Tallahassee, FL—In January 2015, Florida Governor Rick Scott appointed Mike Wood to the position as Leon County Sheriff. Leon County, Florida is located in Tallahassee (Florida’s capital city) home of Florida State University, Florida A&M University and Tallahassee Community College. Mike Wood’s appointment came about after the death of longtime serving Leon County Sheriff Larry Campbell.
Before Sheriff Campbell’s death, there was a complaint filed against him with the Florida Commission on Ethics. The complaint, abuse of power, was in part due to Sheriff Campbell allowing his wealthy ‘friend’ Donald Odham, a real estate investor– a non-law enforcement officer, to act and perform the duties of a detective with the Leon County Sheriff’s Office Violent Crimes Unit, including interacting and interrogating a minor child who had just witnessed the death of his dad–who had received a shotgun blast to the head. Donald Odham also collected evidence, contaminated crime scenes and was lead detective on a double homicide case. Donald Odham’s time and money spent “Playing Cop,” ended with botched investigations and wrongful convictions. Sheriff Campbell’s ‘friend’, Donald Odham, also was assigned a patrol car to use at his leisure. Sheriff Campbell forced other Leon County Sheriff’s detectives to notarize legal documents bearing Donald Odham’s signature as “Leon County Sheriff Detective Don Odham.” These legal documents were approved by State Attorney Willie Meggs’ Office with Assistant State Attorney Jack Campbell’s signature and filed with the Leon County Clerk of Courts.
It was Leon County Sheriff Larry Campbell’s dying wish to have Mike Wood, a major who had retired after serving with the Leon County Sheriff’s Office for more than 30 years, to replace him as sheriff. Governor Rick Scott mocked all of those hardworking veterans with the Leon County Sheriff’s Office when he appointed Mike Wood as sheriff. Mike Wood admitted to having a criminal drug record prior to working with the Leon County Sheriff’s Office. Many men and women with the Leon County Sheriff’s Office are being subjected to working for the very type of criminals that they put their lives on the line every day in an effort to protect all of the citizens and college students living in Tallahassee. So, Leon County Sheriff Larry Campbell’s dying wish was to continue to operate the Leon County Sheriff’s Office as a place where ‘criminals with badges’ are more worthy than certified veteran deputies.
As if working for a criminal was not enough. Not long after Sheriff Mike Wood was in position, he (Wood) rehired Major John Schmidt back to the Leon County Sheriff’s Office versus promoting in-house or seeking an outside candidate. According to reports, John Schmidt had been forced out of the Leon County Sheriff’s Office for misconduct. The rehiring of John Schmidt was yet another slap in the face for those men and women with the Leon County Sheriff’s Office that have maintained good work ethics.
Florida’s Second Judicial State Attorney Willie Meggs and former District Attorney of the Parish of Orleans in New Orleans, La., Harry Connick Sr. served their communities for more than thirty years. Both were/are known to be “tough” on crime. Both were/are known for protecting prosecutors who commit prosecutorial misconduct by withholding exculpatory evidence in cases involving teenage defendants. “Toughness” is in truth—no injustice. State Attorney Willie Meggs and Assistant State Attorney Jack Campbell are cowards who believe that it is their constitutional right to serve injustice upon black children.
State Attorney Willie Meggs received complaints regarding Assistant State Attorney Jack Campbell and State Attorney Investigator Jason Newlin—and never addressed the complaint. Jack Campbell and Jason Newlin plotted with a previously convicted felon, Dawaun Williams that was in the Leon County Jail for two Armed Bank Robberies in Tallahassee. Jack Campbell sent Jason Newlin to the Leon County Jail to plot with Dawaun Williams to have Jack Campbell’s key witness in the case against DeShon Thomas murdered—but the plot was to make it seem as though 17-year-old DeShon Thomas, had plotted the murder for hire. Dawaun Williams was released from the Leon County Jail and provided with money by both officials with the Leon County Sheriff’s Office and State Attorney Willie Meggs’ Office. Leon County Sheriff Larry Campbell, the dad of Jack Campbell, was the overseer of the jail and had jurisdiction over the investigation of the double murder case and all other charges against Tallahassee Community College freshman, DeShon Thomas. Although Williams never carried out the murder, Williams did prey upon innocent citizens in neighboring Gadsden County where he was charged with Home Invasion Armed Robbery with Kidnapping, Assault and many more charges. Jack Campbell admitted to being the source of the plot that led to the investigation.
Leon County Sheriff Mike Wood is currently running to be elected as sheriff (remain in office). State Attorney Willie Meggs is not seeking to be re-elected. Therefore, Assistant State Attorney Jack Campbell is currently running to become Florida’s Second Judicial State Attorney. These two candidates have an agenda that does not relate to 21st Century Criminal Justice Reform. Mike Wood and Jack Campbell only know what they know—and that’s corruption—criminal acts, fraud, public records violations, intimidation against citizens, immoral conduct—including partnering with criminals, etc. And because of their lack of ethics, criminals are left out in the communities to repeat criminal acts against innocent citizens, while innocent children/adults are being sent to prison to ensure that Governor Scott makes good on the private prison contract—which is to keep private prisons at 90% occupancy rate.
Harry Connick Sr. served as District Attorney from 1973-2003. A flood of alleged prosecutorial misconduct committed by Connick and his prosecutor went before a Review Board. Injustice against low income black, brown and white people is not justice. State Attorney Willie Meggs will have served Florida’s Second Judicial Circuit for more than thirty years—Tallahassee citizens deserve to be free from his oppression—they deserve to have leaders not criminals in office.
Mothers Against Unethical Laws (MAUL) 