JAMES M. CAMPBELL

ATTORNEY AT LAW

JAMES M. CAMPBELL

ADMITTED IN FLORIDA,

AND GEORGIA

 

FACSIMILE TRANSMITTAL LETTER

Date:    March 31st 2000

To:      William Kent,Esq.

Re:      McCorkle Appeal


COMMENTS: Enclosed please find copies of the affidavits concerning this case; There is additional information which these individuals uncovered that may be helpful to you, but they could not place it in these affidavits.

These gentlemen have asked that you protect their names, if possible.  However, I have warned them that you will most likely have to disclose their identities eventually.

  

First Affidavit

 

November 22, l999                 Affidavit of Fred Roberts

On January 25th 1999 I interviewed Mark McDaniel who was the jury foreman of William McCorkle federal trial held in Orlando Florida.

Mark McDaniel said that he had wanted to be the foreman from the beginning of the trial and once the trial was over he had asked the other members of the jury to allow him to be the foreman because he wanted to be the one that stood up and announced the jury’s decision.

He mentioned a particular tie that he intended to wear for the occasion; I recall that the tie had the colors red, white and blue.

McDaniel said that the jury convicted McCorkle primarily based on 3 things that they considered.

1.    The jury viewed the McCorkle infomercial in slow motion and they determined that the check McCorkle passed to the recipient was not a McCorkle business check.  McDaniel said that you could read the information on the check and it was not a check from McCorkle.

2.                  McDaniel said that the jury learned that the 2 women filmed in the infomercials were  paid actresses. McDaniel said that the jury knew that the women were paid $25.00 each to be in the infomercial.        McDaniel said that the jury learned that the old couple that appears in the infomercial were actually dubbed into the commercial from another commercial. McDaniel said that one of McCorkle’s employees had operated a similar business and had made commercials advertising the enterprise. McDaniel said that McCorkle edited the employees commercial and incorporated the “old couple" into the infomercial.

3.    McDaniel said that Lou (a bailiff) had told the jury members that one of McCorkle's witnesses was a witness for the defense attorney, Bailey, when Bailey was an attorney in the "son of Sam" case.  McDaniel said that Lou told them that the witness had asked why he was a witness in the McCorkle case because he had never bought into the McCorkle plan. McDaniel said that Lou had told the jury members that he told the witness to keep quiet because he had heard the witness standing in the hallway talking about the McCorkle case.

McDaniel said that Lou had told the jury they would not have any trouble convicting McCorkle if they knew what he knew. McDaniel said that he believed that Lou meant that he had heard information in the case that the jury had not heard.

McDaniel said that the jury was concerned about their personal safety and he said that he believed his motorcycle tires had been cut while he was serving on the jury. He explained that he had found glass in the area where he parked his motorcycle. McDaniel said that he intended to move so that his address would change.

McDaniel said that the jury members were real close and that they had stayed in touch with each other and that they had organized a picnic after the trial to further their relationship.  

Fred Roberts


    Sworn to before me this 19th day of January 2000

Delight R Headley

 

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Second Affidavit

 

AFFIDAVIT OF WILLIAM R. PORTER, SR

State of Florida

 

Your Affinat, William. R. Porter, Sr. is a. licensed Real estate Sales Person currently working for Stirling International Reality at 115 International Parkway, Heathrow, Florida. Your client is also a licensed private Investigator in the state of Florida.

 

On October 22, 1999, I received a telephone call from Mr. Roger Soderstrum of Stirling International Realty. Mr. Soderstrum advised your Affinat that one of the Stirling employees, Elizabeth Taylor, had approached Tansy Soderstrum and advised her she had information in reference to the jury in the William and Shantel McCorkel. Case. Mr. Soderstrum told your Affinat he did not feel comfortable speaking with the employee due to his relationship to the McCorkels.

 

On this date at approximately 9:00 am your Affinat talked to Elizabeth Taylor.  Mrs. Taylor and I are known to each other due to our working relationship. Ms. Taylor advised that she was engaged to Kevin Daniel Hart and was very concerned about the activity that took place during the trial of the McCorkels.

 

Ms. Taylor advised the following information:

 

  1. Prior to Mr. Hart being selected for the jury, Ms. Taylor had informed Kevin Daniel Hart that her mother Mary Taylor had in fact purchased literature from the McCorkels. It was her understanding this would eliminate Kevin from the jury. Kevin had informed her not to tell anyone about it and if she were ever asked to deny this.

 

  1. During the trial Kevin spoke openly to anyone that would listen about the trial and from day one told everyone the McCorkels were guilty and that he would make sure they didn't get away with it.

 

  1. During the trial on numerous occasions Kevin Daniel Hart would call members of the jury, she believes in the Melbourne or, Cocoa area, and discuss the case with them.

 

  1. At least on one occasion Kevin received a call from a juror from the Cocoa area and they discussed the case in detail.

 

  1. Elizabeth, Kevin and several friends would meet at Gators located at the Osteen Bridge. Kevin would talk to friends and patrons about the trial and about how he hated F. Lee Bailey and the guilt of the McCorkels.

 

  1. During the trial Kevin and other jurors would write notes, passing them back and forth making fun of some of the witness in the case.

 

  1. During the deliberations someone in the jury, Elizabeth believed to be a woman, kept saying she did not want to vote guilty. Kevin stated that he and another juror had to coerce her into voting guilty.    

 

 

After the interview with Elizabeth Taylor I felt that I should discontinue the further gathering of facts due to the nature of the allegations.

 

Ms. Taylor stated she had names of numerous friends, relatives and co-workers that Kevin Daniel Hart talked to on a regular basis about the trial. Ms. Taylor would provide this information to anyone if necessary.

 

     FURTHER, AFFIANT SAYETH NAUGHT.

 

William R. Porter, Sr.


SWORN TO, AND SUBSCRIBED before me on this 19th day of January 2000, by William. R. Porter, Sr.

who is personally known to me.

   MIKE  S. SlNGLETARY . NOTARY PUBLIC. State of Florida.