Month: June 2017

Tallahassee, FL— Two and a half years after the non-profit Massachusetts based organization, RepresentUs, helped sail the City of Tallahassee into becoming the nation’s first city to pass the American Anti-Corruption Act, trouble is still brewing. There was an article published on the website of the Huffington Post titled, “Tallahassee Voters Said No To Big Money, Corruption In City Politics.” Now, today, it appears as though ‘Big Money’ continues to fuel government—especially inside of the Leon County Courthouse.

Former Leon County Clerk of Courts and Comptroller Bob Inzer served the Tallahassee community from 2001 until December 2016. (He did not seek re-election in 2016.) During his time in office, many clerks may have been bullied by State Attorney Willie Meggs and his Assistant State Attorney Jack Campbell. Documents pertaining to inmates who were awaiting trial were probably not filed properly by the clerks, or were purposely withheld from the inmates’ court records.

In the criminal case of State of Florida vs. DeShon Thomas, not only were there instances where the Leon County Sheriff’s Office filed fraudulent documents approved by Jack Campbell, there were many attorneys outside of the local area that could not access inmates’ criminal records without having to physically go to the Leon County Courthouse and fill out a form requesting inmates records on file. Attorneys outside of the Tallahassee area could not access inmates’ records online or over the phone. While some may see this as an oversight—Leon County’s failure to update their technology—others such as the relatives of Leon County Jail inmates see it as a way to “lock-in” information to only be accessed by local attorneys or families who have funds to spend on outside attorneys. Nearly half (if not more) of Tallahassee’s private paid attorneys are registered with the Leon County Clerk of Courts as conflict attorneys. And it’s no secret that when clients can’t afford attorneys, some attorneys may go work for the public defender’s office or the state attorney’s office.

DeShon’s mother (a single mother of four), paid a Central Florida attorney whom she’d consulted with about DeShon’s case, a total of $750 to drive from Central Florida to Tallahassee to meet with DeShon, who was being housed in solitary confinement at the Leon County Jail. DeShon was unable to make outgoing calls to an attorney and his family. The attorney explained to DeShon’s mother that the reason for the expense was because he/she could not access any of DeShon’s case records online or over the phone through the clerk’s office. DeShon, who was 17-years-old when he was arrested in 2011 for a number of charges—with the most serious being the double murders of 17-year-old, Sterling Connor Jr. and his pregnant sister, 20-year-old, Laqecia Herring, as well as Possession of a Firearm by a Juvenile Delinquent, and a later charge in 2012 for Solicitation to Commit 1^st Degree Murder—was a freshman at Tallahassee Community College. Although DeShon and his family had been living in Tallahassee for nearly ten years, they are originally from Orlando.

All of DeShon’s previous court appointed attorneys—including Nancy Daniels Public Defender’s Office and the Office of Criminal Conflict and Civil Regional Counsel—filed motions to withdraw citing conflict of interest. DeShon’s attorneys, as well as State Attorney Willie Meggs and the prosecutor on DeShon’s case, Jack Campbell, were well aware that the lead detective on the Two Counts of 1^st Degree Murder and Possession of a Firearm by a Juvenile Delinquent cases was never an employee with the Leon County Sheriff’s Office. Yet, Jack Campbell approved and filed notarized court documents that identified the lead detective as, “Leon County Sheriff’s Detective Don Odham.”   Meanwhile, Chief Assistant State’s Attorney Georgia Cappleman presented “Leon County Sheriff’s Detective Don Odham’s” words and actions to a grand jury and obtained an indictment against DeShon for Two Counts of 1^st Degree Murder and Possession of a Firearm by a Juvenile Delinquent. None of DeShon’s court appointed or private paid attorneys in Tallahassee wanted to oust Leon County Sheriff Larry Campbell and his son, State’s Prosecutor Jack Campbell for allowing their wealthy family friend, Don Odham, to “Play Cop.” This is the way the Campbell/Meggs ruled Tallahassee citizens for decades—telling everyone what to do and what not to do—what to say and what not to say. Don Odham was allowed to interrogate and assault children in front of their mothers. Don Odham’s badge number was 1206.

DeShon’s mother paid Tallahassee Criminal Defense Attorney Gregory Cummings nearly $30k. DeShon’s mother provided Cummings with numerous emails, text messages, cell phone records, etc. to assist in DeShon’s defense—either none of them were filed on DeShon’s behalf or the Leon County Clerk of Courts withheld them from DeShon’s case record. DeShon’s alibi for his whereabouts/actions during the late evening hours of January 26, 2011 into the early morning hours of January 27, 2011 was that he was working his entire shift at Taco Bell (confirmed by management that was never deposed). The District Two Medical Examiner’s Office never went to the crime scene. Therefore, the time of death question was left unanswered. And, State Attorney Jack Campbell refused to allow the District Two Medical Examiner’s Office to release the victims’ autopsy reports into public record. Cummings and Judge Hankinson, the presiding judge on DeShon’s case, played along with whatever Jack Campbell ordered. Cummings was eventually fired from DeShon’s case.

Circuit Judge James C. Hankinson had been presiding over DeShon’s cases since February 7, 2011. It was not until May 6, 2013, after DeShon’s mother contacted Governor Rick Scott in regards to Judge Hankinson having repeatedly failed to protect DeShon’s constitutional rights, as to when Judge Hankinson abruptly was no longer on DeShon’s case. Judge Hankinson did not inform DeShon that he was stepping down neither did Hankinson file a motion for recusal. On Sunday, June 2, 2013, Circuit Judge Jackie Fulford was assigned to preside over DeShon’s case.

On October 18, 2013, without a single shred of physical, circumstantial or material evidence against him, DeShon was convicted for Two Counts of 1^st Degree Murder and Solicitation to Commit 1^st Degree Murder. According to many attorneys outside of Tallahassee, the murder cases and the Solicitation to Commit 1st Degree murder cases should not have been tried together.

The Possession of a Firearm by a Juvenile Delinquent case was severed a month before DeShon went on trial. The firearm was not the murder weapon, neither was it in DeShon’s possession or residence when it was located without a search warrant. On December 16, 2013, DeShon pled No Contest to the charge of Possession of a Firearm by a Juvenile Delinquent. On the same day, Judge Jackie Fulford sentenced DeShon to Two Life Terms plus 30 years. At the time of his arrest, DeShon was four months away from his 18^th birthday. Had DeShon been 18-years-old at the time of his arrest, DeShon would’ve been sentenced to Florida’s Death Row—despite the lies and corruption by officials involved in his case. The State of Florida should never allow a father and son to prosecute cases together. Sheriff Larry Campbell was an elected official—his son, Jack Campbell prosecuted cases under Sheriff Campbell’s jurisdiction for over a decade—sending several children to serve years in adult prisons.

Today, Larry Campbell is deceased, and his son Jack Campbell is Florida’s Second Judicial Circuit State Attorney. According to sources, Jack Campbell, a Democrat, out spent his opponent, Pete Williams, a Republican, in the 2016 State Attorney’s race. Mr. Williams self-funded his campaign. In a news article published in the Tallahassee Democrat, in reference to Jack Campbell, “He will be tasked with bringing the office technologically into the 21^st Century and changing the perceived inside culture of the office.”

As an Assistant State’s Attorney, Jack Campbell ordered judges to assign attorneys that he himself hand-selected, on cases for his jailhouse indigent inmates–turned his (Campbell’s) key witnesses on cases that he was prosecuting. Jack Campbell and State Attorney Investigator Jason Newlin gave instruction for contraband to be smuggled into the Leon County Jail by Leon County Sheriff’s Deputy Ronald O’brien. Jack Campbell teamed up with Public Defender Lead Nancy Daniels to finagle codes so that attorneys that he selected would get paid for representing clients outside of their registered scope as possibly set with the Justice Administrative Commission.

In 2015, the Judicial Qualifications Commission found Judge Jackie Fulford had previously shown judicial misconduct before being assigned to preside over DeShon’s case. Fulford is no longer a judge.

Currently, according to the Leon County Clerk of Courts website, someone within the Leon County Courthouse has decided to finagle/downplay Circuit Judge James C. Hankinson’s role on DeShon’s case dating as far back as February 7, 2011. Disgraced Circuit Judge Jackie Fulford’s name has replaced Judge Hankinson’s name on numerous court dates. Judge Hankinson presided over DeShon’s case for over two years (February 7, 2011 thru) March 2013). Judge Fulford presided over DeShon’s case for the last seven months of 2013 (June thru December 2013). The changing of any court document is a criminal act. Though it is unclear as to whether or not the changes occurred under former Leon County Clerk of Courts and Comptroller Bob Inzer or current Leon County Clerk of Courts and Comptroller Gwen Marshall, either way, it goes to show the desperation of protecting officials in Tallahassee with “Big Money.” And completely ignoring its own citizens.

#FSU   #FSULAW #FAMU #UF #UFLAW #TCC #FREEDESHONTHOMASNOW #CFU

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/11/04/tallahassee-anti-corruption_n_6104054.html

http://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/2015/10/06/leon-county-clerk-courts-bob-inzer-wont-run-again/73479678/

http://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/2016/11/08/campbell-takes-state-attorney-seat/93466436/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Represent.Us

https://cvweb.clerk.leon.fl.us/public/clerk_services/online_searches/search_courts/search_by_name.asp

Tallahassee, FL—In 2007, the Florida Legislature created five Regional Counsel offices under FL Statute 27.511. These offices were created to provide legal representation to an indigent defendant after the court grants the Public Defender’s Office motion to withdraw; then the Office of Criminal Conflict and Civil Regional Counsel’s Office is appointed. When the Office of Criminal Conflict and Civil Regional Counsel’s Office has the same or another conflict where their office cannot provide legal representation to the indigent defendant, as stated by the Justice Administrative Commission:

“the court shall appoint private counsel from the circuit’s applicable registry as complied and approved by the chief judge and as maintained by the Clerk of Court. FL Statute 27.40 (3) (a) The court private counsel in rotating order as the names appear on the registry, unless the court makes a finding of good cause on the record for appointing counsel out-of-order.”

According to the legal dictionary website, the definition of money laundering is the process of taking the proceeds of criminal activity and making them appear legal. Laundering allows criminals to transform illegally obtained gains into seemingly legitimate funds.   

Each of Florida’s twenty Judicial Circuit Clerk of Court is responsible for properly assigning private counsel under the order of the court (judge), not under the order of state’s attorneys.

Dating as far back as December 2011, the mother of DeShon Thomas repeatedly contacted Governor Scott and Attorney General Bondi in regards to what she believed were corrupt acts led by Leon County Sheriff Larry Campbell and State Attorney Willie Meggs. Seventeen-year-old, DeShon Thomas was in the Leon County Jail facing many charges with the most serious being Two Counts of 1^st Degree Murder and Possession of a Firearm by a Juvenile Delinquent. State Attorney Willie Meggs assigned Jack Campbell, the son of Leon County Sheriff Larry Campbell to prosecute DeShon. The more DeShon’s mother attempted to bring outside officials attention to DeShon’s case, the more malicious the prosecution was against DeShon. In 2012, simultaneous to firing his defense attorney, Greg Cummings, State Attorney Willie Meggs announced that DeShon was being charged with Solicitation to Commit 1^st Degree Murder. DeShon was thrown into solitary confinement where heavy restriction were placed on him—no visitors, no phone calls, etc. After his firing, Mr. Cummings emailed DeShon’s mother to inform her that she and her oldest son, were named as having a role in the solicitation to murder Mr. Trentin Ross (Leon County Sheriff Larry Campbell and Prosecutor Jack Campbell’s key witness). Although DeShon was sitting in the Leon County Jail under false accusations, DeShon’s mother would not let the Meggs and the Campbell’s additional lies stop her from seeking justice for DeShon.

On October 7, 2013, during a pre-trial hearing in the case of State vs. DeShon Thomas, Prosecutor Jack Campbell may have committed the crime of obstruction of justice when he ordered 2^nd Judicial Circuit Judge Jackie Fulford to assign a specific private attorney to represent his key witness in the Solicitation to Commit 1^st Degree Murder charge against DeShon. As defined by Cornell Law, obstruction of justice is defined in the omnibus clause of 18 U.S.C. 1503, which provides…persons are charged under this statute based on allegations that a defendant intended to interfere with an official proceeding, by doing things such as destroying evidence, or interfering with the duties of jurors or court officers.”

The private attorney that Jack Campbell spent his weekend soliciting for business was not registered with the Justice Administrative Commission to handle such a case. The private attorney was hand selected by Jack Campbell—completely disregarding both the Leon County Clerk of Court Bob Inzer and the General Practices and Procedures outlined by the Justice Administrative Commission that clearly states, ‘FL Statute 27.40 (3) (a) The court private counsel in rotating order as the names appear on the registry, unless the court makes a finding of good cause on the record for appointing counsel out-of-order.’ The private attorney that Jack Campbell handpicked was not on the registry for this type of case—which means that other attorneys on the registry were deliberately cut-out of being assigned to this case. Also, Jack Campbell, along with Public Defender Lead Nancy Daniels made special provisions for the private attorney to get financial compensation for agreeing to represent an indigent client outside of the scope of representation according to the registry.

Many defense attorneys in Tallahassee have talked with family members of inmates about the fear of their clients getting a fair trial.

In response to a letter from DeShon’s mother to Attorney General Bondi about corruption occurring in Leon County Courthouse, Attorney General Bondi (see letters).

It is a wonder of how many attorneys on the registry were overlooked on cases in order to appease Meggs and Campbell. And now, as Jack Campbell has replaced Meggs as State’s Attorney, it’s a wonder as to how many attorneys on the registry will continue to be overlooked in order to appease Campbell’s unjust form of prosecution—through money laundering and obstruction of justice and a slew of other criminal/unethical acts in order to gain convictions.

 

https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/obstruction_of_justice

http://www.rc-4.com/about.shtml

http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/money+laundering

#FREEDESHONTHOMAS  #TCC #FSU #FSULAW  #INJUSTICE  #WRONGLYCONVICTED

 

 

Tallahassee, FL—Many Floridians may strongly agree that Markeith Loyd, a Black man, who is currently awaiting trial for murdering his pregnant ex-girlfriend, Sade Dixon, and then murdering Orlando Police Lieutenant Debra Clayton, should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. However, many people are aware of States flaws within their Criminal Justice System, including prosecutorial misconduct leading to wrongful convictions—putting innocent people on death row and to death. Mrs. Aramis Ayala, a Black female, who is a Democrat, was recently elected as Florida’s Ninth Judicial Circuit State Attorney (Orange-Osceola Counties). Mrs. Ayala is the first Black to hold this elected position in the state of Florida. She has also been tasked to prosecute Markeith Loyd for all of the heinous crimes that he is facing. Mrs. Ayala has decided not to seek the death penalty against Markeith Loyd. And in doing so, according to Orlando Weekly, Florida’s Governor Rick Scott has the support of Florida’s Attorney General Pamela Bondi, Republican-led Florida House of Representatives, the Florida Prosecuting Attorneys Association, and other victims’ families.

http://www.orlandoweekly.com/Blogs/archives/2017/05/08/aramis-ayala-says-gov-rick-scott-flip-flopped-on-interfering-in-cases

In January 2013, an article entitled, ‘Can Forgiveness Play a Role in Criminal Justice?’ by Paul Tullis was featured in The New York Times. Florida’s 2^nd Judicial Circuit Assistant State Attorney Jack Campbell was featured in the article.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/06/magazine/can-forgiveness-play-a-role-in-criminal-justice.html

Florida’s current 2^nd Judicial Circuit State Attorney Jack Campbell, who was an Assistant State Attorney for more than a decade under former 2^nd Judicial State Attorney Willie Meggs, openly discussed in detail about an ongoing murder case that he was prosecuting with a contributing reporter for The New York Times. For the first time in the American Criminal Justice System, Jack Campbell used Restorative Justice to play a role in the murder of 19-year-old, Ann Grosmaire. Ms. Grosmaire, a student at Tallahassee Community College, had been shot in the head with a shotgun at point-blank range by her abusive boyfriend, 19-year-old, Conor McBride, a White male, during an argument. Sadly, for numerous months after Mr. McBride’s arrest, Ms. Grosmaire’s parents were kept in the dark about the history of abuse that Mr. McBride had been inflicting on their daughter and about the details that led up to her murder—they believed that Mr. McBride unintentionally shot their daughter. In their blindness, Ms. Grosmaire’s parents sought to immediately forgive Mr. McBride—not wanting to see Mr. McBride spend the rest of his life in prison for accidentally shooting their daughter.

State Attorney Willie Meggs, Assistant State Attorney Jack Campbell, along with Jack Campbell’s dad—Leon County Sheriff Larry Campbell, as well as, Mr. Conor’s parents and Mr. Conor’s defense attorney, Gregory Cummings—they all knew that Mr. Conor murdered Ms. Grosmaire in cold-blood. According the article in The New York Times, “Conor was prone to bursts of irrational rage.” Idiotically, with knowledge of what unfolded right before Mr. Conor blew the brains out of Ms. Grosmaire’s skull, Jack Campbell and his dad, Sheriff Larry Campbell, made special provisions inside of the Leon County Jail in order for Mr. McBride to fulfill the Restorative Justice process. Restorative Justice, in part, is where the victim, the offender, and the community make amends for the committed offense. Restorative Justice was mostly used by schools and churches as a form of punishment for kids who commit vandalism or petty theft crimes. But, as part of the process in this case, the special provisions made by Sheriff Campbell, who went above and beyond measures to want his son to have national notoriety/celebrity status, clearly and severely disregarded all jail facility safety measures—putting everyone—including correctional officers and inmates at the Leon County Jail in jeopardy. Furthermore, as stated in The New York Times article, Jack Campbell told Ms. Grosmaire’s parents, “state attorney has broad discretion to depart from the state’s mandatory sentences.” Jack Campbell stated: As he always does with victims’ families, he explained to the Grosmaires the details of the criminal-justice process, including the little-advertised fact that the state attorney has broad discretion to depart from the state’s mandatory sentences. As the representative of the state and the person tasked with finding justice for Ann, he could reduce charges and seek alternative sentences. Technically, he told the Grosmairs, “if I wanted to do five years for manslaughter, I can do that.”

Neither Governor Rick Scott nor Attorney General Pamela Jo Bondi nor Republican-led House of Representatives nor the Prosecuting Attorneys Association intervened when State Attorney Willie Meggs and his Assistant State Attorney Jack Campbell used Restorative Justice during their prosecution of a cold-blooded murderer. Ms. Ann Grosmaire was not school property that had been vandalized. Neither was she trash strewn throughout the pew of a church. Ms. Ann Grosmaire was a human being. She was a beloved daughter who was a longtime victim of domestic abuse before she was murdered by her abuser. Ms. Grosmaire will never walk on this earth freely. She will never give her parents grandkids. Unfortunately to state—her murderer will be free, again to do whatever his heart desires. Where’s the outrage for Ms. Ann Grosmaire?

Many non-supports of Mrs. Ayala believe that if Mrs. Ayala did not have the backing of Mr. George Soros and other prominent backers, she would have lost her running against her boss, then State Attorney Jeff Ashton, a White male, who is also a Democrat. Seemingly, Mrs. Ayala’s non-supporters do not want to remember when Mr. Ashton dropped charges against 18-year-old, David Alyn Penney, a White male, who shot St. Cloud Police Officer Clinton in the foot and wounded St. Cloud Police Officer Spencer Endsley.

On February 13, 2013, Orlando Sentinel published an article by Henry Pierson Curtis entitled, ‘AK-47 shooter poised to get as little as 8 years in prison, records show,’ byline reads, ‘Prosecutors drop 10-20-Life mandatory minimums against young man who opened fire on two St. Cloud police officers.’ According to the article by Mr. Pierson, ‘All the most serious charges were dropped before St. Cloud police officers knew negotiations were under way for what many believe is the worst attack on law enforcement in Osceola County…’  The article goes on to read, ‘After learning Monday morning about the pending plea deal, Gauntlett and up to 30 officers attended the 1:30 p.m. hearing Monday before Circuit Judge Jon Morgan Jr. at the county courthouse. The dropped charges included two counts of attempted first-degree murder with a firearm of a law enforcement officer, which carry mandatory life sentences.’ The article also read, ‘Penney was 18 when he walked down Alabama Avenue at 2 a.m. Nov. 21, 2011 with two AK-47s he bought at a local gun show. Carrying five high-capacity magazines with 150 cartridges, Penney methodically fired into an acquaintance’s home before shooting through the windshield of a patrol car coming down the street, according to court records.

Three of the 95 bullets he fired that night tore up a headrest on either side of rookie Officer Spencer Endsley’s head as he drove into the ambush. His partner, Officer Clinton, was shot in the foot as he jumped out of the car to return fire, records state.’

http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2013-02-19/news/os-shooting-assault-rifle-david-penney-20130219_1_officer-spencer-endsley-officer-clinton-wise-ak-47s

Again, Governor Rick Scott nor Attorney General Pamela Bondi nor Republican-led House of Representatives nor the Prosecuting Attorneys Association intervened or shouted, “Blue Lives Matter” when State Attorney Jeff Ashton and his assistant state attorney tossed out mandatory minimum sentencing laws during their prosecution of an attempted-cops murderer as if they were tossing out molded bread.

After Mrs. Ayala chose not to seek the death penalty against Markeith Loyd, Governor Rick Scott removed many cases from her office and placed them under Ocala based State Attorney Brad King, a White male, who is a Republican. In an attempt to get her cases back, Mrs. Ayala filed a lawsuit in Florida Supreme Court against Governor Rick Scott. For sure, there are many truths in her filing. The family of Tallahassee Community College student DeShon Thomas is way too familiar with is a response that his mother received from Governor Rick Scott after she filed several complaints against 2^nd Judicial Circuit State Attorney Willie Meggs, Assistant State Attorney Jack Campbell and 2^nd Judicial Circuit Judge James C. Hankinson (Circuit Judge Jackie Fulford—Attorney General Pamela Jo Bondi’s) office during the prosecution of DeShon. Governor Rick Scott, in part responded, “Each state attorney is an elected official charged with certain discretionary duties… The state attorneys operate independently, and as elected officials, they answer only to the voters of their individual jurisdiction.”

DeShon Thomas, a Black male, was 17-years-old, when he and his family found themselves in the most gross judicial process they could ever imagine—State Attorney Willie Meggs having assigned Assistant State Attorney Jack Campbell to prosecute DeShon Thomas, after Leon County Sheriff Larry Campbell charged DeShon with Two Counts of 1^st Degree Murder. The son/ father duo was not considered a conflict of interest—therefore, the circus began. Local attorney Gregory Cummings robbed DeShon’s mother of nearly $30,000, while failing to communicate to DeShon that the man who had searched him, and then locked him and his mother in an integration room for several hours against their will and denied them access to an attorney—was never an employee at the Leon County Sheriff’s Office, yet, a wealthy Republican friend of the Campbell Family (Pay to Play). Currently, DeShon Thomas is once again representing himself—post conviction—because his former attorneys at the Office of Criminal Conflict and Civil Regional Counsel Criminal refuse to properly represent him. In spite of an attorney having admitted that he was in “fear” while in front of former 2^nd Judicial Circuit Judge Jackie Fulford, Governor Rick Scott and Attorney General Pamela Jo Bondi are still refusing to investigate the corruption that led to DeShon’s conviction. Why are attorneys practicing in “fear” in any of Florida’s courtrooms?