Twisted Black's Trial Update
11/22/06
Witnesses contradict in noted rapper's trial
Bob Campbell
Staff Writer
Midland Reporter-Telegram
Witnesses in the crack cocaine conspiracy trial of Tommy "Twisted Black" Burns Tuesday testified the Fort Worth rap musician visited Midland on legitimate music business in the spring of 2005 and they were not aware of any illegal activity.
Brittany Wilson of Midland told a U.S. District Court jury Angela Denise "Angie" Hutson, a key prosecution witness in the September 2005 crack trial of aspiring rapper Zeteral "Zet" Perkins, "was scared and nervous" after Perkins was arrested at Hutson's home on June 2, 2005.
"She wanted to know if I would help her lie on Twisted Black and I said no," Wilson told Arlington defense attorney Douglas Greene.
The lawyer then questioned if Courtney Iglehart's Monday testimony was credible that he paid Burns $4,500 for a quarter kilogram of cocaine in February 2005 outside Burns' Fort Worth recording studio.
Wilson said Iglehart told her in a phone call from Odessa Detention Center "that he was going to do what he had to do to get himself out of trouble."
"Did that include framing Mr. Burns?" Greene asked.
"Yes, it did," she said. "He wasn't worried about saving nobody but himself."
Wilson described Burns' and Perkins' spring 2005 appearance at a southeast Midland nightclub where they rapped and promoted Burns' hip hop music.
"Did you see Mr. Burns in the parking lot dealing dope to anybody?" asked Greene.
"No, I didn't," Wilson said.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeff Parras obtained Wilson's concession she had been romanticly involved at different times with Perkins, Iglehart and Andre Harris, who are all serving federal prison terms. But the witness said she did not know any of them sold crack
"I have a son and I was working at a battered women's shelter and going to UTPB," she said. "My life did not revolve around them."
Wilson also told Parras that Burns had promised to include her in a music video he was planning before his arrest. U.S. Magistrate Charles Bleil of Fort Worth denied him bond on July 12.
Final arguments are expected today in Judge Robert Junell's court and Burns could face life in prison if convicted.
James Turner, Burns' manager, testified "neither me nor my artists" have been involved with drugs. The former University of Central Oklahoma basketball player and secondary school chemistry teacher said he worked for Burns for three years and they toured Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Lousiana, Georgia, North Carolina and other states. "We toured the country," he said.
Turner said Burns signed with TVT Records of New York City last summer after a series of successful independent albums. "He was the best artist without a record label," said Turner.
He said Hutson's testimony that Burns was Perkins' supplier caused alarm at Scarred 4 Life Records in Fort Worth. "The lady brought up my artist's name and that concerned me," he said.
"Was the record business a front for the dope business?" Greene asked.
"No, it wasn't," said Turner.
He told Parras that Burns was expanding his fan base into West Texas but said he did not accompany the rapper here and didn't know what other activities of which Burns may have been involved.
Turner said he did not believe Twisted Black had used any drug-related lyrics, but he only booked studio time and handled promotions.
He said he was therefore unaware Burns sang "Imma cook my way 2 the top" in a song last year.
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-es ist schon eine ungerechte welt. ach, 
[/quote]
-war pure ironie...aber wieder du schon gesagt hast-schade um ihn.ausserdem würdest du dich mit 250 eigenbedarf mal ganz schnell in den himmel feiern
