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Scales Trial
Eric Scales Trial
Scales Trial page 1
For years, I struggled with trying to figure out how I could be guilty
of killing someone I didn’t know and had never seen before. What is
even more mind-boggling is how 12 people in society failed to protect
my innocence by allowing the state to wrongfully sentence me to the
rest of my life in prison. But now, I have come to realize that
racism, prejudice, bigotry, corruption and the other evil elements are
still prevalent in this world and all these things played a dominant
role in my all white jury convicting me. This was more a case about
giving the local community the opportunity to exact revenge on
somebody. It was not really about my innocence or guilt. If that was
the case, I would have never been found guilty and I would be home
with my family.
The state alleged that I participated in the murder of Bruce Vitale,
allegedly one of the inmates of this so-called “Death Squad.” Because
I refused to cooperate with the state investigators in the Dennis
Weaver death, now mysteriously, I’m placed with this group who may or
may not be the actual killers. According to documentations,
statements, and self-confession, the “Gangster Disciples” were the
only death squad responsible for murdering numerous inmates and the
only guard killed during the uprising. How can you not conclude that,
me being charged is about vengeance for me not helping the state
implicate Keith Lamar in the Weaver death.
The state openly admitted to the media and everyone in earshot that
they had no physical or forensic evidence that could link anyone to a
crime, which realistically made it impossible to do a thorough
investigation. The state used this as their escape route to apply some
of the dirtiest acts known to mankind in order to manufacture a
conviction with career enhancing gains. This act also quenched the
surrounding community’s thirst for vengeance and simultaneously and
conveniently allowed the investigators to close their books on a crime
that they were not adequately prepared (or able) to handle.
The main tactic the state investigators employed to assist them in
their devious plot was to use informants (inmates), not based on truth
but on a first-come, first-serve basis and who was most willing to lie
in order to help themselves and more importantly, the state’s hidden
agenda. Once this was made known, the investigators had no shortage of
potential candidates for informants/liars to choose from and was
willing to say whatever, whenever. The whole process was a circus.
After I was indicted, the court appointed me an attorney named John
Wolery, from Columbus, Ohio. To say that Mr. Wolery was totally out of
his element in representing me in a trial of this magnitude would be
an understatement, to say the least. Many of the reasons that he gave
for not being able to do basic things such as filing motions and
interviewing potential witnesses in preparation for a proper defense
was that the state handcuffed him by not allotting him adequate funds.
Two perfect examples of this is, I was given a change of venue to
Columbus but after I repeatedly refused to plea bargain with the
state, without explanation or reason, the judge re-assigned my trial
back to Scioto County (three miles from the Lucasville prison) and
with that, the judge allowed at least two local jurors to remain
seated for my trial who had previously signed a petition suggesting
that law enforcement officials should drop a nuclear bomb on the
prison while the inmates were still inside. My attorney challenged
neither of these issues as he put it, due to lack of funds/resources.
Trial Continued
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