PRELIMINARY HEARING

On June 1, 1982, I was taken to City Hall for the first time for a preliminary hearing. I was taken to a dirty, sweaty, and smoky holding cell. I went before Judge Charles J. Margiotti, Jr. Once I entered the court room. I saw my family; we spoke as much as we could and they sent their love, assuring me everything would be alright. I wanted to assure them things would be alright, also. The Laws family was in the court room as well, a few rows behind me. Chester Laws, Sr. would gaze at the back of my head in a menacing way. I will quote Marguerita Del from the Philadelphia Enquire date June 13, 1982, “Tiger Laws sat several rows away, his eyes boring into the back of Woods’ skull like laser beams”.

The Judge only wanted to review the evidence and hear the witness to see if this case could be held for trial. The only evidence was the Commonwealth’s alleged witness, Homer Lane, who stated that he watched me jump from some bushes and that I was three (3) or four (4) feet behind Laws, Jr., when I shot him in the head.

The District Attorney was Guy Sciolla who later became one of the best trial lawyers in Philly. Now, he was against me and he asked Lane why he had not told police what he knew until several days had passed. Lane answered, “I didn’t want to get involved”. He told Laws father, he would testify after he had been shot at by the defendant and by one of the defendant’s companion, Michael Jones. Lane said he went to the police the next day, after he had started taking matters in his own hand, by going to get his gun and shoot at those whom shot at him. Now his alleged reasoning for me shooting at him was because I saw him see me when he alleged I shot Laws, Jr.

Ronald Morrison asked Homer Lane some questions such as “They shot at you and you were going to shoot at them,” and Lane confirmed this. I did not understand this line of questioning because I told Ronald Morrison I had nothing to do with this case. Ronald Morrison would go on to tell the Judge and D.A. that he would produce thirty (30) to fifty (50) alibi witnesses. At the preliminary hearing, Ronald Morrison argued that a reasonable bail be set so that his client could be free while he awaited trial. But Sciolla opposed it, saying that Woods had been arrested and judged delinquent numerous times as a juvenile on charges ranging from theft to robbery to possession of a weapon. Sciolla said Woods had outstanding charges against him as an adult - one related to burglary and the other to drugs. Judge Charles J. Margiotti, Jr., ruled that I remain locked up and scheduled a formal arraignment for June 12, 1982.

This hearing was a disaster and I was off back to jail, not realizing I just witnessed the first sell out by my trial lawyer who did no research on any police reports, or even tried to interview Homer Lane or his mother prior to this hearing. I had a level of trust for this lawyer considering my uncle knew him. However, I was also very ignorant to the law, and now, I look back and see just how much. I was more confused going back to the Philadelphia Detention Center than when I left to go to court.

Sometime in August or September 1982, Ronald Morrison brought Adam Green to another hearing before Judge Ribner stating that he will testify at trial, that Homer Lane was with him at Fawn Street in North Philadelphia at the time of the shooting of Chester Laws, Jr. This also was where Judge Sabo was picked as our trial judge. How, I don’t know. Everyone knew he was a hanging judge except me, but I came to know later. Mike said Lisa Rochette was listed as a judge this day but the lawyers went passed her. Judge Sabo set the trial date for sometime in November, 1982.

I heard very little from my lawyer in the next few months and when I called his office, he was either not in, or off to another client's trial or hearing. It was always something. The few times I did catch him he was spinning me every time he spoke with me. We had no clear cut strategy for the trial. Unfortunately for me, I found out way too late that my attorney, Ronald Morrison, had some legal and ethical problems before, during, and after he represented me. The Pennsylvania Disciplinary Board knew about this corrupt lawyer who often represented people below the necessary standards. They knew he was practicing law while being an alcoholic.

Here are some trial strategies that Ronald Morrison had in mind before trial: 1) To prove Homer Lane never witnesses any shooting on Felton Street on May 16, 1982; 2) Adam Green would attest that he was with him on Fawn Street at the time of the shooting of Chester Laws, Jr.; 3) He would produce 30 to 50 alibi witnesses according to what he said at the preliminary hearing, when in reality, I only knew of three, plus Teech Burton, whom Morrison refused to call as a witness; and 4) He was going to impeach Homer Lane on his criminal record and the deal he made with the D.A.

Ronald Morrison sold me out with his confusion and un-preparedness! A good lawyer always does research on his/her cases and is prepared based on the evidence beforehand. Investigation is 75% of the case. A combination of good investigation techniques and good legal advice would put anyone in a better position to defend themselves against the Commonwealth who hired trained minds to manipulate the facts to fit their scenario of events, especially when their case is based solely on circumstantial evidence.

Maybe a week before trial, Ronald Morrison came up with something confusing to me. He was going to cross examine Lane on his statement of May 16, 1982. The one (out of several) he (Lane) made (little did I know at the time). Homer Lane said his mother woke him only after she heard people knocking on doors and saw Chester, Laws, Jr. lying in the street. However, Adam Green stated that Homer Lane was with him in North Philly at Fawn Street, the residence of Ada Green (Adam Greens’ sister). Ronald Morrison never gave me all the statements, if he had them and he told me he was going to secure Adam Green for trial, and my brother would help him, (never happened, which hindered my case tremendously). Ronald Morrison never sincerely reviewed Homer Lane’s police reports, if he had them. I surely never had them. These reports along with Brian Ellison and Omar Ancrum statements, which were never mention at trial would have vindicated me and would have revealed Homer Lane for the liar he is. It was only by the grace of Allah that I came across these statements a decade and a half later when I was reviewing the transcript amd information my co-defendant, Michael Jones, lawyer provided to him. These statements were not valid in Jones case; therefore, they were never mention at trial. If Michael Jones’s lawyer had these statements, why didn’t my lawyer have these statements or use them; if he had them? A MISCARRIAGE OF JUSTICE DUE TO IMCOMPETENCE AND NEGLIGENCE ON MY TRIAL ATTORNEY’S BEHALF!

DEFENSE ALIBI

I was at Stacey’s bar up to about 2:00 am, along with my brother and other friends. I left with my brother and Donna Gatewood. We went to the Paradise Club at 48th and Master Streets. We must of have gotten there by 2:15 or 2:20 am. While we wee there, we met up with two other females named Kendra Brown and Dawn Peters. This particular night was Kendra Brown’s birthday, and we all partied until roughly 3:00 am. This is when my brother, Donna Gatewood, and I left.

I called both ladies as well as Donna Gatewood as witnesses. I testified that on the night Homer Lane alleged that my co-defendant, Michael Jones, and I shot at him, I was with my son’s mother (unborn at that time) at my house.

At the Paradise Club there was a sign in book that the bouncer and a lady named Teech Burton provided every patron to sign in, and I told my lawyer to get Teech Burton as a witness and to get the sign-in book as evidence. Teech Burton could also tell of my presence at the club that night and the time I came in. Ronald Morrison thought this would be cumulative and never called her. However, after my lawyer went down to the club to confirm my presence in this club along with my signature in the book. My lawyer never had the book confiscated as evidence. I don’t know how the investigating detectives for the D.A. knew about this book; they went to the club and reviewed the book and after that the book came up missing (Did my trial lawyer tip Laws, Sr. or the DA as to my presence at the club?).

COMMONWEALTH EVIDENCE

Homer Lane was the only evidence the Commonwealth had to offer which was anemic. He provided contradictory and fabricated testimony. Then, the Commonwealth relied on circumstantial evidence such as my history with Laws, Jr. There was no other link to me in this case; and the D.A. knew he was rolling the dice with the odds totally against him. Little did I know, he had my defense lawyer on his team as well, by incompetence and good old sell out!

Homer Lane came to trial to testify that I shot at him because I knew he (Lane) witnessed me shoot Chester Laws, Jr., (now keep in mind that this guy did not become a witness to the homicide until he alleged that Michael Jones and I shot at him on Lansdowne and Edgewood Streets on May 18, 1982). He was questioned about if he knew anything about the shooting of Chester Laws, Jr. and he said, NO! It was only after he alleged he got shot at that he went with Chester Laws, Sr. to homicide detective (Gatewood) a friend of Laws, Sr., who was working on the case along with Chester Laws, Sr. Yes! Laws, Sr., was dictating to Detective Gatewood and other detectives on this case as to who was to be charged after Laws, Sr., stated he found a witness (Homer Lane), according to the Philadelphia Daily News, May 21, 1982 (staff writer Robert J. Terry).

Homer Lane alleged that he was shot at 10 to 12 times at about 11:30 pm., on May 18, 1982, by my co-defendant and me. No one ever called the police nor did the detectives even investigate this alleged shooting on Lansdowne and Edgewood Streets. Again the police only got involved with this alleged shooting a day after Lane alleged he was shot at and when Lane and Laws, Sr. went to Detective Gatewood. There is something wrong with this picture. The fix was in and I was the target.

There was no other evidence to link me to the killing of Chester Laws, Jr., or the shooting of Homer Lane. I was too ignorant to understand there was plenty of evidence at that time to vindicate me. I just could not prove at the time Homer Lane was lying although we knew he was a liar.

THE TRIAL

Ronald Morrison represented me before Judge Albert F. Sabo, one of the most notorious racist judges in the system. He has more people on death row than any judge in the United States and the people he have sentenced to life in his years has got to be just as high in statistics compared to other judges sentencing people to life. He had a high turn over rate in the appellate courts due to errors he made or what he allowed the D.A. to get away with during trials. Sabo only legal experience was being a Sheriff in City Hall for about 15 years. Then he decided to run for a judgeship and won.

Going to trial, one of my issues with Ronald Morrison was that he represented Homer Lane on a Rape Case in 1978; and Lane’s mother never paid him in full for that. Because of this, Morrison refused to call her as a witness or even interview her. I knew this lady would be vital because Homer Lane stated she woke him up after she heard something, which takes Homer Lane out of the scene during the homicide in which he claimed he witnessed. I went to trial without this witness and my case was weakened a great deal and I would never hear from this witness again, due to a conflict of interest (Who was Ronald Morrison really working for?).

Ronald Morrison proved to be extremely incompetent. He took me to trial with one defense in mind and that was the statement that Homer Lane and his mother made on May 16, 1982; maybe eight (8) hours after the shooting of Chester Laws, Jr. This would prove to be disastrous because for one: He was not calling Homer Lane’s mother as a witness and Homer could deny this statement, as he tried. He also brought out the fact that Homer Lane had a stolen car case that the D.A. promised him a deal in exchange for his testimony. The same stolen car Homer Lane alleged that Michael and I shot at him in 10 to 12 times, yet no one called police. This should have been incredible to the jury.

I really believe there had to be more this lawyer could have come up with. My ignorance was in full effect to my disadvantage. Ronald Morrison told the jury in his opening remarks that I was innocent and would prove this by presenting alibi witnesses and that one of the witness by the name of Adam Green would get on the stand and tell them that Homer Lane was with him on Fawn Street at the time of the shooting. Morrison reminded the jury that Homer Lane said that his mother woke him later after she heard knocking at the door and saw Chester lying in the street. Morrison had three names as alibi witnesses: Donna Gatewood, Dawn Peters, and Kendra Brown. They would attest to my presence at the Paradise Club. The night of the Shooting was Kendra Brown’s birthday. When she took the stand, she told the D.A. that she remember that night well because it was her birthday. The D.A. asked her sarcastically if she was with him every minute of the night. So when she went back to the room where the other witnesses were waiting to be called. She said to the other young ladies, “This guy wanted to know if I danced with him every record and if I did see him every minute). This was done out of innocence not in a way of coercion. However, there was a detective in the room taking notes; and he reported this to the judge who in turn called Kendra back to question her on this. He gave the jury cautionary instruction regarding the truthfulness of my alibi witness; due to them talking about the testimony.

This was another thing that hindered my defense before the jury. My incompetent lawyer put me on the stand, which was a mistake; prior to that the D.A. could not address the fact that Chester Laws, Jr., and I had a history of violence.

Short review: Chester Laws, Jr. and I fought physically and I broke his jaw. He stalked me and shot me in the back. Once the line of questioning was opened, the D.A. ran with it. He claimed because I was shot that I in turn stalked Chester Laws, Jr. and killed him. Again, this hindered me with the jury because now, I’m looking like a usual suspect, yet no one else was ever investigated and Chester Laws, Jr. had other altercations with other people.

There were other witnesses called to the stand such as Dwight Logan who lived at 1539 N. Felton Street, who heard a shot at approximately 2:10 am. There were medical examines called, forensic specialist called on both sides and others that provided general information. There was one witness named Jodi Washington who the D.A. called to the stand. He was the bounce at the door at the time my brother Allen, Donna Gatewood, and I entered the club. He provided this book to every patron that entered the club and everyone had to sign this book. Jodi told the D.A. he did not remember me coming in that night, but there was a book and Donna Gatewood and Ronald Morrison came to affirm my name in that book.

However, sometime after this some investigating detectives checked on this book at the club; and then the book came up missing. My lawyer would cross examine Jodi Washington, and he stated that if there were 30 days in the month, I would be there 29 nights. However, he just could not remember that night. This case would rise and fall on the testimony of Homer Lane; and after many professional witnesses being called to the stand my faith came down to one person, Homer Lane.

His testimony at trial, please click here.

My Comments

While Mr. Moser (my co-defendant’s attorney) was questioning Homer Lane about the homicide, Ronald Morrison got upset because he did not feel that it was proper for him to do so. I appreciated Mr. Moser’s questioning of Homer Lane. It was Mr. Moser’s limited questioning that was most effective unlike Ronald Morrison’s ineffective cross examination in which he questioned Homer Lane 161 times on weak evidence and weak questions, such as a statement Homer Lane never signed and putting Adam Green with Homer Lane knowing he had never secured Adam Green to be in court. Why Morrison did not just tell Mr. Moser to continue to question Lane? I don’t know! It was Mr. Moser who abstracted the fact that Lane said, he did not know for sure who did the murder. He told the father this the day before. See Transcript: 225

The judge was clearly Pro-Commonwealth, and he abused his discretion when he did not allow my lawyer to re-open cross examination when Homer Lane made the above statement; the truth was not important in this process.

Homer Lane had too many contradictions that clearly stated he was lying. 1. He could not remember exactly when the killing occurred. 2. He could not state what he was doing for seven hours before the killing. 3. He did not remember what the victim was wearing. 4. He claimed he saw the defendant’s clothes in what police had described as a dark area. 5. He claimed to have seen the body on the ground even though others had testified that the body was hidden by park cars. 6. He said the victim was shot from behind even though the medical examiner opined he was shot from the front. 7. Homer Lane made a deal so he would not go to jail on a stolen car case in Florida. 8. Homer Lane alleged he was shot at 8-9 times on a busy intersection at Edgewood Street and Lansdowne Avenue; yet, no one heard this or called the police at approximately 11:30 P.M.

My layer was unprepared, inadequate and just gave me Ineffective Assistance of Counsel!