A Fast Choo-Choo - The Railroading Of
Paul William Scott
Written by Bob Pauley
In October 1979 Paul William Scott was sentenced to death in the electric
chair in the state of Florida for the Boca Raton, Florida murder of
James Alessi. Mr. Rick Kondian, who committed the offense, turned
himself in to Palm Beach County, Florida authorities, claiming self defense.
The alteraction occurred in the home of the victim, back in 1978.
In the presence of Paul William Scott, the front door deadbolt had been
locked by Mr. Alessi by key from the inside so Paul Scott had to
Paul W. Scott
make his exit through the rear screening of an enclosed swimming pool.
Scott had aided Kondian briefly as a large (and nude) James Alessi (6'2 235 pound)
was forcing himself onto a much smaller Rick Kondian. Scott left prior
to to Alessi's death.
The murder weapon, Kondian stated, had been an unopened bottle
of Dom Perignon Champagne. Rick Kondian is left-handed, and he had
a 5-stich cut on his left index finger from the wire cap around the
bottle, leaving little doubt as to who actually bludgeoned the
victim ans with what weapon.
A circle of bood was found at the scene and photographed. Mr. Kondian
removed the bottle and tossed it into the nearby woods when
leaving the scene. The victim, a known homosexual, had had previous
sexual encounters with Rick Kondian. Marijuana, suspected to have
been laced with PCP (Or "Angel Dust) was found at the scene. The
victim had become violent as a reaction from the marijuana. Mr.
Kondian was "high" on the same concoction, while Mr. Scott had
declined to partake of the deadly mixture.
Perhaps this was justifiable homicide, perhaps it was manshaughter,
even 2nd. degree murder by Richard Kondian. What it was not is murder
one, and certainly not by Paul William Scott.
In the courtroom, now a year later, things began to change drastically:
1) The prime suspect became Paul Willam Scott, a quiet, docile drifter
from Long Beach, California.
2) The police photograph of a circle of blood was strangely nowhere to be
seen or heard from.
3) A "bear" statue, with spattered bood on it (most everything in
the room had blood spattered on it) became "the murder weapon".
This weapon was wielded by a left-handed person and only Paul Scott
is left-handed, avowed the prosecutor (erroneously on both counts).
4) Mr. Kondian's confession had strangely become a denial of sorts,
leaving the jurors to believe Scott was the guilty person.
5) Mr. Kondian, whose family had considerable wealth, retained noted
criminal attorney David Roth for his defense. Roth's strategy,
according to Kondian (speaking to other inmates), was to shift the
blame in the direction of Paul William Scott.
6) Scott, having barely the shirt on his back, was unable to defend
himself, he therefore received a court-appointed attorney named George
Barrs. Barrs has been variously described as alcoholic, incompetent,
undercompensated, and ineffective, "detrimental to the defense of
Paul William Scott", would certainly be an apt description.
7) The State had obtained one gentleman of questionable charachter
named Vince Soutullo as a witness, whose sworn statement reveals:
"He (the Boca Raton detective) told me what to say. I just said what
the state and police wanted me to say."
8) During the trial of Paul William Sott, Mr. Barrs made no apparent attempt
to research the case. To determine Kondian's admitted guilt, or to locate
the actual murder weapon.
9) Mr. Barrs told Scott to "Keep your mouth shut, boy", and he kept
his own mouth closed during the trial.
10) In what turned out to be worse, far worse, than having no fefense at all, George
Barrs left the jury with the impression that he felt his own client was
"as guilty as sin".
Since this "Kangaroo" court, as it certainly was, transpired Mr. Paul
Wimmiam Scott has waited patently in Raiford, Florida for appeal after
appeal after alleal. He has had several attorneys since George Barrs
who began to piece the true story together. Mild-mannered Scott has endured 18 years
of "pure hell" on Florida's death row while the wheels of justice slowly
turned.
Rick Kondan got his case "plea bargained" down to a 2nd degree murder
sentence of 15 years which he served and was released into society. That was in 1994.
And still Paul Scott waits in his tiny cell. No one has been there longer than
Scott, and the wheels of justice continue to turn.
Upon being informed of these irrefutable truths, mine of Scott's former
jurors have expressed shock and dismay in being misled, lied to and tricked into coming
forward with a guilty verdict and a death sentence. Eight of these
have, in fact, signed statements to that effect and voiced their
regret in possibly sending an innocent man, even yet, to his death.
For reasons hard to imagine, other than the embarassment of the blunders
they undeniably made, the circle of attorneys, judges and lawmakers
of the State of Florida continue to press for the death of Paul
William Scott. And they will not be content, it appears, until that high-voltage
electric chair has taken the final beat from Paul William Scott's brave heart.
According to a law case: Herrara v. Collins, of 1993, "History is
reaplete with examples of wrongfully convicted persons who have been pardoned in the
wake of after-discovered evidence establishing their innocence.
Isn't it time to say enough, Florida? In the name of justice, set this
man free.
Please don't say "No" until you know the true story of Paul William Scott -
ti's been a logn time coming - and it refutes so much that you may still believe
to be the truth.
And if you should send this innocent man ti his death in that chair,
concerned counsel, not one of you is one-half the man
that occupies that death row cell in Raiford, Florida, tonight.
And may God have mercy upon you souls.
Respectfully submitted by:
Bob Pauley
Post Office Box 685
Palm Beach, Florida 33480