thank you for your attention and assistance.

Very truly yours,

Rex Chen
Director, Asian American Bar Association of New York