Cannon Trial

Derek Cannon Trial


Cannon Trial page 1
I don’t know how I was found guilty; how any reasonable-minded person could have sat through my trial and concluded that I should spend the rest of my life in prison? But now I know that being poor, black, and already incarcerated played a major part in allowing my all-white jury to overlook and disregard the ridiculous of the state’s case against me. They had no case and if justice was real, I would not be in this position I’m in; I would be at home with my family.
According to the state, I participated in the death of inmate Darrell Depina, one of the people allegedly murdered by the so-called death squad. When I refused to cooperate by providing the state with information that I did not have, I was somehow incorporated into this group of individuals who in reality, may or may not, have been the Black Gangster Disciples (BGD); the gang said to have been responsible murdering several inmates and one guard. But, I’m getting ahead of myself.
I have already stated how, when I was initially approached by the state, they wanted me to implicate Keith Lamar. However, what led them to question me in the first place is the fact that I was a known associate of Lamar’s. Admittedly, my association with Lamar put me on the “potential suspect” sheet; the state’s investigators thought I was privy to much more information that I really was.
Since the state was unwilling (and possibly unable) to conduct a thorough investigation, they employed the practice of picking up and questioning anyone who was associated with certain people and since they had no real way of knowing who did what, they tried to use whatever information they had to turn you into their own personal informant or get you to cop out and thereby, assist them in clearing their books. From beginning to end, the whole process was bogus.
When I was served my indictment, I was subsequently appointed an attorney named Mr. Damon, who has it turned out, was working in conjunction with the state to persuade prisoners to accept plea bargains. I wasn’t 15 minutes into our first meeting that he tried to get me to cop out and join the state’s team of informants…I fired Mr.Damon.

Continued page 2