By Lovell Oates
Contributing Writer
I am looking for a lawyer, community leader, and/or activist that will pursue justice or help correct injustice without fear and be willing to be courageous in uncovering the truth because everyone I have on my case up to this point has been unwilling or afraid to present the clear facts that will demonstrate my innocence.
First, there is exculpatory evidence that was never released or shown to me, such as the video tape evidence. There was video evidence mentioned in discovery from the South Beach night club itself and closed circuit video from a security video company “Positive I.D.” There was never an interview presented in discovery from any employees from this company. Plus, there was video from the Target Center, Target Center parking ramp, Dolphin Temp Services, the parking ramp on Fifth and Nicollet behind the old NSP building and the City Center on Seventh street all in downtown Minneapolis. Also, there was never any interview presented in discovery concerning these places.
Second, there was never evidence presented in discovery from the Green & White Suburban Cab Co. that will obviously demonstrate I was picked up from the City Center on 7th Sstreet and taken to 129 West 33rd Street, South, in Minneapolis. This is a very important point because it shows that I was not dressed in a colorful shirt as prosecution and witnesses stated the shooter was. Also, that Oates was taken home by cab and did not drive away as did the shooter as stated by prosecution and witnesses.
Third, there was a gun box displayed at trial that prosecution stated was the weapon used in the South Beach Night Club. Yet after a simple check was ran it became clear that the serial number on that box was the same as a weapon destroyed by the St. Paul police, two months before the incident at South Beach.
Fourth, my trial attorney, Craige Cascarano, was defending two of the state witnesses at the same time my trial was going on (Michael Scott or Michael Johnson) whom Cascarano admitted in court records that he had defended before, and the other was Bobby Gill and he never informed me or the court of this conflict of interest before trial.
Also, I am convicted of second degree murder, but I was acquitted of first degree murder and first degree attempted murder and the indictment was never amended nor did I agree to any lesser included charged. Nowhere in the record is there any evidence of the indictment being amended or my agreeing to any lesser included charges.
This is a major issue due to the fact when I placed a civil suit on all the attorneys that handled my case, no one could explain how I am convicted of second degree if there wasn’t an amendment to the indictment or I never agreed to a lesser included charge.
Next week, more facts of my innocence, in reference to Hennepin County District Court Case No. 98-124740.
Lovell Oates lives in Lino Lakes.
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