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Cannon Trial
Derek Cannon Trial
Cannon
Trial page 2
To say that the system is corrupt and built on double-standards would
be stating the obvious but it’s one thing to on the outside looking in
and quite another, to be the victim of the injustice that you see and
hear so much about. They know that I didn’t kill Darrell Depina and
they knew it all along. Yet, they still pursued me to the bitter end.
And that, to me, is the truly troubling thing. Not that the system is
racist and used as a weapon to keep certain parts of society
imprisoned (as if that isn’t troubling enough) but that it is done
with such impunity! No one ever questions the state or the people
designated to carry out the law, especially when it is the poor in
question. So, how much more can you expect when you enter the equation
with the added of onus of being a “criminal,” someone who has already
been convicted of a previous crime?!
I was guilty before I even went to trial. Nonetheless, in order to
assure a conviction, my case was moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, one of the
most racist cities in the state. In fact, every conceivable stunt to
tip the scales in their favor was used to guarantee a guilty verdict.
Robert Bass: The state’s first inmate witness testified that he saw me
in L-side corridor with a black nylon wave cap covering my face and
therefore, was only able to recognize me by the sound of my voice. He
said I approached him looking for Keith Lamar (the state’s way of
establishing the Death Squad connection) and subsequently saw me enter
L6, the block where all the murders allegedly took place. But during
cross-examination when Bass was questioned why his statement said that
he didn’t see me go in L6, he did not have an answer. [See
document 12] Bass was given an early parole.
Donald Cassell: This inmate testified that I had a white t-shirt
covering my face but recognized me by the way I walked. He testified
that I was among the group of individuals who entered L6 and killed
all the suspected snitches. During cross-examination, Cassell admitted
to writing notes to another witness with the idea of using the state
to get out of lock-down. These notes were admitted into evidence.
Since my trial, Cassell has another letter where he is explaining how
he lied, manipulated and used the state to cover their butt because it
had a lot of evidence on him. [See document 6]
Additionally, on the stand, he admitted that the state promised
special favors (something that the state denied to the jury) in the
form of parole recommendations and living conditions. [See
document 5] Donald was also given an early parole.
Thomas Taylor: This inmate gave many detailed statements, even one to
the Grand Jury five months before my trial (March 1994). Together, all
these statements accumulated over 200 pages and never once did he
mention my name. In fact, it wasn’t until he was called by the state
that to testify at my trial that he all of a sudden knew whom I was.
Thomas was among the inmates who were shipped to Oakwood to be groomed
by the state [See document 9], so it wasn’t a great shock
that he took the stand against me. By then, he had testified in five
trials. What was shocking was the fact that he wasn’t better
rehearsed. As he stumbled over his testimony, trying his best to
recover from the admission that he didn’t know who I was, the state
became noticeably concerned, sensing, as it were, their already weak
case growing weaker. Thomas even identified me as having nothing
covering my face.
Note: The first three witnesses had three (3) different
descriptions/identifications of me. One-a black nylon wave cap
covering my face. Two- a white t-shirt covering my face. Three-nothing
covering my face. [See document 13]
Continued page 3
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