For the past year the Daily has been following and covering the illegal detaining, arrest, indictment and now conviction of Othal Wallace a young Black man who was wrongfully stopped while attempting to walk into his own home has been convicted of 2^nd degree manslaughter.

Although 2^nd manslaughter in Florida typically carries 15 years, circuit Judge Raul Zambrano through his own discretion handed down a 30-year sentence, a sentencing that experts note not only to be highly unusual for the charge but incredibly harsh considering that Mr. Wallace wasn’t convicted of first degree murder or any of the enhanced charge of harming law enforcement personnel, which begs to question– why or what legal justification did Zambrano use in determining this sentence?

Florida is known for its racist prosecutors, judges, and law enforcement, and this case appears to reflect that reality. Even the prosecution in this case, being the seventh judicial circuit state attorney R.J. Larizza who’s office has been mired in corruption for years, wasn’t as outrageous as the often vitriolic Judge Zambrano.

Just a decade ago in a city located less than 50 miles from where Othal Wallace was accosted, Florida native George Zimmerman was acquitted when shooting an unarmed Black child despite being nowhere near his home.

Now in a scenario far more egregious than that of a 15-year-old with skittles walking, Othal Wallace has been convicted for defending his life from an off-duty officer whose own superiors didn’t even know why he was there or attempting to stop Wallace.

Unlike Zimmerman Wallace was attempting to obey the law, while the officer in question had no legal basis for stopping him, initiated consensual contact, proceeded to detain Mr. Wallace despite giving no official reasoning making the entire arrest illegal and even tried to draw his gun despite not having a proportional threat. Additionally, the officer in question refused to call for back-up during the scenario as if he was trying to conceal his own potential wrongdoing(s) against Mr. Wallace.

Additionally, Wallace’s attorney Gary Wood a 25-year veteran in the legal field, correctly noted that the jury was instructed that acquitting on the grounds of self-defense was not an option making this whole trial unfair and fragrantly illegal.

At most Wallace should have been charged with disorderly conduct for hampering an investigation even though it would appear that the investigation was non-existent since the officer in question detained Mr. Wallace without reason or provocation.

Despite the jury deliberating for nearly 12 hours and the special circumstances of the case being considered the prosecution was allowed by Judge Zambrano use of evidence such as body cam footage from a deputy who responded to the scene since it would clearly be a violation of the Confrontation Clause, (supreme court decision Crawford v. Washington. 2004), and any request to show evidence that would have called Officer Jason Raynor’s past actions or character into question was always denied while Judge Zamrbrano continually allowed the prosecution to reference YouTube comments and Facebook post from Mr. Walace during the 2020 protest that showed he was against police brutality.

Additionally, upon an audit of Officer Raynors body camera, investigators found he had turned his body camera off not only prior to the altercation with Mr. Wallace but 3 other times during the course of the night. A practice that is not based on any type of regulation whatsoever.

Lastly the Judge in question, Raul Zambrosa has a history of questionable rulings against Black men in particular and seemingly all people in general considering he’s known for be erratic on the bench. Zambrosa regularly alluded to Wallace having drugs for some reason despite the prosecution admitting that the claim had no basis. Zambrosa is also a Panamanian-born immigrant. To top it off, Zambrosa is an open supporter of the local law enforcement even having receiving donations from the Florida Police Benevolent Association which is a union for law enforcement personnel.

Completing this suspicious debacle, in predictable fashion, following the sentencing Judge Zambrosa quietly retired with his pension intact, almost in an exact similar fashion to the now infamous Kyle Rittenhouse presiding Judge Bruce Schroeder whom also disregarded multitudes of laws in his own high profile case, and promptly retired in the middle of his term following his handing down an illegal acquittal, or Judges like Regina Chu who was forced to leave her place of residence following threats from locals after her unusual sentencing of the murderer Kim Potter.

It would appear that we now have exposed the pattern in real time.

First step, a false accusation is made against a Black person, then ridiculous charges are placed on them, then a questionable indictment comes where the public always find out months later that the jury was instructed to do side with the state in most circumstances (such as Florida prosecutors and Judge Zambrosa stating for the record that no possibility of acquittal could be provided for Mr. Wallace despite clear violations of the 4^th and 6^th amendment), next the trial must be moved to a majority white area, and finally if the jury refuses to hand down a ridiculous conviction, the judge themselves will step in and risk their own tenure and license to protect the anti-Black racist. That Judge then fears prosecution of themselves, so they quickly retire and leave the city.

Mr. Wallace’s conviction must be overturned upon appeal and sent to a judge with respect for the law. Gary Wood is slated to start the appeals process but will need help from Florida legal professionals who still have an ounce of moral decency in their spirits and still value the title of esquire.

–Barrington Williams, B1Daily