Chua get's support from NaFFAA Chair Kern

NaFFAA Chair Letter to GA Camden County DA Stephen Kelley on Dr Noel Chua

Mr. Stephen Kelley
District Attorney of Camden County
701 H. Street - P.O. Box 301
Brunswick, GA 31520

Dear Mr. Kelley:

Greetings!I'm writing as Chair of the National Federation of Filipino-American Associations (NaFFAA), the recognized voice of 3-million Filipino-Americans and immigrants across the U.S., on behalf of Dr. Noel Natividad-Chua, a Filipino-American. He has been charged by your office for his alleged involvement with the death of the late James Carter III last December 15, 2005. We've also learned that he Dr. Chua built a busy Internal Medicine practice in St. Mary's, Georgia, serving over 2,500 patients.

According to the officers of the Region IV NaFFAA Chapter (which includes Georgia, along with six other Southern states), we gathered that the autopsy report on the late Mr. Carter held his death as accidental caused by the mixture of drugs ingested by the deceased. Furthermore, toxicology report showed that the drugs found in the deceased were found to be all within the therapeutic level, including "methadone," as prescribed by Dr. Chua.

Despite the above findings, however, and after a 9-month long investigation, he was subsequently arrested on September 13, 2006, and charged with the murder of Mr. Carter, along with his alleged violations of Georgia's Controlled Substance Act, despite the autopsy and toxicology reports that, we rest assured, your office had obtained.

While we don't want to rush to judgment, please know though that we Filipino-Americans are genuinely respectful of the laws and rules of procedures prescribed by Georgia's court system and the U.S. Constitution. However, we find it disturbing that Dr. Chua was not afforded his fundamental "due process" rights, was denied access to his legal counsel - along with your seizing his assets, rendering him unable to pay his lawyer's and witnesses' fees. He was denied bail and has since been incarcerated for the last 7 and 1/2 months because you considered him a "flight risk." Ironically, however, we find it disingenuous that you're alleged to have offered him a plea bargain to admit to just one drug charge and take a 2-year sentence.

Since our last reading of the U.S. Constitution, we believe that every American - including U.S. citizen Dr. Noel Chua - should have the basic right to challenge his arrest via a time-tested habeas corpus petition. Instead, you stripped him of that right, and it's becoming apparent to us that your office rigged the Georgia justice system's rules of procedures squarely against him.

With all due respect, we contend that your stance on his case is so severely flawed that it makes one think that the kind of justice system you're overseeing in Camden County is so tainted -- if not racially biased and/or glaringly discriminatory against a Filipino-American, who has dutifully served his St. Mary's community with his utmost professionalism and integrity, philanthropy and countless works of mercy - as attested to by the thousands of patients and citizens he has helped and cared for all these years.

Frankly, we're not surprised at all that Dr. Noel Chua, a practicing Christian, did not succumb to your offer of plea bargain. For him to have done so would have subjected him to treason against his Hippocratic oath - and, more seriously, a denial of his Faith. We're proud of him that he chose to remain in prison rather than admit the guilt of a crime he did not commit. Further, it seems to us that what would be purported to be specific statements of facts may even lack the most fundamental earmarks of objective credible evidence amidst your unwillingness to consider exculpatory evidence that would have granted him his request for bail, if not his outright release from incarceration.

Lastly, the hallmark of our American Court system is etched in these words that "... justice delayed is justice denied." Accordingly, we are thankful that, after such a long wait, he will at long last see his day in Court on September 10, 2007. Rest assured that Filipino-American leaders from NaFFAA and other organizations in Georgia and across the U.S. will be present to rigorously scrutinize how you would mete out the fiat of American justice.

As the Honorable Charles Pratt, Chief Justice and Lord Chancellor of England and the Earl of Camden -- after whom Camden County was named - opposed years ago the attitude of the English government toward the colonies of America, we the Filipino-Americans across Georgia and America are very much opposed to the way you've handled the case of Dr. Noel Natividad-Chua -- an honorable Filipino-American citizen and a distinguished member of Georgia's Camden County.

Under Georgia's Court system of justice and the guidance of the U.S. Constitution, we look forward to witnessing this trial.

Sincerely, Alma Quintans Kern
NaFFAA National Chair

CC: Honorable Sonny Perdue, Governor of Georgia
U.S. Senator Saxby Chambliss
U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson
U.S. Rep. Jack Kingston (Georgia's 1st District)
U.S. Rep, John Lewis (Georgia's 5th District)
Chairman Preston Rhodes, Board of Camden County Commissioners
Officer W.E. "Bill" Smith, Sheriff of Camden County
NaFFAA Members

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