What do you do when you know you suffered an injustice in a wicked system, due to malicious prosecution and devilish detectives? That’s the question I’ve been forced to deal wit over these last 16 years. Even more so, now that I’ve tried to file for early release for the fourth time. Now what’s interesting about early release is you must admit guilt in order to obtain it. Which I had no problem doing given the fact that I was just ready to get all of this behind me. However, this last time I filed for early release, I was told that a victim advocate spoke to the allege victim and he’s opposed to my release. I thought for sure they were full of it, since he and I both know that I didn’t commit this crime against him. So how did I get here: On March 18, 2004 I was driving around selling drugs just before midnight. I had a pistol for protection of course. I get pulled over by some cops, thinking it was just a routine traffic stop. However, that proved quickly not to be the case, as more cops arrived on the scene. The officers voice could be heard over the bullhorn telling me to turn off the engine and put my hands outside the car. As I did so, officers were strategically surrounding the vehicle I was in. I wondered what the hell was going on as my hands hung shaking outside the window. Just then an officer shouted Gun! Gun! At that moment I was terrified and caution not to make any wrong moves that could justify a homicide. So at the officer request that I step out the car, I replied, I’m not moving my hands. They need to get me out. So an officer opened the door and I was removed. Once in custody I was asked do you know why we stopped you? I said no. The detectives told me there was a robbery in the area and the vehicle matched the description. I told him I don’t have anything to do wit a robbery, I just left the house with my girl. Then they proceeded to insidiously plant details of the robbery, over my constant denial. By now its getting later into the early morning hours. So the officer take the allege victim a picture of me, to which they state he identified me as one of four perpetrators.
So now I just come out and tell the officers, I don’t rob, I sell drugs. And keep a pistol for protection. That’s what I was out doing when you all stopped me. They said can you prove it? I said yea, call my girl and she’ll tell you she just left me at the house, so there’s no possible way at the time you’re saying this crime was committed I could have committed it from the side of town I was on. So they call her and she verifies my story. But that wasn’t enough for these devilish detectives, they wanted me to admit to being involved in a robbery that I had nothing to do with. So they said if I don’t tell them the truth they’re going to charge me with the robbery and just let me fight it. So they kept feeding me details of what they knew concerning this robbery. But again I told them I’m out selling drugs. So they say do I have something else to prove that? I tell them there’s drugs in the car. To which they replied, we already searched the car and found no drugs. I said there’s drug in the car. They said where? I said I’ll tell you, if you promise not to charge me with a robbery. They agreed. I told them to get the tape out and make that promise on tape. Which they did. I told them where, and they went and found it. They arrested me for the gun and drugs. While I was in the county jail, I got my indictment and was charged wit the robbery and felonious assault. I was fuming. I said these dirty bastards. So as I sat, I got the police report with the allege victim information on it. So I wrote the guy, letting him know I don’t know him but somehow his situation got crossed up into mines and I’m being charged wit a crime I didn’t commit. I ended the letter by saying I need you to contact my sister, so y’all can talk to my lawyer. Sure enough the guy contacted my sister. When I called my sister from the county jail she told me, the guy had called her and told her he told the police it wasn’t me, but they’re trying to get him to say it was. So I told her to call him on three-way, which we did. Eventually my phone hung up and they continued talking. They had a day set up for my sister and grandmother to go pick him up and take him to the lawyer, well when they arrived the parents of the guy, come out telling my relatives to get away from there house. And I did this. So now I’m forced to go to trial. I plead guilty to the possession of cocaine, and go to trial. The guy comes in and takes the stand, mumbling and with his head down. There’s no doubt something happened to this kid, but I didn’t do it. So a lot comes out during trial that proved I had nothing to do with any robbery, but the jury still found me guilty. Of course, I appealed to no avail. One of the strongest things that sticks out to me is how can you knowingly lie on a person and put them behind bars. I can’t process that for the life in me. Now during the trial a possible motive for why the guy did an about face. He said, he overhead the officers and his parents discussing the Victim’s of Crime money. Which is money that victims receive upon conviction. And I still don’t understand that, because had the roles been reversed no amount of money, my parents, dirty officers or malicious prosecutors can get me to lie on anybody to put them behind bars. Real man don’t do that! And although I’ve tried to justify or rationalize the why’s as being spiritual, the truth of the matter is God ain’t got nothing to do with this. Its a Satanic world, and you better know it. If given the opportunity to do it over would I do a lot different, Definitely! I have two children that I’ve missed all the important things that mean something to them. And that’s one of my biggest regrets. Another one is, stopping my relatives from kidnapping this guy because thought the justice system would work for me.

Robert Smith Jr.
DOC #477-176