1 00:00:03,200 --> 00:00:06,440 Speaker 1: In the early morning hours of January twenty fourth, two 2 00:00:06,440 --> 00:00:10,039 Speaker 1: thousand and one, gunfire erupted in front of a house 3 00:00:10,119 --> 00:00:14,600 Speaker 1: in Detroit, Michigan. Twenty five year old Jamon Mcatyre ran 4 00:00:14,640 --> 00:00:20,120 Speaker 1: toward a nearby alley, where his assailants finished the job. Initially, 5 00:00:20,239 --> 00:00:24,520 Speaker 1: two alleged witnesses claimed that they didn't see the assailants, 6 00:00:24,920 --> 00:00:28,080 Speaker 1: but a few weeks later, one of them identified three 7 00:00:28,120 --> 00:00:34,000 Speaker 1: men from a photo array, including Anthony Legion. Despite claims 8 00:00:34,000 --> 00:00:37,280 Speaker 1: of innocence from all three men, an alleged cellmate claimed 9 00:00:37,320 --> 00:00:42,600 Speaker 1: that they said differently in private, but this is wrongful conviction. 10 00:00:50,400 --> 00:00:53,840 Speaker 1: Wrongful conviction has always given voice to innocent people in prison, 11 00:00:53,880 --> 00:00:57,520 Speaker 1: and now we're expanding that voice to you. Call us 12 00:00:57,800 --> 00:01:00,800 Speaker 1: at eight three three two oh seven four six sixty 13 00:01:00,840 --> 00:01:03,200 Speaker 1: six and tell us how these stories make you feel 14 00:01:03,360 --> 00:01:05,800 Speaker 1: and what you've done to help the cause, even if 15 00:01:05,800 --> 00:01:08,639 Speaker 1: it's something as simple as telling a friend or sharing 16 00:01:08,640 --> 00:01:11,960 Speaker 1: on social media, and you might just hear yourself in 17 00:01:12,000 --> 00:01:15,520 Speaker 1: a future episode. Call us A three three two oh 18 00:01:15,560 --> 00:01:28,080 Speaker 1: seven four six sixty six. Welcome back to Wrongful Conviction, 19 00:01:28,160 --> 00:01:31,959 Speaker 1: where we've got another Detroit case that involves a drug house, 20 00:01:32,720 --> 00:01:36,280 Speaker 1: a dirty cop playing both sides, a dead body, no 21 00:01:36,319 --> 00:01:42,280 Speaker 1: white witnesses, only fabrications, including a jailhouse snitch, and it 22 00:01:42,319 --> 00:01:44,399 Speaker 1: appears that a drug syndicate may have been pulling a 23 00:01:44,440 --> 00:01:47,039 Speaker 1: lot of the strings here and joining us, one of 24 00:01:47,080 --> 00:01:52,600 Speaker 1: the survivors of this insane story, Anthony Legion, Anthony, thanks 25 00:01:52,600 --> 00:01:53,120 Speaker 1: for doing. 26 00:01:52,960 --> 00:01:55,680 Speaker 2: This with us, Thanks for having me and returning. 27 00:01:55,320 --> 00:01:57,240 Speaker 1: To help tell this story. A guy who we met 28 00:01:57,280 --> 00:02:00,000 Speaker 1: in New Orleans at the twenty twenty four Innocent Network Conference, 29 00:02:00,120 --> 00:02:04,120 Speaker 1: civil rights attorney Wolf Muller. Wolf, welcome back to Ronful Conviction. 30 00:02:04,520 --> 00:02:05,840 Speaker 3: Thank you, thank you for having me. 31 00:02:06,120 --> 00:02:09,200 Speaker 1: And you may remember Wolf from Daryl Siggers's story. Another 32 00:02:09,360 --> 00:02:12,520 Speaker 1: case out of Detroit where it seems like police misconduct 33 00:02:12,800 --> 00:02:17,399 Speaker 1: was basically the norm, especially when it came to fabricating 34 00:02:17,440 --> 00:02:21,520 Speaker 1: witness testimony and using jailhouse snitches. 35 00:02:22,280 --> 00:02:26,240 Speaker 3: The Detroit Police Department and particularly the homicide section in 36 00:02:26,280 --> 00:02:29,359 Speaker 3: the late nineteen eighties, all through the nineteen nineties and 37 00:02:29,480 --> 00:02:32,680 Speaker 3: extending the early two thousands, if they had a weak case, 38 00:02:33,000 --> 00:02:37,360 Speaker 3: they would recruit some snitch, typically from what would be 39 00:02:37,400 --> 00:02:39,440 Speaker 3: the ninth floor jail, where you're only supposed to be 40 00:02:39,480 --> 00:02:41,680 Speaker 3: held there for about forty eight hours before you get 41 00:02:41,680 --> 00:02:44,480 Speaker 3: transferred to the county jail. But some of these guys 42 00:02:44,520 --> 00:02:47,280 Speaker 3: on a ninth floor were in the ninth floor lockup 43 00:02:47,840 --> 00:02:51,679 Speaker 3: for a year or more and they had sheets over 44 00:02:51,720 --> 00:02:55,360 Speaker 3: their cells which were off to the side. They had VCRs, 45 00:02:55,400 --> 00:02:58,040 Speaker 3: they had TVs, they had food, they had drink, they 46 00:02:58,040 --> 00:03:02,080 Speaker 3: had everything because they were regular snitches for the DPD. 47 00:03:02,200 --> 00:03:04,720 Speaker 3: And what three of them have said under oath is 48 00:03:04,800 --> 00:03:08,440 Speaker 3: we would get discovery packages from the detectives, told to 49 00:03:08,480 --> 00:03:13,040 Speaker 3: memorize it, a handwritten statement from the homicide detective saying 50 00:03:13,080 --> 00:03:15,800 Speaker 3: how this guy confessed and all you had to do 51 00:03:15,919 --> 00:03:18,240 Speaker 3: was sign it. And so they had these extra benefits 52 00:03:18,240 --> 00:03:20,679 Speaker 3: that nobody knew about. And then one guy got off 53 00:03:20,720 --> 00:03:23,160 Speaker 3: on a second degree murder charge which was twelve to 54 00:03:23,200 --> 00:03:25,880 Speaker 3: twenty five years after doing seven years, and the testimony 55 00:03:25,880 --> 00:03:28,920 Speaker 3: from one of the homicide detectives was he's helped us 56 00:03:28,960 --> 00:03:31,799 Speaker 3: out in about twenty cases. Well, there is no way 57 00:03:32,080 --> 00:03:35,600 Speaker 3: any reasonable juror would ever listen to something like that 58 00:03:35,760 --> 00:03:39,480 Speaker 3: and think twenty different people who didn't know you confessed 59 00:03:39,520 --> 00:03:40,080 Speaker 3: to murder. 60 00:03:40,880 --> 00:03:42,880 Speaker 1: It's hard to believe this is real life, but here 61 00:03:42,920 --> 00:03:44,960 Speaker 1: we are. And if you don't remember the case of 62 00:03:45,040 --> 00:03:47,760 Speaker 1: Larry Smith Junior, well, we're going to have it thinked. 63 00:03:47,800 --> 00:03:51,040 Speaker 1: In the episode description, the circumstances are similar to what 64 00:03:51,200 --> 00:03:54,080 Speaker 1: happened to Anthony and his co defend. It's Marvin Cotton 65 00:03:54,160 --> 00:03:57,400 Speaker 1: and DeVante Parks in the city that they all called home. 66 00:03:58,080 --> 00:04:02,560 Speaker 2: I grew up in a Detroit, Michigan seventies eighties. My 67 00:04:02,600 --> 00:04:05,160 Speaker 2: mother and father had been married until my father passed, 68 00:04:05,360 --> 00:04:08,360 Speaker 2: so for over thirty years. So, you know, I had 69 00:04:08,360 --> 00:04:11,560 Speaker 2: a structured home. You know, Detroit was on the rise. 70 00:04:11,840 --> 00:04:14,440 Speaker 2: You know, it was jobs, the factories. You know. I 71 00:04:14,480 --> 00:04:18,520 Speaker 2: had a pretty pretty good childhood. Went to school, graduated 72 00:04:18,520 --> 00:04:22,240 Speaker 2: from Cody High School, played sports, you know, just a 73 00:04:22,320 --> 00:04:27,320 Speaker 2: normal childhood life, engaged with the young ladies in the neighborhood. 74 00:04:27,560 --> 00:04:30,400 Speaker 2: Prior to my incarceration, I was twenty seven years old. 75 00:04:30,520 --> 00:04:33,440 Speaker 2: I had two children by one young lady, and right 76 00:04:33,480 --> 00:04:37,200 Speaker 2: before I got incarcerated, she had found out she had cancer. 77 00:04:37,560 --> 00:04:41,200 Speaker 2: And when she found out, our relationship wasn't on the 78 00:04:41,240 --> 00:04:45,200 Speaker 2: best of terms. So just imagine how that felt when 79 00:04:45,240 --> 00:04:47,799 Speaker 2: she found out that she had that and already wasn't 80 00:04:47,839 --> 00:04:51,320 Speaker 2: the best, you know, boyfriend, So it was difficult. Me 81 00:04:51,360 --> 00:04:52,960 Speaker 2: and her had kind of split up, but I had 82 00:04:52,960 --> 00:04:55,480 Speaker 2: to step up to the plate, and you know, take 83 00:04:55,520 --> 00:04:58,479 Speaker 2: care of my children. My son who was two and 84 00:04:58,520 --> 00:05:00,839 Speaker 2: my daughter was like seven at the time. So I 85 00:05:00,880 --> 00:05:02,920 Speaker 2: had them living with me, and you know, they would 86 00:05:02,920 --> 00:05:06,240 Speaker 2: go back and forth, but she was going through these treatments, 87 00:05:06,400 --> 00:05:08,479 Speaker 2: so I had the children with me for the most 88 00:05:08,520 --> 00:05:10,360 Speaker 2: of the part. And you know, I was in to 89 00:05:10,560 --> 00:05:13,040 Speaker 2: real estate, investing money in real estate and things of 90 00:05:13,080 --> 00:05:15,359 Speaker 2: that nature. So I was at home a lot with 91 00:05:15,400 --> 00:05:16,080 Speaker 2: the children. 92 00:05:16,640 --> 00:05:19,279 Speaker 1: At twenty seven years old, Dantony had a full plate 93 00:05:19,320 --> 00:05:22,919 Speaker 1: and a meaningful career with no real connection to the victim, 94 00:05:23,000 --> 00:05:26,440 Speaker 1: Jamon McIntyre or what became the crime scene a place 95 00:05:26,520 --> 00:05:27,919 Speaker 1: called the Third Street House. 96 00:05:28,760 --> 00:05:31,560 Speaker 3: From all the police reports, and what the police officers 97 00:05:31,920 --> 00:05:36,599 Speaker 3: knew is this was a drug house maintained and kept 98 00:05:36,680 --> 00:05:41,880 Speaker 3: by Jimmon McIntyre, who was related either by blood or 99 00:05:41,920 --> 00:05:46,240 Speaker 3: they call them plain nephews with the Johnson crime family, 100 00:05:46,279 --> 00:05:48,400 Speaker 3: the drug family that ran a lot of dope out 101 00:05:48,400 --> 00:05:51,000 Speaker 3: of Detroit at that time in the early two thousands, 102 00:05:51,080 --> 00:05:54,400 Speaker 3: late nineties. We found out later years and years later, 103 00:05:54,560 --> 00:05:59,359 Speaker 3: a nephew of the Johnsons, Santonian Adams, was a Detroit 104 00:05:59,440 --> 00:06:02,719 Speaker 3: police office there at the time of the crime was 105 00:06:02,800 --> 00:06:06,400 Speaker 3: actually running security for the Johnson crime family. As a 106 00:06:06,400 --> 00:06:07,479 Speaker 3: Detroit police. 107 00:06:07,200 --> 00:06:11,359 Speaker 1: Officer, Anthony's only connection to the Third Street house was 108 00:06:11,400 --> 00:06:13,479 Speaker 1: through his childhood friend Marvin Cotton. 109 00:06:14,000 --> 00:06:16,440 Speaker 2: I actually didn't know anything about what was going on 110 00:06:16,520 --> 00:06:19,680 Speaker 2: in the house or the players. Only person that I 111 00:06:19,839 --> 00:06:24,400 Speaker 2: knew and vaguely knew him was Jamal McIntyre. Marvin and 112 00:06:24,560 --> 00:06:27,240 Speaker 2: Jamon were good friends, and I had went over there 113 00:06:27,320 --> 00:06:30,520 Speaker 2: one time with Marvin. We stopped over there. Marvin and 114 00:06:30,600 --> 00:06:34,440 Speaker 2: Jama was having conversations and they was in their own 115 00:06:34,520 --> 00:06:37,719 Speaker 2: little circle talking. He was there for probably about fifteen 116 00:06:37,720 --> 00:06:39,680 Speaker 2: to twenty minutes maybe. So that's the only thing that 117 00:06:39,720 --> 00:06:41,599 Speaker 2: I know about the house, and I don't know how 118 00:06:41,680 --> 00:06:46,159 Speaker 2: much you guys knew. But prior to mcatire's death, Marvin 119 00:06:46,200 --> 00:06:47,919 Speaker 2: had an issue with the police department. 120 00:06:48,160 --> 00:06:51,520 Speaker 3: Cotton wasn't the cleanest guy. I think he was selling 121 00:06:51,680 --> 00:06:55,600 Speaker 3: guns on the side. Well, the Detroit copp lost her 122 00:06:55,640 --> 00:06:59,400 Speaker 3: gun and it ended up in Cotton's hands and he 123 00:06:59,560 --> 00:07:02,720 Speaker 3: sold it and the cops busted into his house, strung 124 00:07:02,760 --> 00:07:06,000 Speaker 3: him up to his shower naked, started braiding him, and 125 00:07:06,080 --> 00:07:08,520 Speaker 3: he filed the citizens complaint against the two cops and 126 00:07:08,520 --> 00:07:10,320 Speaker 3: they ended up getting disciplined. 127 00:07:09,880 --> 00:07:12,720 Speaker 2: And I believe one officer was fired behind it. This 128 00:07:12,920 --> 00:07:16,400 Speaker 2: was like a month or two before MCing Tires murder. 129 00:07:16,440 --> 00:07:19,040 Speaker 2: According to what Marvin had said that when he got arrested, 130 00:07:19,280 --> 00:07:22,760 Speaker 2: the police was talking about him filing that complaint against. 131 00:07:22,480 --> 00:07:25,560 Speaker 3: It, So he had a target on his back from 132 00:07:25,600 --> 00:07:29,240 Speaker 3: an unrelated matter and Legion just got caught up in it. 133 00:07:29,240 --> 00:07:32,320 Speaker 1: It probably also didn't help that Marvin arrived at the 134 00:07:32,360 --> 00:07:35,320 Speaker 1: third Street house shortly after the incident was over. But 135 00:07:35,440 --> 00:07:38,480 Speaker 1: let's back up to just before. It was shortly after 136 00:07:38,520 --> 00:07:40,920 Speaker 1: midnight on January twenty fourth, two thousand and one. Jimon 137 00:07:41,080 --> 00:07:44,480 Speaker 1: McIntyre was on the front porch and a man named 138 00:07:44,520 --> 00:07:47,239 Speaker 1: Kenny Lockhart was in the upstairs bedroom with his girlfriend, 139 00:07:47,280 --> 00:07:53,720 Speaker 1: Renee Tate, while Santonian Adams, the Johnson's police officer nephew, 140 00:07:54,560 --> 00:07:56,840 Speaker 1: was in a van in the driveway, and he eventually 141 00:07:56,920 --> 00:08:00,960 Speaker 1: told the story that was partially supported by McIntyre's sister. 142 00:08:01,480 --> 00:08:04,800 Speaker 3: Three guys had come up and we're hanging around on 143 00:08:04,840 --> 00:08:08,800 Speaker 3: the porch. Apparently McIntyre's sister comes over. This is a 144 00:08:08,800 --> 00:08:11,880 Speaker 3: little bit after midnight, and she's looking for some money. 145 00:08:11,920 --> 00:08:14,080 Speaker 3: He gives her some money, she leaves. She doesn't recognize 146 00:08:14,080 --> 00:08:18,000 Speaker 3: any of the three. Shortly after she leaves, Adams is 147 00:08:18,040 --> 00:08:21,080 Speaker 3: in the driveway and all of a sudden, here shots 148 00:08:21,160 --> 00:08:24,840 Speaker 3: being fired. Now at this time, Lockhart is in the 149 00:08:24,880 --> 00:08:28,600 Speaker 3: bedroom with his girlfriend, here's the shooting, doesn't see any 150 00:08:28,600 --> 00:08:30,800 Speaker 3: of this, closes his door because he's trying to protect 151 00:08:30,800 --> 00:08:31,440 Speaker 3: his girlfriend. 152 00:08:31,440 --> 00:08:34,360 Speaker 2: The only person who could really say what was going 153 00:08:34,400 --> 00:08:36,840 Speaker 2: on in the shooting was Santonio Adams. He said he 154 00:08:36,880 --> 00:08:39,320 Speaker 2: was in a van and he's seen two people on 155 00:08:39,400 --> 00:08:42,480 Speaker 2: a porch shooting. He didn't know which direction they were 156 00:08:42,520 --> 00:08:45,560 Speaker 2: shooting at. He said he heard Jama's voice. 157 00:08:45,559 --> 00:08:50,840 Speaker 3: And McIntyre calls to him Tone nicknamed Tone. As he's 158 00:08:50,960 --> 00:08:53,600 Speaker 3: running out of the house being chased by these guys, 159 00:08:54,120 --> 00:08:57,760 Speaker 3: runs down an alley across the street and gets gunned down. 160 00:08:58,120 --> 00:09:03,000 Speaker 2: No witnesses material the day it happened, nobody said who 161 00:09:03,040 --> 00:09:03,559 Speaker 2: it was. 162 00:09:03,920 --> 00:09:06,560 Speaker 1: The sole source of the initial narrative was Officer Adams, 163 00:09:06,600 --> 00:09:09,679 Speaker 1: who has to cover for why he's had a known 164 00:09:09,840 --> 00:09:13,600 Speaker 1: drug house to begin with. He didn't make any ideas 165 00:09:13,720 --> 00:09:17,480 Speaker 1: or descriptions either, but he did claim that he shot 166 00:09:17,480 --> 00:09:18,440 Speaker 1: at the assailants. 167 00:09:18,720 --> 00:09:22,280 Speaker 3: He says, I couldn't find my gun, but as I 168 00:09:22,360 --> 00:09:25,120 Speaker 3: was ducking when I heard the shots. I saw a 169 00:09:25,160 --> 00:09:27,480 Speaker 3: gun under the front passenger seat, so I grabbed that 170 00:09:27,520 --> 00:09:30,200 Speaker 3: and I got off about four shots. Well, he never 171 00:09:30,600 --> 00:09:35,120 Speaker 3: did turn in his official law enforcement handgun to have 172 00:09:35,200 --> 00:09:38,000 Speaker 3: it analyzed. When they did take a look at it, 173 00:09:38,520 --> 00:09:41,079 Speaker 3: they found there were four bullets missing. You have to 174 00:09:41,120 --> 00:09:43,640 Speaker 3: account for every bullet when you're a police officer, and 175 00:09:43,679 --> 00:09:46,840 Speaker 3: so they later found there were four bullets missing. His 176 00:09:46,920 --> 00:09:49,280 Speaker 3: story never added up, but they didn't pursue him. 177 00:09:49,800 --> 00:09:53,160 Speaker 1: In the meantime, the police collected evidence. Two guns were 178 00:09:53,200 --> 00:09:56,080 Speaker 1: found near McIntire's body in the alley, three more in 179 00:09:56,160 --> 00:09:58,920 Speaker 1: the house, none of which were claimed by Officer Adams 180 00:09:58,960 --> 00:10:02,160 Speaker 1: as the one he alleged used. Now, they dusted the 181 00:10:02,160 --> 00:10:05,640 Speaker 1: house for fingerprints. Then, for reasons that were revealed much later, 182 00:10:05,760 --> 00:10:10,400 Speaker 1: Kenny Lockhart went from ear witness to eyewitness and lead 183 00:10:10,480 --> 00:10:14,199 Speaker 1: detective Cues put together a carefully selected photo array for 184 00:10:14,280 --> 00:10:16,240 Speaker 1: Lockhart to view on February fifteenth. 185 00:10:16,679 --> 00:10:18,720 Speaker 2: I think it was like eight people in a photo array, 186 00:10:19,240 --> 00:10:22,800 Speaker 2: including me, Marvin Cotton, and Devonte Parks, who was the 187 00:10:22,840 --> 00:10:25,280 Speaker 2: other individual who was charged in this case as well. 188 00:10:25,640 --> 00:10:29,040 Speaker 2: Lockhart said that it was Cotton for sure, that he 189 00:10:29,120 --> 00:10:32,439 Speaker 2: knew Cotton prior to this mind you. 190 00:10:32,880 --> 00:10:35,800 Speaker 3: Lockhart first told the officers he didn't see what happened, 191 00:10:36,280 --> 00:10:40,760 Speaker 3: and second he knew Cotton, so if Cotton had been there, 192 00:10:41,280 --> 00:10:42,959 Speaker 3: he would have identified Cotton. 193 00:10:43,360 --> 00:10:47,560 Speaker 2: And then he said two or seven, meaning me or 194 00:10:47,679 --> 00:10:52,720 Speaker 2: Davonte Parks looked like the other individual. That was the identification. 195 00:10:53,320 --> 00:10:56,120 Speaker 1: To get around the fact that both Lockhart and his girlfriend, 196 00:10:56,160 --> 00:10:58,679 Speaker 1: Rene Tate had made statements that they never left the 197 00:10:58,720 --> 00:11:02,000 Speaker 1: bedroom and hadn't seen the assailants, the narrative was amended 198 00:11:02,040 --> 00:11:05,280 Speaker 1: to include the shooters returning to the house after Jaman 199 00:11:05,480 --> 00:11:08,560 Speaker 1: was already dead to kill Kenny Lockhart. 200 00:11:08,240 --> 00:11:10,199 Speaker 2: And he never said none of this. On the day 201 00:11:10,240 --> 00:11:10,480 Speaker 2: of the. 202 00:11:10,440 --> 00:11:14,520 Speaker 3: Incident, Lockhart says that the guys are in his house 203 00:11:14,960 --> 00:11:18,640 Speaker 3: and the guy he identifies as Cotton tells another guy 204 00:11:18,960 --> 00:11:23,160 Speaker 3: shoot him, shoot Lockhart. Lockhart claims he takes a shot, 205 00:11:23,440 --> 00:11:26,520 Speaker 3: only the problem is there are no bullet holes in 206 00:11:26,559 --> 00:11:29,240 Speaker 3: the house. Even one of the police officers wrote in 207 00:11:29,280 --> 00:11:32,080 Speaker 3: his notes, the guy's not telling the truth. I don't 208 00:11:32,080 --> 00:11:33,319 Speaker 3: believe what word he says. 209 00:11:33,640 --> 00:11:36,640 Speaker 1: And maybe there's something to that. Considering that Marvin Devonte 210 00:11:36,720 --> 00:11:39,160 Speaker 1: and Anthony were not arrested until a week later, on 211 00:11:39,160 --> 00:11:41,920 Speaker 1: February twenty second, and for Anthony, it wasn't even for 212 00:11:41,960 --> 00:11:45,000 Speaker 1: this incident, but rather for the murder of someone named 213 00:11:45,040 --> 00:11:45,800 Speaker 1: Devin Taylor. 214 00:11:46,160 --> 00:11:49,520 Speaker 2: I'll get arrested in an unrelated case. This was an 215 00:11:49,520 --> 00:11:52,280 Speaker 2: individual who I knew. He was killed on the East Side. 216 00:11:52,320 --> 00:11:54,280 Speaker 2: You know, the police, what they did back then was 217 00:11:54,320 --> 00:11:58,559 Speaker 2: they just rounded up people, witnesses or not witnesses, anybody 218 00:11:58,600 --> 00:12:02,679 Speaker 2: without even charges, without warrants or anything, and bring them 219 00:12:02,720 --> 00:12:05,319 Speaker 2: in and then threaten them, you know, to either coherse 220 00:12:05,360 --> 00:12:08,120 Speaker 2: them to confess to that crime or conhurse them to 221 00:12:08,240 --> 00:12:12,120 Speaker 2: confess to other crimes, and that process. While I'm in jail, 222 00:12:12,440 --> 00:12:16,600 Speaker 2: they asking me about McIntire's case, saying, if I say 223 00:12:16,640 --> 00:12:19,520 Speaker 2: that Marvin and Devonte Parks did it, they won't charge 224 00:12:19,559 --> 00:12:21,280 Speaker 2: me with that, and they won't charge me what I'm 225 00:12:21,320 --> 00:12:23,800 Speaker 2: already in here for. I'm like, I didn't do either 226 00:12:23,840 --> 00:12:25,880 Speaker 2: one of these crimes. They said, well, all you got 227 00:12:25,880 --> 00:12:28,679 Speaker 2: to do is say Marvin and Devonte Parks did it, 228 00:12:28,760 --> 00:12:30,200 Speaker 2: and we'll let you go right now. 229 00:12:30,600 --> 00:12:33,679 Speaker 1: But it appears that Anthony's refusal only led to his 230 00:12:33,720 --> 00:12:35,480 Speaker 1: own charges in both murders. 231 00:12:36,120 --> 00:12:39,920 Speaker 2: Now, this whole time, while the criminal proceedings is going on, 232 00:12:40,400 --> 00:12:42,840 Speaker 2: no discovery is coming out. The only evidence that they 233 00:12:42,880 --> 00:12:45,280 Speaker 2: claimed that they had with respect to the McIntire case 234 00:12:45,880 --> 00:12:49,600 Speaker 2: was Lockhart's photo identification, saying that me or Parks looked 235 00:12:49,640 --> 00:12:52,000 Speaker 2: like the individual. And then when he came to court, 236 00:12:52,160 --> 00:12:55,840 Speaker 2: you know, he made a positive identification. At the preliminary examination, 237 00:12:55,920 --> 00:12:57,960 Speaker 2: he said, oh no, I'm certain, I'm certain it's him. 238 00:12:58,600 --> 00:13:01,480 Speaker 2: He was the light skinned guy. You see me sitting here. 239 00:13:01,760 --> 00:13:05,280 Speaker 2: I'm definitely not light skinned. So that was his description 240 00:13:05,400 --> 00:13:08,080 Speaker 2: of me. I was the high yellow, light skinned guy. 241 00:13:08,240 --> 00:13:10,360 Speaker 2: And then by the time it got the trial, he said, 242 00:13:11,040 --> 00:13:13,840 Speaker 2: you know, he's ninety percent sure that I look like 243 00:13:13,920 --> 00:13:16,960 Speaker 2: one of the guys. But moving right before the trial 244 00:13:17,640 --> 00:13:19,840 Speaker 2: is when they came up with the jail house informant, 245 00:13:19,840 --> 00:13:20,520 Speaker 2: Ellis Fraser. 246 00:13:20,800 --> 00:13:24,800 Speaker 3: This snitch witness popped up five days before trial, which 247 00:13:24,880 --> 00:13:26,720 Speaker 3: is when it was disclosed the defense. We have a 248 00:13:26,760 --> 00:13:31,000 Speaker 3: witness who says that Cotton confessed and implicated legion. Now 249 00:13:31,480 --> 00:13:34,280 Speaker 3: that just shows how weak your case is when you 250 00:13:34,400 --> 00:13:37,240 Speaker 3: have to come up with something in the bottom of 251 00:13:37,280 --> 00:13:40,439 Speaker 3: the ninth inning to try to resurrect your case. 252 00:13:40,760 --> 00:13:43,800 Speaker 2: My attorney came in with Fraser's statement and he said, 253 00:13:44,000 --> 00:13:46,600 Speaker 2: this guy said, you guys down there and confessed to him. 254 00:13:46,800 --> 00:13:48,760 Speaker 2: I'm like what my lawyer said, I don't believe none 255 00:13:48,800 --> 00:13:51,400 Speaker 2: of this shit. This is what Detroit Police Department does, 256 00:13:51,520 --> 00:13:54,640 Speaker 2: but they're gonna use this guy. And so he filed 257 00:13:54,640 --> 00:13:56,720 Speaker 2: a pre trial motion not to let it in for 258 00:13:56,760 --> 00:14:00,000 Speaker 2: two reasons. Number one, it was basically a trial by 259 00:14:00,120 --> 00:14:03,200 Speaker 2: ambush because the police department said that they had this 260 00:14:03,360 --> 00:14:08,240 Speaker 2: information about Fraser four months before the trial, never turned 261 00:14:08,240 --> 00:14:10,679 Speaker 2: it over to us till right before trial. So my 262 00:14:10,760 --> 00:14:13,760 Speaker 2: lawyer argued that it shouldn't come in on that ground, 263 00:14:14,160 --> 00:14:17,200 Speaker 2: And then the alternative it shouldn't come in because he's 264 00:14:17,200 --> 00:14:20,800 Speaker 2: saying that Cotton confessed to him, and therefore that evidence 265 00:14:20,840 --> 00:14:24,560 Speaker 2: coming in against me will violate my right to confront Cotton. 266 00:14:24,640 --> 00:14:28,160 Speaker 3: Cotton can't testify because he's a defendant and was going 267 00:14:28,240 --> 00:14:31,800 Speaker 3: to exercise his constitutional right to remain silent. 268 00:14:31,520 --> 00:14:33,200 Speaker 2: And I can't cross examine him. 269 00:14:33,160 --> 00:14:36,320 Speaker 1: To avoid violating Anthony's right to confront his accuser. His 270 00:14:36,480 --> 00:14:40,120 Speaker 1: and Marvin's trials should have been sabered, but they continued 271 00:14:40,440 --> 00:14:42,800 Speaker 1: until the same issue arose again. 272 00:14:43,400 --> 00:14:47,440 Speaker 3: Kenny Lockhart, the key witness who the police knew hadn't 273 00:14:47,480 --> 00:14:50,800 Speaker 3: seen anything, said that he was absolutely one hundred percent 274 00:14:50,920 --> 00:14:54,320 Speaker 3: certain of the three guys who were charged, Legion Cotton 275 00:14:54,840 --> 00:14:57,840 Speaker 3: and Avante Park. Only it turns out right before a 276 00:14:57,920 --> 00:15:01,280 Speaker 3: trial they verified Park said an airtight alibi. 277 00:15:01,920 --> 00:15:04,160 Speaker 1: Parks charges were going to be dismissed, which would have 278 00:15:04,320 --> 00:15:08,160 Speaker 1: destroyed Kenny Lockhart's credibility, let's face it, and therefore the 279 00:15:08,200 --> 00:15:09,240 Speaker 1: whole state's case. 280 00:15:09,600 --> 00:15:13,360 Speaker 3: If Parks gets on the stand and the agreement that 281 00:15:13,400 --> 00:15:16,160 Speaker 3: they're going to dismiss charges because he's got an alibi 282 00:15:16,840 --> 00:15:19,840 Speaker 3: is explained to the jury, well then there goes Lockhart's 283 00:15:19,840 --> 00:15:23,400 Speaker 3: whole identification because Lockhart said he is one hundred percent 284 00:15:23,600 --> 00:15:26,920 Speaker 3: certain of those three guys, and one of them has 285 00:15:26,960 --> 00:15:28,040 Speaker 3: an airtight alibi. 286 00:15:28,640 --> 00:15:32,040 Speaker 2: The day of trial, we all was in the bullp me, 287 00:15:32,760 --> 00:15:35,320 Speaker 2: Marvin Cotton, and DeVante Parks. But the only two people 288 00:15:35,360 --> 00:15:37,160 Speaker 2: that they brought out was me and Cotton, and they 289 00:15:37,240 --> 00:15:39,360 Speaker 2: left him back there. So the jury never seen him, 290 00:15:39,640 --> 00:15:42,760 Speaker 2: never heard nothing really about him, and never knew that 291 00:15:43,120 --> 00:15:45,280 Speaker 2: Lockhart made that identification of him. 292 00:15:45,440 --> 00:15:48,400 Speaker 3: And the lawyers are going where's Parks because the whole 293 00:15:48,480 --> 00:15:50,640 Speaker 3: case was all three of them, and all of a sudden, 294 00:15:50,680 --> 00:15:55,240 Speaker 3: Parks is severed from the case and Devonte Parks misidentification 295 00:15:55,400 --> 00:15:59,560 Speaker 3: got ruled inadmissible. It was irrelevant to this case. The 296 00:15:59,600 --> 00:16:03,520 Speaker 3: whole thing stinks. The gamesmanship of the prosecutor is telling 297 00:16:03,600 --> 00:16:08,000 Speaker 3: Devonte Parks, we will dismiss your case, but only after 298 00:16:08,040 --> 00:16:11,560 Speaker 3: the Cotton Legion trial, so they ensure that he does 299 00:16:11,600 --> 00:16:12,600 Speaker 3: not testify. 300 00:16:12,880 --> 00:16:15,200 Speaker 2: You know, most lawyers, they don't call the co definden 301 00:16:15,280 --> 00:16:17,560 Speaker 2: to the stand because they lawyer co definit the layer 302 00:16:17,560 --> 00:16:20,280 Speaker 2: gonna say, oh, no, my client ain't getting on that stand. 303 00:16:20,160 --> 00:16:21,960 Speaker 3: Because he was a still defendant at the time and 304 00:16:22,080 --> 00:16:25,840 Speaker 3: was going to exercise his constitutional right to remain silent. 305 00:16:25,640 --> 00:16:27,280 Speaker 2: And so that's why we couldn't call him. 306 00:16:27,680 --> 00:16:32,000 Speaker 1: So DeVante Parks's case breaking testimony was effectively hidden from 307 00:16:32,040 --> 00:16:35,960 Speaker 1: the jury, all while Anthony has another wrongful accusation to 308 00:16:36,040 --> 00:16:39,520 Speaker 1: fight after this trial, which began in October two thousand 309 00:16:39,520 --> 00:16:42,640 Speaker 1: and one. So let's start with the physical evidence. 310 00:16:42,640 --> 00:16:47,160 Speaker 2: Nick recovered, like five weapons, two weapons potentially is the 311 00:16:47,240 --> 00:16:51,040 Speaker 2: murder weapon. All these shell cases, they ran tests on 312 00:16:51,120 --> 00:16:53,560 Speaker 2: all of this stuff. They do fingerprints inside the house, 313 00:16:53,600 --> 00:16:56,000 Speaker 2: outside the house. None of this stuff come back to 314 00:16:56,040 --> 00:17:00,000 Speaker 2: New York. You got a missing gun by a police officer, 315 00:17:00,080 --> 00:17:04,639 Speaker 2: So who's admits to firing shots? At somebody and his gun. 316 00:17:05,000 --> 00:17:07,040 Speaker 2: They don't have his gun, but we do got two 317 00:17:07,160 --> 00:17:10,679 Speaker 2: guns in the alley, so it's one of them. The 318 00:17:10,720 --> 00:17:13,679 Speaker 2: guns that he claimed he lost. Who knows. But you 319 00:17:13,760 --> 00:17:17,720 Speaker 2: got all these witnesses surrounding this house, and nobody said 320 00:17:17,800 --> 00:17:21,320 Speaker 2: that I committed any crime. Even if you believe Lockhart, 321 00:17:21,480 --> 00:17:24,280 Speaker 2: which you shouldn't because he changed his story from the 322 00:17:24,320 --> 00:17:26,960 Speaker 2: beginning to the end, but he said that I looked 323 00:17:27,000 --> 00:17:28,440 Speaker 2: like one of the people that was in the house. 324 00:17:28,800 --> 00:17:33,000 Speaker 3: The state's evidence simply came to Lockhart and being backed 325 00:17:33,040 --> 00:17:37,720 Speaker 3: up by a snitch witness, which then would give credibility 326 00:17:37,760 --> 00:17:40,080 Speaker 3: to Lockhart. Right as much as the defense tried to 327 00:17:40,080 --> 00:17:43,119 Speaker 3: punch holes in Lockhart, Lockhart could say, I knew Cotton, 328 00:17:43,640 --> 00:17:46,000 Speaker 3: so I knew who it was. And then this other 329 00:17:46,000 --> 00:17:48,880 Speaker 3: guy legion, I saw him too. And they never got 330 00:17:48,920 --> 00:17:52,639 Speaker 3: to hear about the Devonte Parks misidentification, which would have 331 00:17:52,640 --> 00:17:56,040 Speaker 3: been huge. But then Lockhart, it's backed up by Elis Fraser, 332 00:17:56,040 --> 00:17:57,120 Speaker 3: who's saying the same thing. 333 00:17:57,560 --> 00:18:02,239 Speaker 1: Fraser testified that he and someone who he thought was 334 00:18:02,320 --> 00:18:05,639 Speaker 1: Anthony or in one cell while Marvin Cotton was in 335 00:18:05,680 --> 00:18:09,880 Speaker 1: the one next door, and Fraser's cellmate allegedly introduced him 336 00:18:09,920 --> 00:18:14,600 Speaker 1: to Cotton through a brick wall, and then Cotton supposedly 337 00:18:14,640 --> 00:18:19,000 Speaker 1: confessed implicating the person sharing the cell with Fraser, who 338 00:18:19,080 --> 00:18:22,240 Speaker 1: he claimed was named Anthony on the witness stand. 339 00:18:22,359 --> 00:18:24,560 Speaker 2: And they said, well, who was Anthony? Oh, Anthony is 340 00:18:24,600 --> 00:18:27,720 Speaker 2: the person in that photograph, which was Davonte Parks. He 341 00:18:27,960 --> 00:18:31,360 Speaker 2: just got his names mixed up and said Parks was Anthony. 342 00:18:31,800 --> 00:18:35,240 Speaker 2: He didn't remember the lie enough to come into court 343 00:18:35,280 --> 00:18:38,200 Speaker 2: and say, oh, no, Davonte Parks is the one that. 344 00:18:38,200 --> 00:18:42,560 Speaker 3: Introduced Years later, Ellis Fraser finally grows a conscience and 345 00:18:42,680 --> 00:18:47,440 Speaker 3: says in an affidavit that the officer in charge Hughes 346 00:18:48,040 --> 00:18:51,320 Speaker 3: walks him into court and has to explain to him 347 00:18:51,760 --> 00:18:54,879 Speaker 3: who these guys are, so he makes sure that he 348 00:18:54,960 --> 00:18:58,919 Speaker 3: picks them out and identifies Cotton as Cotton and doesn't 349 00:18:58,920 --> 00:18:59,840 Speaker 3: confuse the guys. 350 00:19:00,080 --> 00:19:02,159 Speaker 2: So either he got his names mixed up when the 351 00:19:02,160 --> 00:19:05,000 Speaker 2: police gave him the information, or he just didn't know 352 00:19:05,119 --> 00:19:08,000 Speaker 2: which person to pick out in the courtroom. But in 353 00:19:08,000 --> 00:19:12,159 Speaker 2: the jury's mind, where else would Fraser get this information? 354 00:19:12,400 --> 00:19:15,520 Speaker 2: Not knowing that the DPD ran a jail house snitch 355 00:19:15,600 --> 00:19:19,720 Speaker 2: program on the ninth floor, they provided people discovery material, 356 00:19:20,000 --> 00:19:23,000 Speaker 2: so that they can familiarize themselves with the facts and 357 00:19:23,040 --> 00:19:25,880 Speaker 2: then come up with a story to support the facts. 358 00:19:26,200 --> 00:19:28,720 Speaker 2: The jury never knew that. Had they known that, then 359 00:19:28,720 --> 00:19:31,000 Speaker 2: they would have new this is all put together. 360 00:19:31,240 --> 00:19:35,439 Speaker 1: Anthony did mount the defense, presenting alibi witnesses to swear 361 00:19:35,640 --> 00:19:38,720 Speaker 1: to his actual whereabouts, which should have included his co 362 00:19:38,840 --> 00:19:41,480 Speaker 1: defend at Marvin Cotton, who had arrived on the scene 363 00:19:41,480 --> 00:19:45,960 Speaker 1: shortly after the shooting, importantly without Anthony, But Marvin couldn't 364 00:19:45,960 --> 00:19:48,720 Speaker 1: testify for the same reason that kept Parks off the stand. 365 00:19:49,480 --> 00:19:52,400 Speaker 1: All the others were loved ones who could be explained 366 00:19:52,400 --> 00:19:55,840 Speaker 1: away as willing to lie, so that left their last hope. 367 00:19:56,440 --> 00:19:58,400 Speaker 1: Kenny Lockhart's girlfriend, Renee Tate. 368 00:19:58,720 --> 00:20:01,760 Speaker 2: If you look at her statements, she contradicts what Lockhart 369 00:20:01,800 --> 00:20:04,800 Speaker 2: was saying. She said Lockhart never left the room, never 370 00:20:04,880 --> 00:20:08,199 Speaker 2: seen anybody, and then somebody got to her, and she 371 00:20:08,640 --> 00:20:10,960 Speaker 2: was shaken and nervous at the trial, you know, and 372 00:20:11,000 --> 00:20:12,959 Speaker 2: we didn't know why she was, you know, while she 373 00:20:13,000 --> 00:20:15,080 Speaker 2: was acting like that, but that's what it was, and 374 00:20:15,119 --> 00:20:18,199 Speaker 2: we found out later she was pressured to stick to 375 00:20:18,240 --> 00:20:19,880 Speaker 2: the story Lockhart told her. 376 00:20:20,040 --> 00:20:22,800 Speaker 1: And this time it appears that the pressure wasn't even 377 00:20:22,840 --> 00:20:26,840 Speaker 1: from the police, So both Tate and Fraser supported the Lockhart, 378 00:20:26,840 --> 00:20:29,879 Speaker 1: whose credibility was protected by the prosecutors, who went so 379 00:20:30,000 --> 00:20:32,600 Speaker 1: far as to say that the Third Stread House wasn't 380 00:20:32,640 --> 00:20:36,440 Speaker 1: even a well known drug house. Sure why not? And 381 00:20:36,600 --> 00:20:38,959 Speaker 1: on October nineteen, two thousand and one, both Marvin and 382 00:20:39,000 --> 00:20:41,960 Speaker 1: Anthony were convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to 383 00:20:42,280 --> 00:20:44,000 Speaker 1: life without the possibility of parole. 384 00:20:44,520 --> 00:20:46,720 Speaker 2: You know, when you hear people say, before you're about 385 00:20:46,760 --> 00:20:50,320 Speaker 2: to die, like your life flashes, you know, in front 386 00:20:50,320 --> 00:20:52,280 Speaker 2: of you, That's what it was like. It was like 387 00:20:52,400 --> 00:20:55,359 Speaker 2: I seen, like everything just flashed in front of me, 388 00:20:55,720 --> 00:20:58,600 Speaker 2: like I seen myself as a child. You know, I 389 00:20:58,680 --> 00:21:01,480 Speaker 2: seen myself, you know, you know, coming through the wound 390 00:21:01,560 --> 00:21:04,919 Speaker 2: and coming into life and seeing my life snatched. And 391 00:21:05,280 --> 00:21:08,840 Speaker 2: that's what happened at that split second. But walking out 392 00:21:08,880 --> 00:21:11,480 Speaker 2: the courtroom, I walked out of that courtroom and said, 393 00:21:11,760 --> 00:21:13,960 Speaker 2: I'm getting out of prison, and I'm about to go 394 00:21:14,320 --> 00:21:18,320 Speaker 2: in prison and learn everything about this system that did 395 00:21:18,359 --> 00:21:20,600 Speaker 2: this to me, and I'm gonna get myself out of prison. 396 00:21:20,680 --> 00:21:24,399 Speaker 2: Before I even got sentenced, you know, I started putting 397 00:21:24,400 --> 00:21:26,600 Speaker 2: together my strategy on what I was going to do 398 00:21:26,640 --> 00:21:27,359 Speaker 2: to get out of prison. 399 00:21:27,520 --> 00:21:29,320 Speaker 1: And if you remember, he still had to fight the 400 00:21:29,320 --> 00:21:31,479 Speaker 1: Devin tail, the murder charge for which he had been 401 00:21:31,520 --> 00:21:34,399 Speaker 1: preparing his defense until he saw what they were willing 402 00:21:34,440 --> 00:21:37,600 Speaker 1: to do in the mcintarre case, presenting testimony like Lockharts 403 00:21:37,600 --> 00:21:41,399 Speaker 1: and Frasiers while the defense witness appeared to have been coerced. 404 00:21:41,640 --> 00:21:44,200 Speaker 2: Once all of this stuff started coming out, I said, 405 00:21:44,200 --> 00:21:48,440 Speaker 2: oh no, I'm not gonna risk getting two life sentences. 406 00:21:48,880 --> 00:21:52,040 Speaker 2: I had to, you know, resolve that case because otherwise, 407 00:21:52,320 --> 00:21:55,080 Speaker 2: guess what another jail house informat would be like. Oh, 408 00:21:55,359 --> 00:21:58,400 Speaker 2: Anthony confessed to me, And so I took a plea. 409 00:21:58,480 --> 00:21:59,360 Speaker 2: I took a no contest. 410 00:21:59,400 --> 00:21:59,640 Speaker 1: Please. 411 00:22:00,080 --> 00:22:02,639 Speaker 3: When you've rolled the dice and you come up snake 412 00:22:02,680 --> 00:22:05,440 Speaker 3: eyes because of some witness that came up five days 413 00:22:05,480 --> 00:22:08,240 Speaker 3: before trial, you don't want to roll the dice again. 414 00:22:09,119 --> 00:22:11,560 Speaker 2: And as you can see, they really didn't even care 415 00:22:11,960 --> 00:22:14,119 Speaker 2: to go to trial, but they just wasn't going to 416 00:22:14,200 --> 00:22:16,720 Speaker 2: dismiss it. That's why they offered me eight years eight 417 00:22:16,800 --> 00:22:21,480 Speaker 2: to twenty. So I said, okay, I'll take that deep Now, Okay, 418 00:22:21,520 --> 00:22:23,920 Speaker 2: I'm gonna do this time, but I'm gonna start working 419 00:22:23,960 --> 00:22:26,880 Speaker 2: on this life sentence and get this sentence. 420 00:22:26,560 --> 00:22:40,240 Speaker 1: Off you're listening to Ron for Conviction. You can listen 421 00:22:40,240 --> 00:22:42,720 Speaker 1: to this and all the Lava for Good podcasts one 422 00:22:42,720 --> 00:22:45,960 Speaker 1: week early and ad free by subscribing to Lava for 423 00:22:46,040 --> 00:22:49,200 Speaker 1: Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. 424 00:22:55,119 --> 00:22:57,600 Speaker 2: When I went to prison, the first thing I said 425 00:22:57,600 --> 00:23:00,919 Speaker 2: after I got processed, where's the lightbrary? And so I 426 00:23:00,960 --> 00:23:03,879 Speaker 2: bought a blackslaw dictionary. I bought a Michigan Court Rules. 427 00:23:04,200 --> 00:23:07,120 Speaker 2: I bought a Federal Rules of Civil Procedures. I bought 428 00:23:07,160 --> 00:23:12,840 Speaker 2: a typewriter. I spent like fifteen hundred dollars on legal supplies. 429 00:23:13,280 --> 00:23:15,399 Speaker 2: You know, I wanted to learn that language that they 430 00:23:15,440 --> 00:23:17,439 Speaker 2: were speaking in the courtroom that I didn't know, and 431 00:23:17,480 --> 00:23:21,200 Speaker 2: they learned what they knew in order to fight this case. 432 00:23:21,560 --> 00:23:24,760 Speaker 1: In December two thousand and two, Anthony filed a motion 433 00:23:24,920 --> 00:23:28,040 Speaker 1: for a new trial in which he claimed ineffective assistance 434 00:23:28,080 --> 00:23:30,960 Speaker 1: of council for the failure to call Parks as a witness, 435 00:23:31,080 --> 00:23:34,520 Speaker 1: even though the prevailing wisdom is that a co defendant's 436 00:23:34,560 --> 00:23:37,040 Speaker 1: council will not advise the defendant to wave their Fifth 437 00:23:37,080 --> 00:23:41,359 Speaker 1: Amendment rights. This also drew attention to the gamesmanship of 438 00:23:41,359 --> 00:23:45,720 Speaker 1: the prosecution, effectively hiding the misidentification of Parks. And the 439 00:23:45,800 --> 00:23:49,600 Speaker 1: unreliability of Lockhart, and along with the motion, Anthony submitted 440 00:23:49,640 --> 00:23:52,760 Speaker 1: an affidavid from Parks, who had plenty that he would 441 00:23:52,760 --> 00:23:53,480 Speaker 1: have liked to say. 442 00:23:54,200 --> 00:23:57,320 Speaker 2: Number one is da Fraser said that it was Parks 443 00:23:57,800 --> 00:24:01,199 Speaker 2: who introduced him to Cotton, and Parks was involved in 444 00:24:01,240 --> 00:24:04,719 Speaker 2: the conversation. He just got his names mixed up and 445 00:24:04,760 --> 00:24:08,639 Speaker 2: said Parks was Anthony, so DeVante. Parks would have been 446 00:24:08,680 --> 00:24:11,240 Speaker 2: able to testify and say, wait a minute, I didn't 447 00:24:11,280 --> 00:24:14,880 Speaker 2: introduce him and I ain't hear no conversation about that, 448 00:24:14,920 --> 00:24:18,880 Speaker 2: so that's discredits Fraser. He could have discredited Lockhart by saying, 449 00:24:18,880 --> 00:24:22,520 Speaker 2: wait a minute, Lockhart said that he knew Parks and 450 00:24:22,560 --> 00:24:25,560 Speaker 2: that we had all been there on several occasions. Parks 451 00:24:25,560 --> 00:24:28,159 Speaker 2: could have no, I don't know you, and he had 452 00:24:28,200 --> 00:24:31,000 Speaker 2: an alibi for that day which would have disproved with 453 00:24:31,440 --> 00:24:35,160 Speaker 2: Lockhart was saying. So that's what the emotion for new 454 00:24:35,200 --> 00:24:38,520 Speaker 2: trial was premised on, and they denied. 455 00:24:38,160 --> 00:24:38,520 Speaker 3: To hear it. 456 00:24:38,840 --> 00:24:41,200 Speaker 1: Both of their convictions were affirmed in a pos court 457 00:24:41,280 --> 00:24:43,600 Speaker 1: in October two thousand and three, and then Anthony filed 458 00:24:43,600 --> 00:24:46,160 Speaker 1: his federal habeas petition in two thousand and five. 459 00:24:46,200 --> 00:24:50,760 Speaker 2: Based on the reasons the Fader called Parks the confrontation violation, 460 00:24:50,880 --> 00:24:53,640 Speaker 2: and I'll talk about that in the minute. And insufficient evidence, 461 00:24:53,640 --> 00:24:57,080 Speaker 2: because we also argued it was insufficient evidence to convict 462 00:24:57,080 --> 00:24:59,280 Speaker 2: me a first degree murder. Even if you look at 463 00:24:59,280 --> 00:25:01,600 Speaker 2: the case and the light most favorable to the prosecution, 464 00:25:02,160 --> 00:25:04,640 Speaker 2: it wasn't no evidence that said I committed a murder. 465 00:25:05,040 --> 00:25:07,879 Speaker 2: Lockhard said he didn't see the shooting. If you believe 466 00:25:07,920 --> 00:25:10,440 Speaker 2: what he said, he said that the three people came 467 00:25:10,480 --> 00:25:13,520 Speaker 2: to the house after the shooting. So you have to 468 00:25:13,520 --> 00:25:16,080 Speaker 2: look at what testimony you had to look at to 469 00:25:16,480 --> 00:25:20,399 Speaker 2: support that. Fraser's so the violation of the rights to confrontation. 470 00:25:20,520 --> 00:25:23,000 Speaker 2: The sixth Amendment says that you have a right to 471 00:25:23,080 --> 00:25:27,720 Speaker 2: confront your accusers. Now in this context, Cotton would be 472 00:25:27,800 --> 00:25:31,359 Speaker 2: my accuser if you rely on Fraser, which was the 473 00:25:31,440 --> 00:25:35,800 Speaker 2: jail house informant. The jail house informant says Cotton told him, oh, 474 00:25:36,160 --> 00:25:40,080 Speaker 2: me and Anthony committed this murder and this rob even 475 00:25:40,119 --> 00:25:43,959 Speaker 2: though he doesn't specify who the anthony is because remember 476 00:25:44,000 --> 00:25:47,400 Speaker 2: he picked out a picture of Parks as being Anthony. 477 00:25:47,720 --> 00:25:51,000 Speaker 2: But in any respect, I needed to cross examine Cotton 478 00:25:51,040 --> 00:25:53,560 Speaker 2: so he could clarify his statement. But Cotton got a 479 00:25:53,600 --> 00:25:56,680 Speaker 2: Fifth Amendment right not to testify, so that infringed upon 480 00:25:56,840 --> 00:25:59,000 Speaker 2: my right right. So that's why we at trial, we 481 00:25:59,040 --> 00:26:01,879 Speaker 2: move for a separate trial out so that Fraser's testimony 482 00:26:01,920 --> 00:26:04,560 Speaker 2: couldn't come in against me, and the judge denied that. 483 00:26:04,640 --> 00:26:07,600 Speaker 2: The federal court in two thousand and seven agreed and 484 00:26:07,840 --> 00:26:10,160 Speaker 2: reversed my conviction and vacated. 485 00:26:10,040 --> 00:26:11,600 Speaker 1: And that sounds like it should have been the end 486 00:26:11,640 --> 00:26:14,840 Speaker 1: of an episode, but we've got over another ten years 487 00:26:14,840 --> 00:26:16,240 Speaker 1: of fighting uf to go. 488 00:26:16,520 --> 00:26:18,479 Speaker 2: In the federal court. When I won in two thousand 489 00:26:18,520 --> 00:26:21,800 Speaker 2: and seven, the Attorney General appealed it to the United 490 00:26:21,800 --> 00:26:24,439 Speaker 2: States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, and what 491 00:26:24,560 --> 00:26:27,639 Speaker 2: happened was a new law had came out. So the 492 00:26:27,960 --> 00:26:31,239 Speaker 2: case that I relied on for the confrontation violation was 493 00:26:31,400 --> 00:26:35,120 Speaker 2: Ohio versus Roberts, and what that says is you can't 494 00:26:35,160 --> 00:26:40,120 Speaker 2: allow an unreliable, non testifying co defendit statement to come 495 00:26:40,160 --> 00:26:46,360 Speaker 2: in against another code defending, so Fraser's testimony was obviously unreliable. However, 496 00:26:46,640 --> 00:26:50,600 Speaker 2: they changed that law in Crawford versus Washington, which came 497 00:26:50,640 --> 00:26:54,919 Speaker 2: out in two thousand and four after my conviction, and 498 00:26:55,000 --> 00:27:00,560 Speaker 2: that ruler said the Sixth Amendment confrontation clause only texts 499 00:27:01,000 --> 00:27:05,840 Speaker 2: testimonial statements. In other words, had Cotton confessed to the police, 500 00:27:06,320 --> 00:27:08,800 Speaker 2: that statement can't come in against me, but if he 501 00:27:08,920 --> 00:27:11,600 Speaker 2: tell it to a fellow inmate or a friend or 502 00:27:11,600 --> 00:27:13,439 Speaker 2: something like that, they said that that can come in 503 00:27:13,480 --> 00:27:16,160 Speaker 2: against you. And that's why they reversed that ruler. It's 504 00:27:16,160 --> 00:27:19,960 Speaker 2: an unfair law, but that's what put the life sentence 505 00:27:20,040 --> 00:27:22,760 Speaker 2: back on me. So what we did, we said, okay, 506 00:27:22,960 --> 00:27:26,680 Speaker 2: just they changed that confrontation law, which is the sixth Amendment. Well, 507 00:27:26,760 --> 00:27:29,400 Speaker 2: now we want to argue the fourteenth Amendment. He got 508 00:27:29,400 --> 00:27:33,400 Speaker 2: a due process right to confront his accusers. So it's 509 00:27:33,440 --> 00:27:37,359 Speaker 2: the same argument for different constitutional provisions. So the Sixth 510 00:27:37,400 --> 00:27:40,960 Speaker 2: Circus said, okay, we're remanded back to the law course 511 00:27:40,960 --> 00:27:43,560 Speaker 2: and you start that argument all over from scratch. 512 00:27:43,920 --> 00:27:47,400 Speaker 1: And while that fight was underway, new evidence began to emerge, 513 00:27:47,440 --> 00:27:50,080 Speaker 1: starting with Fraser's recantation in twenty ten. 514 00:27:50,440 --> 00:27:53,040 Speaker 2: And so we had investigated. They finally tracked him. Now 515 00:27:53,480 --> 00:27:56,399 Speaker 2: he said, oh yeah, the detectives gave me that information. 516 00:27:56,720 --> 00:27:59,400 Speaker 2: Marvin didn't confess to me, and then we found out 517 00:27:59,440 --> 00:28:02,600 Speaker 2: that he also testified in other cases. It's a guy 518 00:28:02,640 --> 00:28:06,040 Speaker 2: in prison right now serving a life sentence for Fraser's 519 00:28:06,080 --> 00:28:09,640 Speaker 2: testimony a guy named Bobby Smith, and our investigators reached 520 00:28:09,640 --> 00:28:11,400 Speaker 2: out to him as well, and he said he didn't 521 00:28:11,400 --> 00:28:12,480 Speaker 2: confess to Fraser either. 522 00:28:12,800 --> 00:28:15,320 Speaker 1: Fraser added that he got a seven month break on 523 00:28:15,400 --> 00:28:17,960 Speaker 1: a one year sentence, but that the prosecutor told him 524 00:28:18,000 --> 00:28:20,880 Speaker 1: not to say anything about any benefits in court. Fraser 525 00:28:20,960 --> 00:28:24,080 Speaker 1: gave a second affidavit in twenty fourteen, stating in even 526 00:28:24,119 --> 00:28:26,520 Speaker 1: stronger terms that he never spoke to Cotton and that 527 00:28:26,640 --> 00:28:29,879 Speaker 1: his statement was completely dreamed up by the prosecution. So 528 00:28:30,480 --> 00:28:33,880 Speaker 1: with that, the investigators moved on to Kenny Lockhart, who 529 00:28:33,960 --> 00:28:36,320 Speaker 1: remember was staying in the upstairs bedroom of a drug 530 00:28:36,359 --> 00:28:39,040 Speaker 1: house run by the Johnson crime family. 531 00:28:39,440 --> 00:28:45,240 Speaker 3: A guy named Kurt Nerd was living with Lockhart, and 532 00:28:45,320 --> 00:28:49,920 Speaker 3: Lockhart told him the whole story, told him Johnson offered 533 00:28:50,000 --> 00:28:52,520 Speaker 3: him ten thousand dollars depend it on Cotton and Legion, 534 00:28:52,840 --> 00:28:54,520 Speaker 3: and he didn't want to do it, but ten thousand 535 00:28:54,560 --> 00:28:57,120 Speaker 3: dollars a lot of money, and so Nerd went to 536 00:28:57,200 --> 00:29:02,600 Speaker 3: a Detroit Police homicide detective Walter Bates and told him. 537 00:29:02,840 --> 00:29:07,160 Speaker 3: Even gave Bates the handwritten napkins that he took notes 538 00:29:07,200 --> 00:29:11,600 Speaker 3: on after Lockhart had told him this. Bates never turned 539 00:29:11,600 --> 00:29:12,440 Speaker 3: that evidence over. 540 00:29:12,840 --> 00:29:16,840 Speaker 1: So it appears the police and the Johnson's were very 541 00:29:16,880 --> 00:29:20,240 Speaker 1: interested in steering the outcome of the investigation. And then 542 00:29:20,720 --> 00:29:24,240 Speaker 1: it became clear which of them had gotten to Renee Tape. 543 00:29:24,400 --> 00:29:26,840 Speaker 3: Lockhart's girlfriend at the time, who was in the bedroom 544 00:29:26,880 --> 00:29:30,240 Speaker 3: with him. She's terrified of the Johnson crime family. But 545 00:29:30,400 --> 00:29:33,760 Speaker 3: she spoke to an investigator for the State of Pelot 546 00:29:33,800 --> 00:29:38,520 Speaker 3: Defender's office and said exactly what happened, and that Lockhart 547 00:29:38,640 --> 00:29:42,600 Speaker 3: never saw anybody because neither of them saw anybody. But 548 00:29:43,160 --> 00:29:45,160 Speaker 3: she is afraid of the Johnson's. 549 00:29:45,320 --> 00:29:49,560 Speaker 2: We found out later why she basically shut down and 550 00:29:49,640 --> 00:29:52,880 Speaker 2: testified to things contrary to what she put in her statement. 551 00:29:53,200 --> 00:29:56,680 Speaker 2: She was pressured by Keith Johnson to stick to the 552 00:29:56,720 --> 00:29:58,720 Speaker 2: story that Lockhart told him. 553 00:29:58,800 --> 00:30:00,840 Speaker 1: So what did they do? Like, how did they stoop? 554 00:30:01,000 --> 00:30:02,240 Speaker 2: They was gonna kill her kids? 555 00:30:02,520 --> 00:30:02,960 Speaker 3: Wow? 556 00:30:03,200 --> 00:30:06,560 Speaker 2: Yeah, this was evidence that came out maybe like two 557 00:30:06,600 --> 00:30:08,080 Speaker 2: thousand and twenties. 558 00:30:08,560 --> 00:30:13,000 Speaker 3: She won't sign an affidavit and has basically said, if 559 00:30:13,040 --> 00:30:16,080 Speaker 3: you subpoena me to testify, I'm just gonna lie. And 560 00:30:16,120 --> 00:30:18,160 Speaker 3: I said I would say I never said that. So 561 00:30:18,800 --> 00:30:33,760 Speaker 3: apparently the Johnsons still have a long reach in the neighborhood. 562 00:30:40,480 --> 00:30:44,640 Speaker 3: They had evidence of, for example, the affidavit of Curtin Ard, 563 00:30:44,840 --> 00:30:47,520 Speaker 3: and that helped, but it didn't give them any relief 564 00:30:47,560 --> 00:30:50,480 Speaker 3: in the court system. The court system is much more 565 00:30:50,520 --> 00:30:55,120 Speaker 3: focused on procedure than whether you're innocent or whether you 566 00:30:55,160 --> 00:31:00,000 Speaker 3: get screwed at trial. And finally, in about twenty eight 567 00:31:00,160 --> 00:31:04,240 Speaker 3: team the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office opened up a conviction 568 00:31:04,320 --> 00:31:09,480 Speaker 3: Integrity Unit and that was the life saving process for 569 00:31:09,560 --> 00:31:13,680 Speaker 3: a lot of guys. And the CiU does its own investigation. 570 00:31:13,400 --> 00:31:14,960 Speaker 1: And they spoke with Detective Hughes. 571 00:31:15,320 --> 00:31:20,240 Speaker 2: The investigator was a ex police officer, so he knew 572 00:31:20,360 --> 00:31:22,640 Speaker 2: the main detective on our case, so he didn't think 573 00:31:22,720 --> 00:31:25,280 Speaker 2: that this guy would record him, but he got the 574 00:31:25,320 --> 00:31:30,080 Speaker 2: detective on there admitted that the house was a drug house, 575 00:31:30,720 --> 00:31:33,800 Speaker 2: even though they told the jury that it wasn't. He's 576 00:31:33,840 --> 00:31:39,080 Speaker 2: admitting this. He admitted that Lockhart never gained that initial identification. 577 00:31:39,560 --> 00:31:42,400 Speaker 2: It was some other guy, a drug dealer, a major 578 00:31:42,480 --> 00:31:45,320 Speaker 2: drug dealer. And then he admitted to some other things 579 00:31:45,320 --> 00:31:49,080 Speaker 2: in there that the police officer was basically protecting that house. 580 00:31:49,400 --> 00:31:52,920 Speaker 2: He was a security for this drug organization and had 581 00:31:52,960 --> 00:31:54,440 Speaker 2: the jury now in all this, they'd have been like, 582 00:31:54,440 --> 00:31:57,960 Speaker 2: wait a minute, maybe some drug dealers did this murder. 583 00:31:58,000 --> 00:32:00,920 Speaker 2: We didn't know that this was a major drug location 584 00:32:01,360 --> 00:32:05,360 Speaker 2: and that the cop was running security for this operation, 585 00:32:05,680 --> 00:32:09,000 Speaker 2: and that Lockhart never made that identification like he testified too. 586 00:32:09,520 --> 00:32:11,640 Speaker 2: That would have shredded their entire case. 587 00:32:12,000 --> 00:32:15,840 Speaker 1: So this is when Detroit PD officer Santonian Adams was 588 00:32:15,880 --> 00:32:18,480 Speaker 1: first revealed, and it seems like the jury wouldn't be 589 00:32:18,520 --> 00:32:20,760 Speaker 1: the only ones coming to the conclusion that this was 590 00:32:20,840 --> 00:32:22,920 Speaker 1: all related back to the Johnsons. 591 00:32:23,240 --> 00:32:25,680 Speaker 3: Everybody in the hood always knows, the streets always know, 592 00:32:25,920 --> 00:32:30,720 Speaker 3: really what happened, that Santonian Adams, who was friends with McIntyre, 593 00:32:31,360 --> 00:32:35,320 Speaker 3: set McIntyre up, and maybe Lockhart set McIntire up too, 594 00:32:35,680 --> 00:32:38,000 Speaker 3: because think about it, if he had been in the house, 595 00:32:38,040 --> 00:32:40,000 Speaker 3: he'd have been killed two. If this was just a 596 00:32:40,160 --> 00:32:43,160 Speaker 3: robbery for drugs, that would have killed everybody. Word on 597 00:32:43,200 --> 00:32:46,040 Speaker 3: the curb was that since McIntire's and Cotton were buddies 598 00:32:46,600 --> 00:32:50,600 Speaker 3: and doing stuff together, Johnson wanted Cotten out of there. 599 00:32:51,000 --> 00:32:53,200 Speaker 3: So that's kind of how it came down. Johnson was 600 00:32:53,240 --> 00:32:55,840 Speaker 3: the one orchestrating all of this, whether it was a 601 00:32:55,920 --> 00:32:59,320 Speaker 3: hit and then since McIntire's already dead, now if you 602 00:32:59,320 --> 00:33:01,840 Speaker 3: can get and legion, he doesn't want them in a picture, 603 00:33:02,240 --> 00:33:03,520 Speaker 3: have the cops go to them. 604 00:33:03,880 --> 00:33:06,320 Speaker 1: So it looks like the Johnson's gave Detective Hughes the 605 00:33:06,360 --> 00:33:09,480 Speaker 1: three names, then gave a Lockhart ten grand to corroborate, 606 00:33:09,600 --> 00:33:11,800 Speaker 1: and then scared the shit out of her nay tate 607 00:33:12,120 --> 00:33:15,880 Speaker 1: while the police and prosecutors went ahead and did the rest. 608 00:33:16,840 --> 00:33:20,440 Speaker 3: So the CiU took a fresh look at the case, 609 00:33:20,840 --> 00:33:24,920 Speaker 3: and then they were able to understand, especially with this 610 00:33:25,040 --> 00:33:29,080 Speaker 3: tape that the PI had with Donald Hughes, where Hughes 611 00:33:29,120 --> 00:33:33,520 Speaker 3: admitted that Lockhart hadn't seen anything. Now you start getting 612 00:33:33,560 --> 00:33:36,360 Speaker 3: into a whole lot of police misconduct. That shed a 613 00:33:36,360 --> 00:33:38,400 Speaker 3: whole new light on the trial and their right to 614 00:33:38,440 --> 00:33:41,400 Speaker 3: a fair trial. They were robbed of due process, and 615 00:33:41,440 --> 00:33:46,560 Speaker 3: the CiU concluded they that they couldn't say that these 616 00:33:46,600 --> 00:33:49,680 Speaker 3: guys were innocent. What they did was they said there 617 00:33:49,720 --> 00:33:52,280 Speaker 3: was so much police misconduct they were entitled to a 618 00:33:52,280 --> 00:33:55,520 Speaker 3: new trial. And then a winn County prosecutor's office realized 619 00:33:55,520 --> 00:33:58,760 Speaker 3: the flaws with the case and dismissed the charges. But 620 00:33:58,840 --> 00:34:01,760 Speaker 3: I think what really rocked this case is that the 621 00:34:01,800 --> 00:34:07,080 Speaker 3: prosecutor's office was very likely involved in this miscarriage of 622 00:34:07,200 --> 00:34:11,879 Speaker 3: justice with not allowing Parks to take the stand because 623 00:34:11,920 --> 00:34:14,240 Speaker 3: they didn't dismiss the charges until after this conviction. 624 00:34:14,600 --> 00:34:19,799 Speaker 1: Nonetheless, both Marvin and Anthony's charges were dismissed. Anthony told 625 00:34:19,840 --> 00:34:21,840 Speaker 1: us about how that day unfolded. 626 00:34:21,960 --> 00:34:26,120 Speaker 2: You know, in prison. You know, I found inner peace 627 00:34:26,280 --> 00:34:31,000 Speaker 2: in prison through studying the law, and I worked on 628 00:34:31,280 --> 00:34:33,360 Speaker 2: other people's cases when I was in prison. You know, 629 00:34:33,440 --> 00:34:36,720 Speaker 2: I was the go to guy in prison. Any prison 630 00:34:36,760 --> 00:34:39,520 Speaker 2: that I went to, I turned the day room into 631 00:34:39,560 --> 00:34:42,680 Speaker 2: my law office and I would get me a corner. 632 00:34:43,160 --> 00:34:46,000 Speaker 2: I have my typewriter set up, I have all my 633 00:34:46,080 --> 00:34:49,840 Speaker 2: law books. People would come to my office and we 634 00:34:50,080 --> 00:34:52,440 Speaker 2: working on other cases. You know, I got people out 635 00:34:52,480 --> 00:34:55,359 Speaker 2: of prison from prison, and so that's what I was doing. 636 00:34:55,560 --> 00:34:59,000 Speaker 2: And I was actually working on the finishing touches on 637 00:34:59,080 --> 00:35:02,480 Speaker 2: this brief, and the counselor came in and said, you know, 638 00:35:02,840 --> 00:35:04,680 Speaker 2: come to the office with me for a minute. When 639 00:35:04,680 --> 00:35:07,400 Speaker 2: you got a phone call, normally that means somebody in 640 00:35:07,440 --> 00:35:10,799 Speaker 2: your family done died, or you know, some bad news. 641 00:35:10,960 --> 00:35:13,000 Speaker 2: So I'm like, okay, here we go. And I didn't 642 00:35:13,000 --> 00:35:15,719 Speaker 2: even have the CiU on my mind, but it was 643 00:35:15,800 --> 00:35:18,839 Speaker 2: my attorney and my investigator, and then she said, well, yeah, 644 00:35:18,880 --> 00:35:21,160 Speaker 2: you know, Kim Worthy agreed to let you go. I 645 00:35:21,280 --> 00:35:23,560 Speaker 2: broke down in te you. I couldn't even talk, and 646 00:35:23,600 --> 00:35:27,200 Speaker 2: so the councilor said, we'll have him call you back later. 647 00:35:27,600 --> 00:35:29,880 Speaker 2: He needed to get hisself together. So yeah, it was 648 00:35:29,960 --> 00:35:34,040 Speaker 2: definitely a breath of fresh air when I got that news. 649 00:35:34,280 --> 00:35:37,080 Speaker 1: The decision came down on October first, twenty twenty, but 650 00:35:37,120 --> 00:35:40,080 Speaker 1: the nightmare wasn't over. He still had to contend with 651 00:35:40,160 --> 00:35:43,160 Speaker 1: his eight to twenty year sentence for Devin Taylor. He 652 00:35:43,280 --> 00:35:46,360 Speaker 1: was finally released on parole on December fifteen, twenty twenty, 653 00:35:46,400 --> 00:35:50,000 Speaker 1: and since his release, he's been reinvestigating and fighting that case, 654 00:35:50,040 --> 00:35:52,160 Speaker 1: as well as continuing the practice of law that he 655 00:35:52,200 --> 00:35:53,160 Speaker 1: began inside. 656 00:35:53,280 --> 00:35:56,040 Speaker 2: I'm in the a Pillot division at Wolf Law Firm, 657 00:35:56,200 --> 00:35:58,840 Speaker 2: not Wolf Gang, but Rachel Wolf, so I run her 658 00:35:58,880 --> 00:36:01,360 Speaker 2: a pilot division. Then I'm also a Pillot consultant in 659 00:36:01,400 --> 00:36:04,439 Speaker 2: my own office, where I do pretty much the same thing, 660 00:36:04,840 --> 00:36:08,240 Speaker 2: but at a reduced rate for guys who can't afford 661 00:36:08,280 --> 00:36:12,440 Speaker 2: to pay for an attorney. We do investigation work, briefs, motions, 662 00:36:12,440 --> 00:36:14,800 Speaker 2: and everything like that, and then I pitch their cases 663 00:36:14,800 --> 00:36:17,640 Speaker 2: to different attorneys where they can afford them or even 664 00:36:17,680 --> 00:36:21,040 Speaker 2: do it pro bono. I'm also a member of the 665 00:36:21,120 --> 00:36:23,880 Speaker 2: Organization of Exigneries. I'm on the board of directors a 666 00:36:23,960 --> 00:36:26,319 Speaker 2: Safe and Just Michigan. You know, I got my own 667 00:36:26,400 --> 00:36:29,399 Speaker 2: nonprofit here towards exposing the falsehood of jail house nitch 668 00:36:29,480 --> 00:36:32,480 Speaker 2: testimony Anthony Legion dot com and has my story on 669 00:36:32,520 --> 00:36:36,879 Speaker 2: there on my Facebook page, Safe and Just Michigan DJST 670 00:36:36,920 --> 00:36:39,759 Speaker 2: task Force. It can also support that DJST task Force 671 00:36:39,800 --> 00:36:43,400 Speaker 2: dot com. It's NonStop. I work all day, twelve hours 672 00:36:43,440 --> 00:36:46,920 Speaker 2: every day trying to save somebody's life from spending the 673 00:36:46,960 --> 00:36:48,160 Speaker 2: rest of their life in prison. 674 00:36:48,800 --> 00:36:51,399 Speaker 1: Meanwhile, Wolf is doing the same on your civil suit. 675 00:36:51,680 --> 00:36:55,200 Speaker 3: The problem is civil litigation. Now. The wheels turned very 676 00:36:55,280 --> 00:36:58,160 Speaker 3: very slowly. Right now, we are just in the process 677 00:36:58,200 --> 00:37:02,759 Speaker 3: after a few years of summary judgment motions where they're 678 00:37:02,760 --> 00:37:05,359 Speaker 3: trying to throw the case out on qualified immunity. There's 679 00:37:05,360 --> 00:37:07,719 Speaker 3: a whole nother can of worm, but that's where we're 680 00:37:07,760 --> 00:37:09,840 Speaker 3: at now. And then they'll kick the can down the 681 00:37:09,880 --> 00:37:12,200 Speaker 3: road and go to the six Circuit Court of Appeals 682 00:37:12,239 --> 00:37:15,040 Speaker 3: if their motion is denied and it'll drag it out further, 683 00:37:15,400 --> 00:37:17,759 Speaker 3: and all that does is just kick these guys in 684 00:37:17,800 --> 00:37:18,960 Speaker 3: the face some more. 685 00:37:19,120 --> 00:37:21,520 Speaker 1: It's fucking disgraceful. But we hear the same thing all 686 00:37:21,560 --> 00:37:23,640 Speaker 1: too often. Right here, we're going to have both of 687 00:37:23,640 --> 00:37:26,200 Speaker 1: you linked in the episode description so people can keep 688 00:37:26,320 --> 00:37:28,279 Speaker 1: up with you or who knows, maybe they might need 689 00:37:28,320 --> 00:37:32,480 Speaker 1: your services. So with that, let's go to closing arguments. 690 00:37:32,680 --> 00:37:35,280 Speaker 1: Thanks again for being here and for all the incredible 691 00:37:35,320 --> 00:37:39,280 Speaker 1: work you're doing and closing arguments, well, if you start 692 00:37:39,600 --> 00:37:42,680 Speaker 1: anything else you want to share with our incredible audience 693 00:37:42,680 --> 00:37:45,600 Speaker 1: and with me of course, and then we're gonna let 694 00:37:45,640 --> 00:37:47,600 Speaker 1: Anthony take us off into the sunset. 695 00:37:47,880 --> 00:37:51,120 Speaker 3: What would be a good closing on this story. It's 696 00:37:51,680 --> 00:37:55,960 Speaker 3: that they, as much as they have been screwed, are 697 00:37:55,960 --> 00:37:59,160 Speaker 3: trying to give back to get other guys out who 698 00:37:59,160 --> 00:38:02,360 Speaker 3: they know are innocent in prison, and they're doing the 699 00:38:02,400 --> 00:38:05,279 Speaker 3: best they can with the resources they have. To call 700 00:38:05,320 --> 00:38:09,560 Speaker 3: attention to wrongful convictions, to the causes of wrongful convictions, 701 00:38:10,560 --> 00:38:16,120 Speaker 3: witness misidentifications. It's the largest cause of wrongful convictions. Sometimes 702 00:38:16,160 --> 00:38:20,239 Speaker 3: they're innocent. Sometimes like this, they're intentional, and they're just 703 00:38:20,280 --> 00:38:22,560 Speaker 3: trying to do the best they can. To make the 704 00:38:22,600 --> 00:38:25,160 Speaker 3: best of the lives that they've got, and they're doing 705 00:38:25,239 --> 00:38:27,120 Speaker 3: a very admirable job. 706 00:38:28,000 --> 00:38:30,800 Speaker 2: For people that are similarly situated or have loved ones 707 00:38:30,840 --> 00:38:37,720 Speaker 2: that's similarly situated, don't give up. The road may seem long, 708 00:38:38,360 --> 00:38:43,000 Speaker 2: gloomy and dark, but you got to stay focused, you know, 709 00:38:43,040 --> 00:38:45,480 Speaker 2: you got to stay fighting. And now I used to always 710 00:38:45,560 --> 00:38:48,920 Speaker 2: encourage the younger brothers, don't get caught up in the 711 00:38:49,000 --> 00:38:52,480 Speaker 2: prison politics. Don't get caught up on a basketball court, 712 00:38:52,760 --> 00:38:56,239 Speaker 2: on a chest table playing cards. If you're trying to 713 00:38:56,239 --> 00:38:59,360 Speaker 2: get out of prison, you have to move like you 714 00:38:59,400 --> 00:39:03,120 Speaker 2: want to get out of prison. At talk, walk, sleep, 715 00:39:03,840 --> 00:39:05,800 Speaker 2: everything like you want to get out of prison, because 716 00:39:05,840 --> 00:39:08,640 Speaker 2: then the officers are gonna respect you in that manner. 717 00:39:09,320 --> 00:39:11,719 Speaker 2: A lot of the correctional officers knew my agenda was 718 00:39:11,760 --> 00:39:14,960 Speaker 2: to get out of prison. I didn't care about nothing 719 00:39:15,000 --> 00:39:17,120 Speaker 2: that was going on in prison, even though I seen 720 00:39:17,239 --> 00:39:21,080 Speaker 2: people die in prison, get stabbed in prison. You know, 721 00:39:21,160 --> 00:39:23,840 Speaker 2: I had to see some horrific things. And again, like 722 00:39:23,840 --> 00:39:26,120 Speaker 2: I said, I found my inner piece in studying the law. 723 00:39:26,600 --> 00:39:29,960 Speaker 2: And so you know, I encourage anybody whoever loved want 724 00:39:29,960 --> 00:39:33,000 Speaker 2: to go through this and encourage them to stay focused 725 00:39:33,040 --> 00:39:34,960 Speaker 2: and on type of their fight to get out of prison. 726 00:39:41,200 --> 00:39:43,680 Speaker 1: Thank you for listening to Ron for Conviction. You can 727 00:39:43,719 --> 00:39:46,200 Speaker 1: listen to this and all the Lava for Good podcasts 728 00:39:46,200 --> 00:39:49,120 Speaker 1: one week early by subscribing to Lava for Good Plus 729 00:39:49,320 --> 00:39:52,200 Speaker 1: on Apple Podcasts. I want to thank our production team 730 00:39:52,320 --> 00:39:55,240 Speaker 1: Connor Hall and Kathleen Fink, as well as my fellow 731 00:39:55,239 --> 00:39:59,040 Speaker 1: executive producers Jeff Kempler, Kevin Wartis, and Jeff Cliburn. The 732 00:39:59,120 --> 00:40:01,520 Speaker 1: music in this production was supplied by three time OSCAR 733 00:40:01,560 --> 00:40:04,840 Speaker 1: nominated composer Jay Ralph. Be sure to follow us across 734 00:40:04,880 --> 00:40:07,839 Speaker 1: all social media platforms at Lava for Good and at 735 00:40:07,880 --> 00:40:11,000 Speaker 1: Wrongful Conviction. You can also follow me on Instagram at 736 00:40:11,080 --> 00:40:14,320 Speaker 1: It's Jason Vlahm. Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava 737 00:40:14,320 --> 00:40:19,280 Speaker 1: for Good Podcasts and association with Signal Company Number one