OKC Vice Outed as Incompetent and Former D.A. Lane Proved to be a Liar - FOX25 EXCLUSIVE

5/4/07 -- OKC, OK - As previously reported, jurors who unanimously acquitted local attorney Mike Gassaway said they did so because it was obvious Gassaway had been setup by members of the Oklahoma City Vice Unit. As published in the Daily Oklahoman... "There was little debate Tuesday as an Oklahoma County jury decided attorney Mike Gassaway was not guilty of soliciting sex from a client. 'It was an easy decision,' juror Roxy Hakin said after the three-man, three-woman panel deliberated for about half an hour. Hakin, 26, said jurors were swayed by defense attorney Scott Adams' argument that the 56-year-old Oklahoma City attorney was set up by police." A the center of the prosecution's case were two taped recordings, secretly made by confidential informant Christina Davidson. The police, prosecutors and former Oklahoma County District Attorney Wes Lane proclaimed to the public that those recordings would be Gassaway's undoing. In reality, it was those very recordings that proved Gassaway's allegation that he had been targeted and setup by a vindictive and incompetent OKC Vice Unit and former D.A. Lane. The reason? Gassaway is often critical of city leaders and has taken legal action against the city and police in the past. To add insult to injury, Vice's own confidential informant and witness for the prosecution (Davidson) had secretly double-crossed vice and was wearing her own wire when she met with them. Police allegedly call Gassaway a "scum bag," "a bad lawyer," and even "Satan." Oklahoma City Vice officers go so far as to tell Davidson she would be their "hero if she helped get Gassaway." And who are the Vice officers at the center of this case of incompetence? Officers Jason Hodges and Christopher (Chris) Swanson. Officers can even been heard to ask Davidson, "Did you get sassy with him [Gassaway]?" As FOX25 News pointed out in their recent exclusive follow-up story, when Gassaway was arrested, then Oklahoma County District Attorney Wes Lane blatantly told several lies to the public. Lane's lies were an attempt to gain public support while serving to embarrass Gassaway and deprive him of a fair trial. Former D.A. Lane, who calls himself the 'Minister of Justice,' began spinning his lies from the day of Gassaway's arrest. In a statement released to the media, Lane made several assertions. "This female [Davidson] had originally been arrested by another law enforcement agency on a routine traffic stop at which time drug paraphernalia was found in her car." In reality, Davidson was not "stopped" at all. OHP responded to a citizen call of a woman passed out behind the wheel of her car that was on the side of the highway. More importantly, Davidson had much more on her than simple "drug paraphernalia." Davidson admitted to police she had recently done drugs and was in possession of cocaine and meth. Furthermore, Davidson was not even "arrested," as stated by Lane. Though Davidson could have been charged with numerous felony crimes, she was driven home and tucked into bed by police after she agreed to help them setup Gassaway. "Without any promises made to her..." Again, Lane refuses to let the facts get in the way of a good story to the public. In reality, Davidson testified that she was promised she would not face any charges for driving high, and being in the possession of drugs if she helped police. Additionally, Davidson testified that OKC Vice told her they would take care of her boyfriends latest felony DUI charge. "Finally, on the night of his arrest, Mr. Gassaway and his attorney, Scott Adams, claimed that Gassaway was nothing other than the innocent victim of my office and the Oklahoma City Police Department." Seems those assertions by Gassaway and Adams were justified by the jurors acquittal and subsequent comments to the media. "In response to Mr. Gassaway and his lawyer's claim that the only guilty people in this matter work for me and the police, I'll just say this - This entire matter was recorded and real men don't make excuses and they don't blame other people for their own moral failures. I would encourage Mr. Adams and Mr. Gassaway to stop blaming other people and start excepting some responsibility." JohnTV.com's only response to this arrogant statement by the "Minister of Justice" is that we encourage Lane to "start accepting responsibility" and admit to what was so painfully obvious to the jurors and citizens of Oklahoma County - the same citizens that saw through your B.S. and voted you out of office last year - you are an evil, self-absorbed man and a hypocrite to your faith you wear so pompously on your sleeve. The Gassaway case is a blatant example of how Oklahoma City Vice, with the full knowledge and encouragement of the D.A.'s office, are willing and able to use their trusted position in society to enforce their will over enforcing the law. Read more about Oklahoma City Vice in our ongoing investigative article "the seedy side of vice." You can also watch another example of Vice's willingness to lie and deceive the public by clicking here.

Mike Gassaway 'Not Guilty!' - Jury Sends Message to Vice and Prosecution

4/11/07 -- OKC, OK - High profile and often controversial local defense attorney Mike Gassaway was found not guilty yesterday evening by a jury in Oklahoma County. Jury swayed by evidence of a set-up by Oklahoma City vice. Readers will recall that Gassaway was charged March 7, 2006 with the misdemeanor crime of soliciting prostitution from the girlfriend of a client in exchange for a reduction in legal fees. From the onset we here at JohnTV.com have stood firm that Gassaway was the victim of overzealous vice detectives and then Oklahoma County District Attorney Wes Lane. JohnTV.com was in the courtroom every minute as the evidence and arguments were presented by the prosecution and defense. Prosecutor Sandra Elliot asserted that Gassaway was guilty of soliciting prostitution when he agreed to exchange $300 in legal services for oral sex from the girlfriend of a client. Elliot proclaimed that two audio taped conversations between Gassaway and the female police informant would clearly prove Gassaway's guilty. The defense argued the tapes told a completely different story and proved Gassaway was targeted by Oklahoma City vice. Gassaway's attorney, Scott Adams (or as we like to call him 'Super-Fly Adams') admitted to the jury that his client may have done some immoral, unprofessional and disgusting things, but they did not rise to the level of being criminal. Only three witnesses were called to testify and their testimony is summarized as follows; Christina Davidson: Davidson testified that she had hired Gassaway to defend her boyfriend (Luther Blankenship) on his fourth felony DUI. Davidson testified that Gassaway had never acted inappropriate to her until the police became involved and she solicited him. Davidson testified that after hiring Gassaway she was detained by OHP and found to be in possession of cocaine, meth and drug paraphernalia. She told the police she had heard a rumor from a friend (Marquette) that Gassaway would trade sex for legal services. Police and prosecutors elected to not pursue felony drug charges against Davidson if she would aid them in getting Gassaway arrested for a single misdemeanor. Davidson also revealed that she did not trust the police and that she in fact secretly audio taped them when she met with them. That tape allegedly showed that the police and vice officers had a bias against Gassaway and had referred to him as a "scum bag, the anti-Christ, and a bad lawyer." Police allegedly went so far as to tell Davidson she would be their "hero" if she could help them get Gassaway. Davidson testified that she actually made the offer to Gassaway to trade sex for legal services and not the other way around. Jason Hodges: Hodges was a vice officer at the time of Gassaway's arrest. Hodges testified to assisting in the arrest of Gassaway. It was during Hodges's testimony that the jury (and vice) learned Davidson had made her own audio recording of the police. Once the possibility of an audio recording was made apparent, Hodges's memory suddenly went out the window and he kept passing the buck to another officer, Chris Swanson. Christopher "Chris" Swanson: Swanson, another vice officer, probably made the biggest negative impact for the prosecution. Swanson refused to admit to anything that would even slightly cast a negative light on his investigation and arrest of Gassaway. So much so that he appeared to be lying. When Adams simply asked Swanson to acknowledge that when Davidson asked Gassaway if she could be on the "Marquette Plan" that, that meant blow jobs for legal services. Swanson actually played it off as if he had no idea what that meant and that for all he knew, Gassaway wanted her to clean his office and not sex. The jury however was unimpressed and visibly shook their heads at Swanson's refusal to be truthful. Despite a very impassioned prosecution by ADA Sandra Elliot, it is JohnTV.com's opinion that the jury could not look past the obvious bias of police and their willingness to enforce their will over enforcing the law. The jury deliberated only 30 minutes before returning a not guilty verdict. As a side note, it was refreshing to see current Oklahoma County District Attorney David Prater to go over and shake the hands of the defense team and Gassaway himself. (return to JohnTV.com)

D.A. Lane Press Release Regarding Gassaway Arrest

Date: March 7, 2006 Media statement from Oklahoma County District Attorney Wes Lane regarding the Mike Gassaway arrest. Approximately one week ago the Oklahoma City Vice unit was directed to a female who said she knew Mike Gassaway would trade out his legal services in return for sex with female clients. This female had originally been arrested by another law enforcement agency on a routine traffic stop at which time drug paraphernalia was found in her car. Otherwise this person had no prior criminal record on her. Without any promises made to her she made known the name of a prostitute to the Vice Unit who she claimed to have had this sexual arrangement with Gassaway in the past. She also advised police that her boyfriend had already hired Gassaway to represent him in a felony DUI case and that she had been bringing cash payments to Gassaway's office on her boyfriend's legal fee's which was of course perfectly legal. She offered to approach Gassaway to see if he would be interested in making a trade of sex for legal services. The Vice Unit put a body microphone on her and she then met with Gassaway last Wednesday at which time she represented to him that her and her boyfriend had no more money and that she would like to make a trade with him as her female friend had. She then named the friend and Gassaway expressed his willingness to do that and told her to come back the next afternoon to as he put it "working that program." The next afternoon, the female informant, with a microphone returned, at which time Gassaway invited her into his office, locked the door and they then negotiated in the amount of three hundred dollars being credited to her boyfriend's account for every time she preformed oral sex on Gassaway. Gassaway ultimately pulled his pants down, and about that time the police began pounding at the door. The police having been monitoring the phone or the conversation, Gassaway opened the door and was videotaped with his belt undone and his shirt hanging out his fly. He was then placed under arrest. Today I am filling charges on John Michael Gasaway for the misdemeanor crime of offering to engage in an act of prostitution. This crime carries as a penalty of up to one year in a county jail, and or a fine up to $25 hundred dollars. Under the law, offering to engage essentially means someone else has offered someone else money in exchange for a sex act. The public should also know that allegations of this kind are not only criminal in nature but violation of ethical rules governing the conduct of lawyers in our profession. The Oklahoma Supreme Court makes these rules and the lawyers working full time for the bar association enforcing those laws. The public should know that over 90 percent of practicing lawyers have never had a complaint made against them. Since his arrest, there have been several women who have called both the police and the bar association concerning Mr. Gassaway. If you have information concerning these or similar allegations against Mr. Gassaway, we would ask that you call Crime stoppers at 235-7300 and an officer will discuss this with you. Finally, on the night of his arrest, Mr. Gassaway and his attorney, Scott Adams, claimed that Gassaway was nothing other than the innocent victim of my office and the Oklahoma City Police Department. They claimed that the reason he got arrested was because, "we continue to come after him." They also accused that our 130 pound female informant forcibly unbuckled Gassaway's belt all against his will. In response to Mr. Gassaway and his lawyer's claim that the only guilty people in this matter work for me and the police, I'll just say this - This entire matter was recorded and real men don't make excuses and they don't blame other people for their own moral failures. I would encourage Mr. Adams and Mr. Gassaway to stop blaming other people and start excepting some responsibility."