February 12, 2020
The Pittsburgh mentality reflects the city as a whole, simple but tough. We work hard for everything we get or as I've heard someone say, "We make steel, not excuses." We don't tolerate bums and we despise cheaters. But as Tom Brady collected his sixth ring I found myself wondering why the Patriot way worked so well. Then it hit me—Steeler country had been infiltrated. The Allegheny County District Attorney's Office has followed the Patriot way for decades...Win at any cost.
Recently, the confessed murderer of 15 month old Marcus White was employed as a player for District Attorney Stephen Zappala's team. Zappala did not charge the "unnamed witness" because he was an integral part in securing victories. For those who don't understand the magnitude of this, imagine if former Patriot tight end Aaron Hernandez was permitted to play for the Patriots amid the allegations of murder lodged against him. Steeler country would have lost all faith in the league. So why does Pittsburgh have faith in Zappala?
True, hardworking Pittsburghers cannot fathom cheating. Our city was overcome with a combination of outrage and confusion upon learning that baby Marcus's killer was free due to his being a witness in the Wilkinsburg mass shooting trial. Someone asked, "It seemed like a sure win, why would they cheat?"
Why did the Patriots record the Cincinnati Bengal's practice? The Bengals were terrible, A.J. Green was injured, and it seemed like a "sure win." Zappala has become accustomed to wining at all costs. Consider this, if the District Attorney's Office is the Patriots' franchise, then Pittsburgh's defense attorneys can easily assume the role of the remainder of the AFC East. They have either, consistently rolled over, were intimidated, failed to develop offenses, or have simply been cheated themselves. As a result, New England has received a free six-pack of wins each season end route to a number one seed.
In the 90s Pittsburgh Police Detective Dennis Logan earned his reputation from a seemingly hard work ethic. He had won the adulation of the city's criminal justice community and in October of 2000, The Pittsburgh Post Gazette published a glowing article about the detective, entitled, "The Confessor." The article highlighted Logan's uncanny ability to solicit confessions from criminal suspects.
In the streets of Pittsburgh, however, Logan's name rang a different bell. He was associated with corruption and brutality. Logan was not a lone contributor to this culture, Detectives Richard McDonald and Jill Smallwood are but a few who aided Zappala's office in creating the culture of corruption. That is, until 2002 when a federal jury found detectives Dennis Logan and Richard McDonald guilty of violating the rights of then, order suspect Clyde Manns.
Due to their misconduct the two detectives were forced out and in the spirit of the Patriot way, Zappala hired Dennis Logan as Chief Investigator of appeals. This means that Logan is in charge of investigating appellate claims that are the result of his own misconduct. Even the Patriots weren't willing to accept what came with Antonio Brown. Zappala, on the other hand, answers to no one —he will acquire all rejects to keep his dynasty intact.
In 1995, Gregory Brow was convicted of the murder of three firefighters who set out to extinguish a blaze at the home of Brown's mother. Brown, a juvenile was tried as an adult, convicted of murder and arson, and sentenced to serve Life. Fifteen years later Brown discovered that the DA's office hid evidence that proved the fire accidental and not a product of arson. In 2010 Brown used said evidence to file an appeal.
In 2012, one of the witnesses that testified at Brown's trial revealed that the District attorney's office secretly paid the two witnesses to lie. Instead of righting the wrong, Zappla's office contacted a man who was incarcerated with Brown and offered to "help" him with his Life sentence. There was one condition: The man would have to lie and say that Brown had confessed to him. The man refused and in 2016 Zappala was forced to drop all of the charges against Brown.
In 2005 Zappala used the testimony of two witnesses to convict Louis Reese of a shooting along Washington Boulevard that left one person injured. One witness stated that she could not identify Reese as the shooter and the other witness, Kevin Crosby was tossed into prison in order to force him to testify against Reese. Recently, Reese's attorney, Chris Eyster filed an appeal bring this violation to title attention of Zappala. The District Attorney's office denies that a deal was made with Crosby and to add insult to injury, refuses to allow Reese to view their files in order to determine if Crosby was on probation at the time, giving him motive to supply false testimony. Remember deflate gate? Tom Brady didn't want anyone searching his phone...
The insult is referring to him as a New England Patriot's fan. Has anyone ever heard of Zappala being at a Steelers' game? A Penguins game? A Pirates' game? Zappala is not a true Pittsburgher. Everyone knows that Pittsburgh pride affects our fashion sense, in fact we were once named on of the worst dressed cities because we're accustomed to wearing sports gear. Zappala has no problem with destroying Pittsburgh's criminal justice system because that is the Patriot Way. We must do things the right way—is that the Pittsburgh way?