AMOS KING
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LETTER FROM AMOS ON FLORIDA'S DEATH ROW
Hello !
I'm Amos King, 43, 6'1", 206 lbs. I was convicted in Clearwater, Florida in July of 1977 for murder, sexual battery, arson, burglary, escape and attempted murder. I'M INNOCENT. The escape was actually walking away from authority, a prison official. I later voluntarily turned myself in as an innocent person should do.
The man I was convicted of attempting to murder testified against me concerning all the crimes. He was also a suspect. He committed perjury and was given his pretrial deposition or statement to assist in his testimony on the stand in court. My trial attorney, a Public Defender - Mr. Cole, refused to impeach him or subject any of the state's evidence to adversarial testing. The state's case consists of largely circumstantial evidence mostly perjury, fraudulent evidence, judicial bias by the trial court judge and treachery on Mr. Cole's [my attorney's] part.
The chief detective on the case perjured himself in the space of 30 minutes
in a Miranda Suppression hearing (hearing to suppress
statements attributed to me said to detectives and evidence obtained
thereofrom because I wasn't advised of my rights to have an attorney and
remain silent) and his actual trial testimony that followed on the same
subject matter.
He lied on numerous other matters that followed. It's all
on the
record. Like with the victim who testified I attempted to murder
him - my attorney refused to impeach this witness (detective) because he
was working with
the state against me.
The paring knife allegedly used in both the murder and attempted murder was planted by this detective. Cole (my attorney) knew this, but said nothing. The detective testified that the victim had only one set of "case" brand knives and the paring knife was missing from this set. He allegedly later 'found' this knife, that I had allegedly taken - this too is false. The detective and Attorney Cole knew the victim had actually had other brands of knives including other 'paring knives', and the so-called set of 'case' knives was not a set at all, but 3 random knives that had been purchased years apart. Attorney Cole sat on this information as did the detective, other officials and prosecutors.
I am just learning much of this lately - decades after it had occured. I am still in the process of obtaining records deliberately kept out of my hands. I have yet to get them all and have been doing all in my power to get them. Some of the records were paid for by a church group years ago, but the attorney never gave me any copies. He just took the funds and did not deliver the material.
I am near my execution date (months) and have come close to execution in the past.
The victim for whom I received the death sentence for was a white female. The climate leading up to and engulfing the trial was intensely racially charged. Due to the nature of the charges-the juries and attorneys are desensitized to the injustice before them.
The prosecution repeatedly told the all-white jury to convict me because I'd killed a white person-so they knew to do their duty! Of course this got edited from the record. Some spectators heard this and reacted disapprovingly and got thrown out of court. None of my court appointed attorneys over the years would pursue this-which in fact just showed their endorsement of this type of justice. What happened to zealously representing one's client, the Bar's oath, working to make the system better and more just? What happened to strong due process in death penalty cases? Where are the lawyers who leave no stone unturned when figting for their clients life? -- All conduct recommended to lawyers by the various state and national Bars and courts in such cases.
Left unedited, like through oversight, is the prosecution's urging that I be convicted of the highest degree of each crime, because if not - I would be out of prison. The case against me is circumstantial in nature, largely perjury and fraud, yet no attorney of mine raised this inflammatory issue.
I was barred (for no reason) from the pretrial conference at the commencement of my trial. I was also barred from other critical stages of my trial, that rightly I should have been allowed to attend, such as secret charge conference (preparation of jury instructions), which was held without my knowledge before the state had rested its case. In this charge conference, Mr. Cole (my attorney) waived my right to testify. All I had was my testimony and I wanted to testify, for my story to be heard. But it was treachorously taken away by my attorney and the court. It was the one thing that I thought that I could do for myself, without anyone's help - I was refused!
I tried repeatedly to dismiss Mr. Cole as my attorney. No adequate hearings were held on my motions and letters requesting dismissal of my attorney, due to his incompetence. Cole himself filed to withdraw himself, but he too was denied. Both he and I renewed our motions. Cole's got denied in the Pretrial Conference which I was not allowed to attend.
In a hearing for a continuance, attorney Cold told the court he'd visited me four (4) times. Later in the Pretrial Conference, at the start of the trial he had not even mentioned the issue of consolidating the crimes for trial (which is a paramount issue), he had not mentioned the penalty phase and potential witnesses either, which made it abundantly clear that he had lied about visiting me, since he would have known this information, from discussing the case with me.
The biased and racist trial judge - John S. Andrews (retired) - who
presided over this mockery, including rushing Cole (an inexperienced
Public
Defender) to trial in less than 90 days - and this included 2
grudgingly granted
continuances. The judge started the four (4) day trial
an hour earlier,
so that he would be the first judge to start a trial under the then new
experiment of camera's in Florida's courtrooms. He rushed to trial from
start to finish - apparently it was the first capital conviction and death
sentence on television as well!
Judge Andrews wrote to the then Chief Justice of the Florida Supreme Court and told him of special favors he had granted the prosecution! Thus he knew he should have granted me a new trial before the trial ended. The Chief Justice knew I deserved a new trial before my case had reached his court, yet he voted to affirm my case numerous times in the past 17 years. A copy of Judge Andrew's letter to Chief Justice Overton is below. Contrary to the letter Mr. Cole and his Public Defender's office had no copy of it. Cole is deceased. Two local newspapers wrote protest letters (regarding the method the trial was held) to both the Chief Justice and to Judge Andrews.
Judge Andrews helped the prosecution pick its jury. At one point, without any objection from either my attorney or the proseuction, he tossed out a potential juror for no reason.
Not long into the trial, a juror began acting strange, and ultimately got the court's attention. She told the court that she was afraid of me and wanted a seat change, even though she was sitting as far from me as she could get. No one inquired as to this juror's impartiality. Cole, my attorney simply said that he had no objection to her seat change. I discovered this, and much of the rest of the information in this 'missive', nearly 2 decades after my trial!
As I mentioned, years ago, a church group paid an attorney of mine for a copy of the trial record. My attorney never delivered a copy. Other means to acquire it were fruitless. I am yet without all of it.
I have sought DNA evidence for years and am currently working on it.
In my attorney's (Cole) closing statement, he conceded to the state's case, saying that I was guilty and stupid! No attorney on appeal ever raised this!
Much more occurred than I've have space to tell. A police dog brought to the victim's home, took off behind yet a third person known to habitually walk the neighbourhood at all hours.
I'd appreciate any support you may be able to help me with - however small.
Much more occurred than I've space to tell. I was not the only suspect. I will answer all letters, and look forward to hearing from you.
Sincere Regards,
AMOS KING
In addition...Notes from Amos 10/22/1998
In the Florida Bar
Journal of July/August 1998, Howard C Coker, President of the Florida Bar
and Chief of Florida's lawyers wrote an article titled, "Stand Up!" points
out that Florida's Judicial System is entrusted to its lawyers and judges
and thusly is a grant of immense power and responsibility.
President Coker
goes on to reference surveys that indicate 80% of the citizenry lack trust
and confidence in the system of justice; 56% have inadequete knowledge
and 41% believe the system is too complex.(Makes one seriously wonder about
the support-existense of the death penalty. Hmm)
As pointed out above,
former Chief Justice Overton and now Justice Overton and other judges and
lawyers have known they owed me a new trial since 21 years ago yet conceal
it, continue to exploit the system to bring about my death and made numerous
decisions since denying me relief while concealing their bias and conspiracy.
The door of the
Halls of Justice have always been closed to me. Just a masquerade of a
trial and appeals-21 years now.
Over the 21 years
Justice Overton has participated in coutless rulings and disbarred other
judges and lawyers for less. Examples are Judges Elizabeth L Hapner,
June Luran Johnson and Gayle S Graziano, to name a few, where alleged sins
pale-even if totalled-by comparison.
The extent of Justice
Overton's influence in condemning and disbarring his former colleagues
(voting for executions) and lecturing them for "engaging in actions that
impair the confidence of citizens of the State of Florida in the integrity
of the judicial system", "engaging in conduct unbecoming a member
of the judiciary" "being unfit to hold office of judge" is
the zenith of hypocrisy and a major pillar of that distrust and lack of
confidence on the part of the citizenry.
All these rulings
- decisions should be revisited as the thing is "self evident" just as
that word is used in the preamble of the US Constitution and my new trial
given me.
End the masquerade
!
AMOS KING
FLORIDA'S DEATH ROW 10/22/98
Please write to:
AMOS KING 036275
UNION CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION
P O BOX 221, P5225S
RAIFORD, FL 32083
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