Written by Stanley Jalowiec – an Ohio death row inmate.
Many times in our life we are faced with claims, accusations and charges that are either asserted directly and/or indirectly. Many men and woman are in prison, for something that they did not do, simply by mere accusations and/or assumptions. This happens in our every day life, and the cause and effect, depending on the seriousness of the accusations could taint lives forever.
Innocent men and women accused of crimes that they have not committed are seriously effected by the actions of mere allegations made by people who seek to obtain favour with police, prosecutors and judges abroad. Although the innocent person knows the allegations are false and unfounded, they still live in the shadow of the allegations and it not only affects the person accused, it further affects their family, friends and the community as a whole.
I have been accused of a crime that I have not committed, because of this accusation I have been locked away from my loved ones for the last 8 years. My face has been plastered in newspaper accounts and in the face of the accusations I have been called a murderer. The affect on my life because of the allegations will last forever and although I will do my best to prove to the Courts that I am 100% innocent of the crime, the cloud of wonder will always be there in the face of people who do not know “ME”.
I have sat and thought of ways to get people to understand what it is like to be sitting on death row, accused of something they have not done. There is no real way to do this, the affects of the mere allegations is so strong that it would be hard to grasp the emotional aspects of it. However, I have came to the conclusion that allegations are similar to rumors.
A rumor is started several ways, just like criminal allegations are incorporated into criminal indictments. One, rumors could be started because someone can take something said and/or read out of context. Two, rumors can be started because another person does not like someone else, so they wish to get others not to like them. Three, rumors can be started to pass the miss-deeds of others upon another person to make themselves look good. Four, rumors can be started to drive a wedge between people in an attempt to break up a friendship, relationships and even families.
I have read many death penalty cases in which people were implicated in a crime simply because of rumors, Tom said this about that person, Gary said this and that about him, I heard this from Sarah, who heard this from Susan, who heard this from Sally’s mothers brothers nephew. How reliable is that? Have you ever been accused of cheating on your spouse, boyfriend and/or girlfriend? Allegations like this hurt, right? Although these mere allegations of cheating is not life threatening, they will still have a cause and affect that could alter the lives of those involved.
I have learned that repeating things that I know nothing about and/or heard from others can be hurtful and I choose not to do it. The mere allegations against me are because of one person, in an attempt to save his sons, has changed my life forever. Raymond Smith, in an attempt to divert the police from his two boys said my name in a telephone conversation to police on January 11, 1995. This diversion by Raymond Smith, was then taken and used to get others to change their statement to include me in this crime for which I have been wrongfully accused of and as a result of this, my life has changed forever.
I pray that you never know what it is like to be accused of things you have not done. I also pray that when others come to you and make allegations about someone, you take it as a grain of salt and break the cycle before it has a chance to cause pain to the accused and their family when found to be untrue. Think of how you would feel if someone accused you of something you have not done as well as its affect before you pass it around.
Raymond Smith’s motive to say my name is clear to all who really look into my case, it was self serving to him and to his family. He needed to protect his children at all cost, even if that meant taking himself down and an innocent man with him and it worked. I am sure he was not thinking of the cause and affect to my life, only his own. But in light of this all, I have managed to use this situation as a way to get my life together, become stronger in who I am and seek ways to change the lives of others.
When a case is based upon rumors, the prosecutors always find a way to take that rumor and make it something it is not and the jury is usually blind sided by these masterful tricks of the prosecutor and in the end, simply because of a rumor, lives are changed forever.
Point being, humans should not always believe everything they hear, police, prosecutors and even miserable people use masterful tricks to create an illusion that what they say is true, when in fact the accusations are only supported by the words of deceptive people looking to obtain a conviction at all cost and/ or to gain from the pain of others. This is how my case came about.
A lie, manufactured by Raymond Smith, was taken by the police and prosecutor and masterfully created into an illusion of my alleged involvement in the unfortunate death of a man. The allegation, just as a rumor, ruined my life and that of my family.
Where is the justice? This could happen to anyone, someone could commit a crime, accuse you of that crime and you could be in my situation, it is that easy, especially when you have the elements of someone looking to get out of trouble themselves. This could happen to your mother, father, sister, brother, son and/or daughter. The deal making by prosecutors should stop. How is it in the best interest of society to make a deal with a murderer? Michael Smith, according to his own mouth, claims to be present, except he removes his brother from the situation and adds me, claiming he did nothing. What about State witness Terry Hopkins, he was looking at 5-15 years in prison, but because of his lies, he only did 9 months simply because of a deal manufactured by counsel, police and prosecutors. Where is the justice in that?
It is now a known fact, you do commit a crime, all you have to do is make up some lies about a case and go to the prosecutors and let them know you are willing to lie for a deal. The actions of people like this cause and affect innocent people like me and many others across the nation. Do not think this could not happen to you, because it can. It is time to stand up and say no to this type of actions. Express your views to people who can change it and make a difference.
