Month: August 2017

Tallahassee, FL—For the first time in North Florida; Tallahassee; Leon County’s history of television, a Death Penalty Trial was broadcasted live and video streamed live for the world to watch.

After sitting in the Leon County Jail for nearly ten years, Mr. Henry Segura went on trial for the quadruple murder of his toddler son, his son’s mother, and her twin daughters. Mr. Segura, who was charged in 2012 by former Second Judicial Circuit State Attorney Willie Meggs, a Democrat, is facing the Death Penalty. Mr. Segura’s case was being prosecuted by Meggs’ top prosecutor (assistant state attorney) Jack Campbell, a Democrat, who is also the son of former Leon County Sheriff Larry Canmpbell, a Democrat. (Sheriff Campbell died in December 2015).

Meggs served as 2^nd Judicial Circuit State Attorney for thirty-two years. Willie Meggs and Larry Campbell were lifelong friends. While two of Meggs’ children worked under Sheriff Campbell as deputies, Jack Campbell (Sheriff Campbell’s only son) worked his entire sixteen year career as an attorney, working directly under Willie Meggs. To ensure Jack Campbell a successful career as an assistant state attorney (prosecutor), Willie Meggs assigned Jack Campbell criminal cases that were under the arresting/ investigative jurisdiction of his dad, Sheriff Larry Campbell.

With Leon County’s Judicial System (Tallahassee) under the “Terroristic Rule” of the Campbell/ Meggs Klan (where Sheriff Larry Campbell booked them—Meggs charged them—Jack Campbell prosecuted them)—men, women, and children—many of Tallahassee’s citizens and visiting college students lived in fear—fearing local authorities. Some judges, some local attorneys, former 2^nd Judicial Public Defender Lead Nancy Daniels, former Leon County Clerk of Courts Bob Inzer, District Two Medical Examiner’s Office, First District Office of Criminal Conflict and Civil Regional Counsel’s Office, and some law enforcement officials were all in place with their scripts to assist in “Spoon-feeding” sessions of Jack Campbell.

During the first two weeks of August 2017, the world got to see just how desperate Jack Campbell lusts for death—to be right versus wrong. And all of the clowns formerly set in place by Willie Meggs for Jack Campbell were in place. There was Circuit Judge James C. Hankinson, Defense Death Penalty Lawyer Greg Cummings, local attorney Annabelle Dias, WCTV News Reporter Julie Montanaro, just to name a few.

Now, for the first time ever, the Campbell/Meggs Klan was not as intact as previous years. Since Larry Campbell is dead—and gone—and Governor Rick Scott’s criminal appointee Mike Woods, who replaced Sheriff Campbell, failed to win the election for Leon County Sheriff—and the fact that Willie Meggs’ children are already paying the price for his sins—future prosecutions are not going to go too well for Jack Campbell. And the world has already gotten an up-close view of the arrogance that Willie Meggs and Larry Campbell embedded in Jack Campbell who probably would’ve never won a conviction in his career had it not been for the intimidating tactics used by Sheriff Larry Campbell against his own deputies and local citizens who did not comply to his instructions—commit perjury, tamper with evidence, withhold evidence, provide a false statement or go to jail, using pretend cops to make arrest…

There are many more upcoming high profile cases on the dockets, for instance, the July 2014 murder of Florida State University Law School professor Dan Markel—who was murdered in his own driveway during the daytime. And then there is the July 2015 double murder of Lance Love and Cornellius Poole—according to reports—both were murdered by Walter Cole Rayborn. (Side Note: the family of Lance Love and Cornellius Poole may want to request a special prosecutor. Walter Cole Rayborn was coddled by Sheriff Larry Campbell during his repeated arrests; also while in the Leon County Jail (in 2012 during Sheriff Campbell’s era) Rayborn and another inmate was involved in a scheme hatched (an entrapment of another inmate) by Jack Campbell, and State Attorney Investigator Jason Newlin—it is a fact that upon agreeing to the scheme, the other inmate (who robbed 2 Tallahassee banks) was released from the Leon County Jail—provided with money, a cell phone and other items by both the Leon County Sheriff’s Office and State Attorney Willie Meggs’ Office.)

With Mr. Segura’s trial ending in a mistrial—only underscores the lingering “fear” that remains over Tallahassee’s citizens after being instructed for over 30 years to vote guilty or else… Take the jury on Mr. Segura’s trial, along with previous jurors on other criminal trials, and attach that with the attorney that was “in fear” under 2^nd Judicial Circuit Judge Jackie Fulford—then there you have it. An attorney that is “in fear” of the very 2^nd Judicial Circuit that he took an oath to represent—has paved the way to show that it is highly likely that jurors in Mr. Segura’s case, previous cases, and future cases are, were, and will be in fear of the same fear as long as the remnants of Sheriff Larry Campbell and Willie Meggs—Jack Campbell is in office.

 

#FREEDESHONTHOMASNOW #FREEHENRYSEGURA #STOPFLDEATHPENALTY #REPRESENTUS #FLORIDABAR #WTXL #WCTVNEWS  #NEWYORKTIMES #MSNBC #INJUSTICE  #WRONGLYCONVICTED #FSU   #FSULAW #FAMU #UF #UFLAW #TCC

 

Tallahassee, FL—Years before the November 2015 deadly ambush of two Leon County Sheriff’s Deputies, Governor Rick Scott was informed about the possibility of Leon County Sheriff Larry Campbell’s incompetency. Was it Governor Scott’s failure to follow-up on Sheriff Campbell as to why Leon County Sheriff’s Deputy Chris Smith was murdered, and Leon County Sheriff’s Deputy Colin Wulfekuhl was left injured?

Apparently, the gunman that killed Smith and wounded Wulfekuhl was no stranger to a select few deputies at the Leon County Sheriff’s Office, including LCSO Sergeant Wiley Meggs, the son of longtime serving Leon County Judicial Circuit State Attorney Willie Meggs. It was stated that Sergeant Wiley Meggs had labeled the gunman’s home address as a “Hot Zone,” stating that the man had made numerous threats to harm law enforcement officials and first responders. Several sources reported that when Smith and Wulfekuhl responded to a 911 call to the gunman’s home address, they were unaware that they were entering into a “Hot Zone.” Smith may have died at the scene along with the gunman; post-ambush, the Tallahassee Fire Department and other first responders were not immediately allowed to approach the gunman’s home.

After the ambush, Leon County Sheriff Larry Campbell was not readily available to speak to the public or the media. In fact, it took Sheriff Larry Campbell more than 24 hours to respond to the murderous ambush of two of his deputies. As Sheriff Campbell held a press conference, he appeared to look gravely ill—his words were extremely inaudible. Neither State Attorney Willie Meggs nor Governor Scott appeared at the press conference. Governor Scott issued a statement of condolences, but seemingly stayed far away from the circus of fingers pointing between the Leon County Sheriff’s Office and the Consolidated Dispatch Agency (CDA) as the two agencies blamed one another for communication failures that led up to Deputy Smith being murder.

Leon County Sheriff’s Deputy Chris Smith’s wife, children, loved ones and friends deserved a better understanding as to why Deputy Chris Smith (husband, father, beloved son, and friend) would never come home again to celebrate another holiday, birthday or wedding anniversary. Leon County Sheriff Larry Campbell and Governor Rick Scott treated the murder of Deputy Chris Smith with no honor.

The following month, December 2015, after years of battling cancer, Leon County Sheriff Larry Campbell died. According to some, it was Sheriff Larry Campbell’s wish to die while in office. Could Governor Scott wanting to honor Sheriff Campbell’s wish be the reasoning as to why Governor Scott did not investigate or replace Sheriff Campbell after receiving at least one complaint about Sheriff Campbell’s possible incompetence? Many citizens believe the extent of Sheriff Campbell’s true health condition was possibly concealed for months by members of Sheriff Larry Campbell’s family and Sheriff Campbell’s Command Staff.

During an October 2013 pre-trial hearing, Leon County Sheriff’s Deputy Ronald O’Brien, testified as to having been told to walk a handwritten gang coded letter into the Leon County Jail POD where 17-year-old, DeShon Thomas, was being housed as he awaited trial for the 2011 possession of drug paraphernalia, cultivation of marijuana, double homicide of his pregnant ex-girlfriend, 20-year-old, Laqecia Herring, and her 17-year-old brother, Sterling Connor Jr, and possession of a firearm by a juvenile delinquent. The cases against DeShon were extremely weak. DeShon had been in jail for over a year without any incidents. Especially not gang related. The Leon County Sheriff’s Office has a Gang Task Force that is funded by the federal government. The Gang Task Force was never activated. Deputy O’Brien was not a part of the Gang Task Force.

The gang coded letter that Deputy O’Brien had been instructed to take into the Leon County Jail POD where DeShon was being housed had been written by 28-year-old, Dawuan Williams, a previously convicted felon. Prior to Williams entering into the Leon County Jail, Williams had robbed two major banks in Tallahassee, and then fled the state of Florida. The Tallahassee Police Department and the Leon County Sheriff’s Office issued fugitive arrest warrants for Williams. Williams was apprehended in the state of Georgia by the Southeastern Regional Fugitive Task Force and the Tifton County Sheriff’s Office. The Southeastern Regional Fugitive Task Force transported Williams back to Tallahassee—to the Leon County Jail. Leon County Public Defender Nancy Daniels was assigned Williams cases. Williams was facing up to 50 years in prison. Shortly after Williams’ first appearance before a judge, Assistant State Attorney Jack Campbell instructed State Attorney Investigator Jason Newlin, to go to the Leon County Jail to speak with Williams. After Newlin first spoke with Williams—Williams agreed to assist Campbell and Newlin to entrap DeShon, DeShon’s mother and DeShon’s older brother on solicitation to commit murder charges. Within minutes after Williams agreed to assist with the entrapments, Williams was released from the Leon County Jail. The next day, Newlin connected with Williams—Newlin instructed Williams to write-out a gang-coded letter and then write-out the same letter translated.

Deputy O’Brien did not work in the Leon County Jail. Deputy O’Brien testified as to having no knowledge of how the mail process worked in regards to the processing of inmates mail. Deputy O’Brien was given an envelope that had United States Post Office markings copied onto it to appear as though the letter had come through the United States Post Office. Deputy O’Brien was told where to go inside of the Leon County Jail and where in the POD to place the letter—without alarming any of the on duty correctional officers—in order for DeShon to receive it. Deputy O’Brien walked the letter into the POD and placed the letter where DeShon Thomas received his normally processed mail. Deputy O’Brien’s actions were illegal (transporting contraband). Deputy O’Brien’s actions were just one of many desperate circus acts performed by Assistant State Attorney Jack Campbell in order to get a conviction against DeShon. The double homicide case against DeShon was weak. And, yet, again, Governor Rick Scott failed to protect deputies and correctional officers at the Leon County Sheriff’s Office.

Leon County State Attorney Willie Meggs routinely assigned Jack Campbell to prosecute cases that were under the investigative jurisdiction of Sheriff Larry Campbell—who is also Jack Campbell’s dad. Sheriff Campbell was the arresting and investigating agency on DeShon cases. With Sheriff Campbell having served in office for more than a decade, Jack Campbell was highly familiar of the Leon County Jail’s mode/standard of operations, policies and procedures. The Campbell’s investigative/ prosecution team was planned to spoon feed Jack Campbell convictions. The plan for Jack Campbell to replace Willie Meggs after Meggs retired completely disregarded moral ethics of many people within Leon County’s Judicial Circuit. Many of Sheriff Campbell’s deputies and detectives played along—following Jack Campbell’s instructions. And in doing so, deputies committed perjury, acts of fraud, were overlooked by Sheriff Campbell to please his wealthy friends—at least one friend (a non-certified law enforcement officer)  received a badge, a patrol car, a position as a crime scene detective—a detective with the violent crimes unit—a position as a lead investigator on a double homicide case.

In February 2016, this site posted an article entitled, ‘Florida Governor; Correctional Officers Suicides.’ In the article, DeShon Thomas’ mother expresses her concerns about Gulf Correctional Institute located in Wewahitchka, Florida. In part, she states, “In comparison the correctional officers at Century’s Prison, Gulf’s Prison Annex correctional officers failed several levels of administrative and security checks. The metal detectors may have not been working. There were no handheld scanners used.”

DeShon’s mother observed the tremendous lack of staff at Gulf Correctional Institute Annex. From the beginning of visitation to the end of visitation, there was one female correctional officer that manually checked everyone in—including verifying all documentation, frisking women and children—removing and replacing items in baby diaper bags, escorting all visitors to the main visitation room. After visitation, the same female correctional officer manually checked all visitors out of visitation, escorted all visitors back to the entrance, and returned all items that she’d confiscated—that were not allowed into the prison. The female correctional officer looked exhausted! While the female correctional officer had been harshly verbally criticized by many of the visitors, who’d traveled hundreds of miles to visit with their loved ones, DeShon Thomas’ mother, brother and other family members thanked her for her time.

Although DeShon was eventually transferred from Gulf Correctional Institution Annex, a source informed DeShon that 23-year-old, Brandon Devon Steadman, a Tallahassee native, died on October 7, 2016. Mr. Steadman was an inmate at Gulf Correctional Institute at the time of his death. Mr. Steadman’s obituary is online (Floridaobituary.com). Mr. Steadman obituary states in part he “passed unexpectedly.” Regardless of Mr. Steadman’s criminal acts, Mr. Steadman’s family and friends deserve to know more about Mr. Steadman’s death.

In February 2014, Orange County Deputy Scott Pine was murdered in the line of duty. Deputy Pine’s wife, Bridget Pine, struggled mentally and financially to support her and their three children. Deputy Pine’s wife had to set her mental health aside in order to take action to get a bill passed to expand survivor’s benefits. Although Governor Scott signed the bill, the pay for law enforcement officers is low grade.

According to the Miami Herald, Governor Rick Scott wants to “reward 4,000 state law enforcement officers with 5 percent pay raises.”

NorthEscambia.com reports, ‘Higher Pay Sought For FHP Troopers.’ Their article in part, states, “Scott, who is expected to run for U.S. Senate next year, said last month he will ask for $30 million to cover pay raises for state law-enforcement officers for the fiscal year that begins July 2018. Law-enforcement officers are spread across different state agencies.”

The report above comes on the heels of the June 21, 2017 Editorial of the Hartford Courant article entitled, ‘Florida? No Thanks, Gov. Scott’ And after News 8 wtnh.com reporting about Governor Rick Scott’s campaigning in Connecticut to get businesses to move to Florida coupled with the recent death of  Florida Highway Patrol Trooper Master Sergeant William Bishop, prompted Connecticut’s ‘…State Police Union to tell FL. Gov. to go home.”

 

Swiftly Seeks Death Penalty

Many citizens of Orange/Osceola counties who elected Aramis Ayala to become Florida’s 9^th Judicial Circuit State Attorney would like to know how many of Mrs. Ayala’s criminal cases did Governor Rick Scott review for himself, or assembled a special committee to review, before he removed them out of her office and placed them in Florida’s 5^th Judicial Circuit State Attorney Brad King’s Office?

Florida’s 2^nd Judicial Circuit State Attorney Jack Campbell’s Office prosecuted a Death Penalty case against Henry Segura, a Black man, in spite of having knowledge of a Florida Department of Law Enforcement DNA analyst’s admission to having suppressed evidence for years that favored the defense, and an 11^th hour confession by a gang that also favored the defense member. Jack Campbell is a Democrat. Jack Campbell inherited Mr. Segura’s case from longtime serving 2^nd Judicial Circuit State Attorney Willie Meggs. Jack Campbell worked for Meggs as an assistant state attorney—top prosecutor—for more than a decade. Mr. Segura had been sitting in the Leon County Jail for nearly a decade awaiting trial on quadruple murder charges. The evidence against Mr. Segura was weak from the start. In August 2017, after two weeks of trial testimony, a jury deadlocked—and the judge declared a mistrial. The Death Penalty trial cost taxpayers millions of dollars.

Governor Rick Scott has not publicly criticized State Attorney Jack Campbell’s decision to follow former State Attorney Willie Meggs—by moving forward with seeking the Death Penalty for Mr. Segura in spite of having very weak evidence.

Floridapolitics.com recently named Ralph Wright Jr. as Florida’s “…twenty-seventh death row prisoner in Florida to be exonerated.”

If DeShon Thomas had been just six months older at the time of his arrest, his case would’ve been a Death Penalty case. Officials sat back and allowed 17-year-old, DeShon Thomas, to be kidnapped by a wealthy White man who was given privileges to impersonate a Leon County Sheriff’s Detective. Officials allowed Mr. Segura to spend nearly a decade of his life in the Leon County Jail knowing that the case against him was extremely weak. Officials allowed Ralph Wright Jr. and 26 other Death Row inmates—and counting—to be wrongly convicted.

Apparently, Governor Rick Scott does not want 21^st Century Policing. Florida’s law enforcement officers and correctional officers put their lives on the line to protect everyone—without fanfare. They deserve full protection from Governor Scott. Seemingly, Governor Scott wants to enforce swift Death Penalty charges against criminals without knowing all of the “facts.” And, without any concern, as to the millions of taxpayer dollars that will be wasted in a Death Penalty trial with evidence that is extremely weak. Governor Scott’s low approval rating is with much merit. And all of those who work under him are merely collateral damage.

 

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/state/florida/article118199508.html

http://www.northescambia.com/2017/08/higher-pay-sought-for-fhp-troopers

http://www.courant.com/opinion/editorials/hc-ed-florida-connecticut-0621-20170620-story.html

Death of FL State Trooper prompts CT State Police Union to tell FL Gov. to go home

http://www.leoaffairs.com/news/ct-police-union-tells-fl-governor-go-home-fallen-trooper/

 

#FREEDESHONTHOMASNOW  #FSU   #FAMU #TCC #WFTV  #REPRESENTUS #CHANGE.ORG #WRONGFULCONVICTIONS  #EMBRACETALLAHASSEE #ENVISIONCU #CHARLOTTESVILLE  #ONEORLANDOPULSE

 

Tallahassee, FL—In February 2001, the Confederate Flag was removed from the Florida State Capitol. At the time, Governor Jeb Bush (Republican) was serving in office. According to the St. Petersburg Times and the Tampa Bay Times, Katie Baur spokeswoman for Bush, in part stated, “…the governor is confident…as we begin a new century…Florida’s past should not be displayed in a manner that may divide Florida today.”

For more than three decades, former 2^nd Judicial State Attorney Willie Meggs (Democrat) who served Leon County, Wakulla County, Jefferson County, Gadsden County, Liberty County and Franklin County, has for the most part of his career been viewed by local citizens as a racist, ‘Good Ol’ Boy’ prosecutor. For more than a decade local citizens feared him, along with Leon County Sheriff Larry Campbell (Democrat). And with two of Meggs’ children working for Sheriff Campbell and with Sheriff Campbell’s son, Jack Campbell (Democrat) working as Meggs’ lead prosecutor—many innocent people including law enforcement officials and attorneys—both private and public defenders—lived in fear. Meggs and Sheriff Campbell colluded to pave the way for Jack Campbell to succeed Meggs upon Meggs’ retirement. In doing so, Meggs overlooked nearly forty of his prosecutors and assigned Jack Campbell to prosecute criminal high-profile cases that were being investigated by Sheriff Campbell’s agency. It is believed that most of the former Leon County Jail inmates that Jack Campbell convicted and sent to prison were Black.

In 2012, under Meggs, Jack Campbell charged two Black male juveniles (14 and 15 year-old) as adults. The juveniles were arrested by Leon County Sheriff Larry Campbell for allegedly raping a classmate in a dugout on the campus of Godby High School.

In 2011, under Meggs, Jack Campbell charged a 17-year-old Black male juvenile as an adult. The juvenile was arrested by Leon County Sheriff Larry Campbell for allegedly possession of drug paraphernalia, cultivation of marijuana, two counts of 1^st degree murder, possession of a firearm by a juvenile delinquent, and conspiracy to commit 1^st degree murder. These are just a few criminal cases that Meggs, Sheriff Campbell, and Jack Campbell colluded.

In the 2011 case, it is factually known that Sheriff Larry Campbell assigned his wealthy personal friend, who had no law enforcement credentials, to interrogate a minor, to commit fraud on government official documents—to that which certified law enforcement officials were ordered to notarize. Jack Campbell had those same fraudulent documents signed by judges and then filed into the Leon County Clerk of Courts. In order for Meggs’ office to obtain a grand jury indictment against this Black male juvenile, fraudulent documents and testimonies that identified Sheriff Campbell’s wealthy friend as a “Leon County Sheriff’s Detective” had to be presented.

Under Meggs, Jack Campbell charged a 17-year-old White male juvenile as an adult with manslaughter. The juvenile was arrested by Leon County Sheriff Larry Campbell for shooting and killing a Black male teenager—who was in the comfort of his own home. The White male was convicted (withholding adjudication) and sent to a juvenile facility.

In 2010, Under Meggs, Jack Campbell charged a 19-year-old White male with 2^nd degree manslaughter. The White male teenager had been arrested by Leon County Sheriff Larry Campbell for the brutal cold-blooded murder of his White teenage girlfriend. Meggs, Sheriff Larry Campbell, Jack Campbell and Criminal Defense Attorney Greg Cummings sought to soften the defendant’s charges for his brutal cold-blooded murderous rage. They all allowed ‘Restorative Justice’ to play a role in his criminal proceedings. Thus, treating his heinous act of violence against another human being as though he’d vandalized a piece of church property.

 

During the 2016 campaign for Florida State Attorneys, many incoming candidates vowed to reform Office of State Attorney for their circuit. For instance, 4^th Judicial Circuit State Attorney Melissa Nelson (Republican), in Jacksonville, according to Jacksonville.com, has already released a White man from a Jacksonville jail. The man had been in jail for nearly 3 years accused of arson and murder. Melissa Nelson admitted that the case against him was weak. She’d inherited the case from the former State Attorney Angela Corey. Melissa Nelson has also begun putting into motion a Wrongful Conviction Unit—it would be the first in Florida. The Wrongful Conviction Unit will require prosecutors to sift through cold cases to find compelling claims of innocence, and then re-investigate them.

Current 2^nd Judicial State Attorney Jack Campbell has not vowed to any type of reform in regards wrongful convictions. For Jack Campbell to make such a vow, he would have to display the collusion committed by Willie Meggs, his daddy, the late Leon County Sheriff Larry Campbell, and himself. And all of the other criminal acts and cover ups involving other law enforcement officials, judges, attorneys, local government agencies, such as the Leon County Clerk of Courts, the Office of Criminal Conflict and Civil Regional Counsel, District Two Medical Examiner’s Office, and former Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Gerald Bailey, the Florida Bar and Florida Commission on Ethics.

For nearly a decade, a Black male has been sitting in the Leon County Jail awaiting trial on quadruple murder charges—where a young mother and her three children were brutally murdered in their home. From the start of the judicial process, the case was weak. Nearly, five years after his incarceration—after Gerald Bailey resigned—a DNA analyst with Florida Department of Law Enforcement came forward with crucial information that she’d been given by the FBI—she’d been withholding the information. Jack Campbell has failed to admit that the quadruple murder case against the Black male is weak—because he would be undercutting Meggs’ decision to charge him. So, instead, Jack Campbell has moved forward in prosecuting the death penalty case—win or lose—which is costing taxpayers a lot of money.

 

The citizens of Tallahassee/ Leon County know that Willie Meggs, Larry Campbell, and Gerald Bailey are all lifelong friends. These 3 men were all top judicial/law enforcement officials whose friendships toppled morals and ethics—that produced State Attorney Jack Campbell—which means that in spite of being in a new century, top officials in Leon County, Florida remain on keeping citizens divided and the roots of racism and bigotry continues on in Leon County Judicial Circuit Courts.

 

#FREEDESHONTHOMASNOW  #FSU   #FAMU #TCC #WFTV  #REPRESENTUS #CHANGE.ORG #WRONGFULCONVICTIONS  #EMBRACETALLAHASSEE #ENVISIONCU #CHARLOTTESVILLE  #ONEORLANDOPULSE

 

http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/public-safety/2017-07-03/search-wrongful-conviction-czar-state-attorney-s-office

http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/the-buzz-florida-politics/confederate-flag-fell-in-floirda-under-gov-jeb-bush/2234457

 

 

Leon County, FL—On October 9, 2013, WCTV News Reporter Julie Montanaro went to the Capitol and questioned two Republican lawmakers, State Representative Larry Ahern and State Senator Kelli Stargel, about their stance on the death of unborn victims. She failed to ask them how can state attorney’s office, law enforcement agencies, and the media protect the identity of witnesses who testify to a murder.

At the time of Julie Montanaro’s questioning the lawmakers, DeShon Thomas’ trial was underway. DeShon had been charged with the 2011 double homicide of his pregnant ex-girlfriend, 20-year-old, Laqecia Herring and her 17-year-old brother, Sterling Conner Jr. Prior to DeShon’s arrest, he was a freshman at Tallahassee Community College and an employee at Taco Bell; he was 17-years-old at the time of the charges. He was charged as an adult.

Florida’s Capital City (Tallahassee) is the home of two major state universities, and many other colleges. Ten months out of the year—every year—thousands of students from all over the country and the world live in Tallahassee to attend school. For nearly a decade, Jack Campbell was a prosecutor in Tallahassee. Jack Campbell, along with his dad, Tallahassee’s Sheriff Larry Campbell, worked together, both inside and outside of Tallahassee’s Judicial System. Sheriff Larry Campbell and his employees at the Leon County Sheriff’s Office, along with personal friends of Sheriff Campbell’s, committed numerous crimes against innocent citizens and jailhouse inmates awaiting trial, including intimidating witnesses, using sheriff’s deputies to smuggling paraphernalia into inmates PODS and giving at least on wealthy friend a law enforcement badge, a patrol car to use at his disposal, and the authorization to impersonate a law enforcement official. All of this criminal behavior was done in order to highlight Jack Campbell’s career with future plans of Jack Campbell becoming the successor of State’s Attorney Willie Meggs, whose career spanned more than 30 years. Nothing seemed to be off the table in the courtrooms at the Leon County Courthouse for Jack Campbell to score convictions.

Soon State Attorney Willie Meggs, Jack Campbell and Sheriff Larry Campbell teamed up with WCTV Reporter Julie Montanaro to instill fear in the citizens of Tallahassee and all students by exploiting anyone who was a defense witness. Witnesses whose statements and/or testimonies did not support the theories and arrests of Sheriff Larry Campbell (the investigating/arresting agency), State Attorney Willie Meggs (the prosecuting agency) and Jack Campbell (Meggs’ prosecutor) were more than likely setting themselves up for some form of backlash—if not criminal charge.

Tallahassee’s crime rate has exploded over the years. The number of unsolved murders in Tallahassee is continuing to grow. Students who may have witnessed crimes are living in fear of going to law enforcement—fear of being wrongfully charged as a perpetrator of a crime or fear of being exploited by WCTV News Reporter Julie Montanaro at the request of local state officials. Even some defense attorneys in Tallahassee are at a lost because they fear for their clients in not getting a fair trial.

In 2013, during DeShon’s trial, Julie Montanaro exploited a female defense witness, who was a college student. Julie Montanaro stated the young woman’s name and place of residence in her reporting. In part, the witness’s testimony gave detailed description of the clothing and a man suspicious behavior that was knocking on the victims’ door on the last night that the victims were known to be alive. The description of the man did not fit the description of DeShon. This same information was provided by the witness to Sheriff’s Deputy Clifton Couch on the same day the victims were found murdered. The witness’s statement/testimony also opened up another suspect and timeline—one that Sheriff Larry Campbell failed to investigate. At no time before or after DeShon’s trial did Julie Montanaro speak with this witness. Because DeShon had not been convicted, WCTV News Reporter Julie Montanaro may have put this young petite woman in the cross-hairs of the real murderer.

In October 2013, this young, God fearing woman, was brave enough to speak out against what local officials theorized. But, as in Mr. Segura’s quadruple murder case, Jack Campbell was so “Hell Bent” on getting DeShon convicted, the grand jury was provided with false information, notarized court documents with known false information was filed into court, sheriff’s deputies, and others committed perjury. State Attorney Willie Meggs and Jack Campbell refused to allow the District Two Medical Examiner’s Office to release the victims’ autopsy reports—hence, not wanting the victims’ time of death to be known by DeShon or the public.

JULIE MONTANARO IS A LOSER!!!!

In July 1, 2017, a bill was passed by Florida State lawmakers that will protect the “Identity of Witness to a Murder.” In part, the bill, “… creates a public record exemption for two years after the date on which the murder is observed by the witness.”  Therefore, no witness to a murder will be exploited before or during trial proceedings. And very little information about the witness will be available to the public two years afterwards.

Although the female college student/witness in DeShon’s case did not observe “a murder,” she stood her ground in spite of the fear and other methods of intimidation tactics used by officials and WCTV News Reporter Julie Montanaro.

SIDE NOTE: Prior to DeShon’s trial, Sheriff’s Deputy Clifton Couch resigned from the Leon County Sheriff’s Office possibly due to a dispute that he’d gotten into with Sheriff Larry Campbell. In an effort to conceal Deputy Clifton Couch’s identity and any testimony that he may have provided for the defense, DeShon’s court appointed attorney, Daren Shippy,who is a supervisor with the Office of Criminal Conflict and Civil Regional Counsel Office , purposely issued a court subpoena to the Leon County Sheriff’s Office using the fictitious name, Velveeta Couch (see documents). The subpoena was accepted.  This is just one of many ways where local agencies in Tallahassee will work against themselves in order to keep money circulating in their own circle—and ensuring to keep their own people in government positions. DeShon was convicted of Two Counts of 1^st Degree Murder and Solicitation to Commit 1^st Degree Murder without a shred of physical evidence against him. He was sentenced to Two Life Sentences plus 30 years.

 

#FSU   #FAMU   #TCC   #STANDYOURGROUND #SAYNOTOBULLYING  #WCTVNEWS  #FREEDESHONTHOMASNOW  #INJUSTICE  #WRONGLYCONVICTED