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Who Cares
by: Robert Talib
Douglas
My
name is Robert Talib Douglas, I have been incarcerated for the passed 24
years. I have wrote to many innocence projects seeking help, only to be
told; we are a small I office, we don't take out of state cases, your
case is not within a
100 miles
ration of our office and the main responds, we only handle cases with
DNA evidence. I recall reading a book written by the founders of the
Innocence Project in New York titled: "Actually Innocence" in
the introduction, it talks about taking a telescope and looking into the
night-skies, all the stars represent innocence people in prison with DNA
evidence, but what about the stars beyond the stars, that we know are
there but have no DNA evidences?, well that's me, but who cares?
I was arrested a year later, during this time the witness was in jail 4
1/2 months already on armed robbery and being held on $5000 bond. During
the preliminary hearing the witness stated; Robbie, walked up and asked
for some money and when we said no, Robbie, left and came back 2-minutes
later didn't say anything but shot my friend and [I was getting ready
to break, run that' s when I caught mines in the arm twice]. Later I
found out he supposed to had gave a statement that night at the
hospital, (un-sign) that; We were sitting on the benches and (street
name) walk up and ask me to hold a needle (syringe) I refused, he pull a
gun out and shot my friend, [I tried to grab the gun and that’s
when I got shot in the arm] then after the trial he said: We were
sitting on the bench and (street name) walk up and ask for a $100
dollars, we said no and he pulled a gun from a paper bag and shot me and
my friend, [I tried to shield my face and that's when I caught mines].
After he gave a testimony and I was held over for trial a un-schedule
bail hearing was held and his bail was reduced from $5000 to $500 and
allowed top sign his self out of jail, but who cares?
The jury never got to hear any of the inconsistent statements, or the
deal the unavailable witness was given for his testimony, I was
convicted of first degree murder and sentence to death without a single
witness at trial saying' I committed such a crime, who cares?
During
trial the DA that handle the P/H, told the jury that the witness called
his office two-weeks after the P/B that he was being threaten in prison
for testifying, when, they knew for a FACT that the witness wasn't in
jail, he was the one who arrange his release and he wasn't arrested
again until 36 days later, who cares he lied?
The Prosecutor told the jury that the witness only had two cases, taking
lamps out his girlfriend house and returning them & stealing a $20
jacket out a store, [what more faith of a man who would admit his own
guilt and he received a jail term]. Twenty years later it was revealed,
it wasn't his girlfriend house and it wasn't about a jacket, but pulling
a knife on a person and threatening to kill him. Who cares, the
prosecutor lied to the jury and withheld the witness 24 arrests and 12
convictions?
They called over ten police officers and detectives testifying that they
can't find the witness and visit & called his mother’s house over
20-times in all but the mother testified that her son visit her every
other day, so who cares they lied about not knowing the witness
whereabouts, because they had the notes from the P/H to use?
A
total of fourteen officers took the stand some 2 or 3 times, ONE
testifying to the FACTS of the case, (crime lab officer) the rest gave
perjury testimony; some saying arrest me, I would pulled a shotgun or
pistol out on them to events, (when we know they shoot unarmed people),
but who cares?
Then this prisoner writes a letter to the Phila. DA's office claiming he
witness the murder and knew where the gun was and who allegedly gave me
this murder weapon (Kids Grandmother). The jury never got to hear or
know that this witness was serving 4-8 years for robbery and burglary
that took place in my family bar, and the key-witness against him was my
children Grandmother, and because I didn't get her to drop the charges,
he waited 2 1/2 years to write this letter, on Nov 26, 1982 and the
trial prosecutor send a copy to the head detective stating; "very
interesting" what was interesting was a copy of the 49-police
report of the witness robbery and burglary at the bar, that 's was
2-months before my trial and withheld it from the defense so, who cares?
At the time I was working two jobs and engage to marry my Jr. High
school sweetheart after bring together for 9-years and bless with a son
3 yrs. old and child on the way (born 15-days after my arrest), I lost
everything (my life), the most painful, not being there with my children
as they grew, there mother listed in the army, married and move on,
children are 24 & 27 yrs of age now (and really don't know me), I
will always love & respect their mother for doing a beautiful job
raising them over the world). During the duration of the time I have
lost my support system (May God peace be upon them), I'd have live with
a broken heart for years & years, and life never told that in the
end I'll still be loving her, but she's gone and I'm all alone again
sitting on death row for crimes I didn't do, but who cares?
It took me over 20 years to accumulate over 40-documents that I should
have had the first day of trial. I have these documents to show and
prove that my arrest & conviction were contrived through deliberate
unlawful acts, of criminal conspiracy, perjury, fabricated evidence
& testimonies, every statement used un-signed, favorable treatment
to the so-called key-witness who was deem unavailable for trial, despite
the mother testifying that her son visit her every other day and left
early in the morning and other acts of perjury like, (lying to the jury
about what the witness was in jail for, lying about him calling their
office), when they knew for a fact he wasn't in jail and other acts by
officers (head detective testifying that the witness visit his office in
the police administration building, when the witness had a bench warrant
for not appearing at his own court date) and prosecuting authorities for
their own person again, but who cares?
During the duration that I have been sitting on death row, the district
attorney turned private attorney was disbarred, the judge who presided
over my case was kick off the bench, and the trial prosecutor resigned,
so who cares they were sinuous from the start.
Readers
of this letter might wonder and say: “if he has all these documents
(proof) that proves he's innocent, then why is he still in prison?”
Not only did they withhold evidence (documents) during trial, but also
during the appeal stages, and you can't raise issues without proof
(Merit), then you raise after discovery evidence, am told it should had
been raise on early stages of your appeal it 's a catch 22, if I was so
guilty of murder, then why all the perjury and withholding evidence?,
but who cares?
Twenty-four years later I received a PCRA hearing, a team of beautiful
attorney with great integrity, represented me, the key issue; "Was
the key-witness (deem unavailable for trial) given a deal for his P/H
testimony on 8/13/81? They first showed that after I was held over for
trial on the day of the P/H 8/13/81, an unscheduled bail hearing was
conducted in the same court room and the witness bail was lower from
$5000 to $500 and allowed to sign out of jail, also that it was a
three-way telephone called between the DA, witness & Lawyer, DA
telling his to get all four of his case put together for sentencing on
3/8/82 and he will get him out before Christmas, and he received a deal
of 11 1/2 – 23 months and immediate work release and was home for
Christmas. On the four cases, two robberies, from; (5/4/80 &
5/21/81), theft (9/19/81) & Burglar (9/30/81), the judge ruled that
a deal was made for the witness testimony, but stated only the theft
& burglary stating; "since these two cases happen after the
preliminary hearing on 8/13/81 and the witness never testified again in
this case, it did not affect his testimony during the P/H. So, why did
the judge over look
the robbery’s cases? And who cares he over looked them?
I will answer
any question and I can be contact by writing
to:
Robert Talib Douglas AY-3357
P.O. Box 246
Graterford, PA.19426-0246
USA
Maybe
there's someone who will help me get justice, someone who cares about
this great miscarriage of justice that was done to me?
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