Oklahoma
False Prosecution
Corrupt Cop(s), and Lying Witnesses
By
Ron Lee
Investigative Reporter
Editor's
Note: It seems as though Oklahoma City District Attorney Wes Lane likes
to pursue cases that are illegitimate, false and therefore severely
damaging to the recipient. Luckily Wes Lane will no longer be in office
as of January '07 and it is the US~Observer's expectation that new DA
David Prater will look at the facts in this case, search all the evidence
and then do what is right and file criminal charges against the police
officers involved in this obvious attempt to railroad an innocent man,
but until then, Tom Barton stands falsely accused of a serious crime.
![](images/barton-pic2.jpg)
The Barton family
Bethany,
OK - "I can't believe this. It makes me so mad that anyone
can get away with this," Barton says about his current situation
which is inconceivable, unless of course you were using his story as
a screenplay for a movie. "I just want to see my children and they
want to see me. They mean the world to me," he went on to say,
disregarding the false charges he personally faces and more concerned
for the welfare of his family, which has been torn apart by reportedly
admitted false allegations against Barton of indecent and lewd behavior.
These degrading and baseless charges were brought on by two girls who
frequently played with Barton's children. Because they weren't acting
appropriately Barton asked the girls to not come back and to not play
with his children any longer. According to witnesses the girls wanted
to get back at Barton so they created this story claiming that Barton
exposed himself through the window of his house to them while they were
in the yard playing with other children. In light of the reported threats
the girls made against Barton for excommunicating them and in light
of the fact that they were with 6-10 other children as well, any prudent
person must conclude that the two are simply lying. Even the grandmother
of one of the girls says to fellow community members that she doesn't
believe the allegations against Barton. The girls are reportedly known
in the community to be the troublemakers, stealing a car and store merchandise,
lying, and acting absolutely inappropriately. Hence, the reason Barton
wanted his children to remain free of their influence. Barton's anger,
however, isn't exactly focused on the girls who have made the allegations
but rather the Bethany police department who he says is seeking to destroy
him and keep these false allegations alive for their own self-seeking
end - regarding one officer in particular, Robert Lassiter.
According
to PI - edited video originally showed cop with woman bent over hood
Robert
Lassiter was the initial reporting officer in the Barton case and will
be one of the state's primary witnesses but evidence gathered by our
own investigation, an investigation by a private investigator hired
by Barton and a report by Oklahoma City's own Fox 25, Robert Lassiter
has a great deal to gain if Tom Barton were to go away ... Barton's
wife April. It has been noted by family friends and church goers that
Lassiter and Mrs. Barton have been spending time with one another -
even prior to these allegations having been filed against Barton. According
to one investigator working on this case, at one point on August 3,
2006, at approximately 10:45 p.m. officer Lassiter had Mrs. Barton bent
over the hood of her SUV as he approached down the secluded dirt road
where the investigator had trailed her. With his video camera rolling
the entire time the investigator captured her vehicle on film, the "situation"
he had caught them in, and the ensuing confrontation with Lassiter who
arrested the private investigator for "interfering with an officer."
Lassiter then went on to confiscate the investigator's camera which
was eventually returned to the investigator but with missing segments
of footage as reported by Fox 25.
The
private investigator's attorney Mike Gassaway who is representing the
PI in a false arrest case against Bethany police department stated on
Fox news, "The tape has been obviously altered while in the possession
of the Bethany police department."
According
to the Fox report, at one point the time on the tape jumped from 10:44:55
to 10:45:11 and then another segment seemingly taken out was where the
tape jumped from 10:51:34 to 10:53:34. However, when asked by Fox 25,
the police chief adamantly denied allegations that his officers or any
officer in his department would have edited the tape. But with the Fox
news investigation citing an officer Justice having accessed the evidence
room a total of seven times in one hour and a reported recent admission
by April Barton during a witnessed telephone conversation stating that
they did in fact edit the tape, it seems as if the chief of police might
not know all of the facts or is seriously covering for his officers.
Cops
protecting cops
With the potential of a department wide cover-up, it is fast becoming
transparent that Lassiter hasn't been the only one culpable in this
situation. Along with the possible involvement of officer Justice mishandling
evidence, Lassiter's old buddy J. R. Jencks took over the initial investigation
of Barton and Jencks has reportedly been seen over at one of the accusing
girl's home telling her not to back out of the charges and to, "stay
the course." Jencks also went on to take a statement by the youngest
Barton son. According to Jencks the boy said his father touched him.
However, the 4 year old has not since said this to anyone else and even
stated just the opposite leading the US~Observer to believe that this
story was a fabrication created to further implicate Barton in wrong
doing. Even Oklahoma City's DHS's report says that none of the Barton
children have said that their father ever acted inappropriately, but
for some reason DHS still has Jencks' statement listed as having been
said, even though it is just one man's word against the entire family.
On
the condition of anonymity one young man, who had been with the accusing
girls and overheard them say that they wanted to get back at Barton
and how they intended to do it, wrote an affidavit to what he had witnessed.
However, when finding out about the affidavit officer Jencks went to
the young man's place of employment and arrested him. Jencks took the
young man in and suggested that if he were to change his story, the
charges of tampering with a state's witness would disappear. Frightened
by Jencks' threats, he decided to say exactly what Jencks told him and
he filled out a provided affidavit form saying that his previous statements
were false. But, when interviewed by the US~Observer he adamantly voiced
that officer Jencks scared him into filling out the second affidavit
and that he will testify to such when the time comes.
Overwhelming
witnesses to the opposite
The
Barton house has been the center for many children to come and play.
With five of their own children and on any given day an additional 2-6
playing in their yard there has been an incredible outpouring of support
for Barton. "If he were to have done what (they) say he did, we'd
all have seen it," one of the Barton's children's friends stated.
One witness for the state has even said she has told the investigating
agencies time and again she had never seen anything, and personally
doesn't believe the allegations against Barton. Yet, she is still being
required to attend any possible hearings as a state's witness disrupting
her and her family's life. With many others who have spent far more
time with Barton and his family, than the two accusing girls, coming
forward in his support, and more saying that the girls aren't trustworthy,
or are flat-out liars it becomes increasingly difficult to find any
just cause as to why the charges against Barton are being pursued other
than the connection between officer Lassiter and Barton's wife and his
involvement in the case.
False
charges? Without any doubt
There
have also been multiple witness statements made that one of the accusing
girls was wanting to change her story but that her mother, who was on
speaker phone on the girl's cell phone at the time, told her that if
she changed her story now they'd all get into trouble. Not to mention
this same girl sent one of the Barton daughters a letter asking for
her forgiveness and that her mom had made her do it, saying in the letter,
"I love you so much ok. I want you to know that because I know
you hate me. It wasn't my fault my mom threatened me so ... I had to.
You know I love you ... + your dad + mom ... I love your whole family
ok." The other accusing girl is the one witnessed in a conversation
with officer Jencks who was telling her to continue with her story and
there have been multiple witnesses to this accuser saying she would
be dropping her charges against Barton.
State's
witness previously denied allegations
In
a surprising move away from the months of letter writing and statements
made in regard to her husbands innocence, April Barton will now be a
state witness. Okay, maybe it's not so surprising seeing as though she
reportedly has stated that she wants to move in with officer Lassiter
and be a family. Taken from an application gathered as part of the investigation
April Barton has also taken money from Tom Barton, something she herself
has described as "stealing" when she recently applied for
a position at the Bethany Police Department. From apparent adultery
to theft, evidence tampering to lying, evidently, April Barton doesn't
see anything wrong with what she has done and is doing or has allegedly
been involved with. It's amazing that all of this is occurring right
in the middle of America's Bible Belt.
Family lost
Due to Barton's charges, his five children have been taken away and
he is not allowed any kind of visitation. As a matter of fact he was
recently arrested for giving gifts to his children through a third party,
which according to Barton's attorney is just absurd. Even Tom Barton's
parents are being kept from the children.
The
children still remain outspoken in support of their father to their
friends and at least want to be back with their Grandparents until this
has all been cleared up. One thing they are clear on is their disdain
and mistrust of officer Lassiter.
While
April Barton might be finding whatever it is she needs (like being on
the hood of a car late at night on a dead end road?) in officer Lassiter,
it's unfortunate that she would put her children and their wishes behind
her own selfish desires.
It
is clear that Tom Barton wants the best for his children. He even wants
the best for April. But right now he just wants to be vindicated of
these baseless accusations so he can get back to being a good father.
Go
with the evidence
With
all of the evidence gathered in this case it is obvious there is at
least a potential cover-up underway within the Bethany police department.
At most, a full-blown conspiracy to imprison an innocent man for the
sake of stealing his wife through whatever means they can muster. And
let us not forget the vindictiveness of two adolescent females who were
clearly going astray and then called on the carpet by Tom Barton. The
young gals will soon find that lies can never cover a multitude of sins.
Bad cops and lying witnesses? You be the judge.