Who is Anant Tripati?
I am 54 years old, of East Indian descent, and a citizen and native of Fiji. Until June 24, 1992, I owned and operated “Legal Research Associates”, a successful legal research firm located in Beverly Hills. I was falsely accused by the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office of attempting to defraud others in a real estate appraisal scheme (for a bail bond) that I had no part in. The real perpetrators of the crime were coerced and threatened with prosecution if they did not lie and testify falsely during my trial (Documents 2-4). I was convicted of one count of fraudulent schemes, one count of false swearing, and two counts of attempted fraudulent schemes. I was given consecutive sentences totaling 52.5 years in prison with no possibility of parole. I was 38 years old when I went to prison, and I am scheduled to be released in 2044 at the age 94, which will essentially serve as a life sentence. From 1983 to 1987, prior to founding Legal Research Associates, I was in a federal prison for insurance-related fraud. Whilst in prison, I met people who were victims of miscarriages of justice, and became interested in trying to help them. As a result, after my release I set up Legal Research Associates. Undoubtedly, my previous conviction encouraged Maricopa County to frame me with fraud and believe that they could get away with it.
What could have motivated the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office?
In late 1991 I provided assistance during a complex case in Maricopa County Superior Court, in Phoenix, Arizona. During the course of my research I found evidence that the Maricopa County Attorneys office was engaged in an ongoing practice of arresting and falsely targeting prosecuting people of color, and of low income, fabricating evidence and crimes against them. I began to challenge these practices of Maricopa County. A paralegal in the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, Teresa Archuleta, informed me at the time that I needed to back off, otherwise Maricopa County would put me out of business (Documents 5-6). I did not back down against Maricopa County, and soon thereafter Gunn McKay, Dean Chatfield, Donald Conrad and others from the Maricopa County District Attorney’s Office “manufactured crimes against and arrested Mr. Tripati” (direct quote from Document 5; also described in Documents 2-6). On June 24, 1992 Dean Chatfield, Donald Conrad, and Gunn McKay, having traveled from Arizona to California, entered and searched my office. They seized and illegally removed to Arizona (Document 5 and other documents not included here) the thousands of pages of documents, including the evidence I had collected against Maricopa County. They also took my office and computer equipment, computer disks and software, and many other items. Fraudulent return of search documents were filed in Los Angles Court at the request of Maricopa County Officials (documentation available on request).
What evidence is there that my conviction was unsound and should be overturned?
After I was convicted, several of the witnesses who testified against me at the trial wrote letters and gave sworn affidavits stating that I was innocent, and that they were threatened, coerced, intimidated, or otherwise forced by Donald Conrad and others from the Maricopa County District Attorney’s Office into giving false testimony against me during my trial (Documents 2-4: a letter from real estate appraiser Frank Cotter dated July 12, 1993; a letter from bail bondsman Robert Girdley dated April 6, 1995; an affidavit from bail bondswoman Helen Maureen Jones dated September 10, 1996). Document 13 shows that in 1993 I was awarded $20 million dollars in an action against Jones and Girdley who testified against me. However, these fund have yet to be received. Also subsequent to my conviction, Teresa Archuleta of the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office gave me internal documents which exposed the illegal acts against me by the office that she worked in (e.g., Document 5), because she felt it was immoral. She also recorded a deposition with a private investigator (Document 6). Most of this evidence was destroyed by state prison employees at the request of several Judges, as documented by internal memos from the office of Dora Schriro, director of the Department of Corrections (Document 7) and other state employees (Documents 8-9, 11).
What happened to the documents incriminating the District Attorney’s office that were seized when you were arrested?
Maricopa County filed forfeiture proceedings against the property they had seized from me, but were unsuccessful and a State Court ordered it to be returned to me. However, numerous documents show that Judges Ronald Reinstein, Jonathan Schwartz, Gregory Martin, and S. Christopher Copple called the Department of Corrections and ordered that the evidentiary materials incriminating the District Attorney’s Office and exonerating me be destroyed (Documents 5, 7-9, 11). These actions by state officials constitute serious legal malfeasance.
How have you been fighting your case?
The documents I currently have demonstrate the ongoing and systematic discrimination against me, and denial of access to the court system for remedy, based on the actions of people in the Maricopa County District Attorney’s Office, Arizona State Attorney General’s Office, and Judges. I have been denied a Habeas Corpus hearing and denied a clemency hearing. Yet as you can see from the evidence we’ve included here, there is substantial documentation that clearly shows that I am innocent and that I have been framed. An internal investigation by the Department of Corrections conducted by an Officer Garcia (Document 8) states that “someone is being protected” and that the documents from me “are authentic.” Another internal document states that members of the Attorney General’s Office have told prison employees to prevent me from having contact with a lawyer (Document 10). Additional documentation shows that my legal mail has been opened even though it is protected by Attorney-Client privilege, and when a lawyer attempted to reach me by phone, prison employees demanded to know what he intended to discuss with me. To try and publicize the facts of my case, I have published three short books entitled Cover-up in Arizona, Myth of Innocence, and the Rogue Federal Judge that describe what has happened to me and documentation in the form of internal memos, court documents, and sworn affidavits. These books are available from amazon.com.
How else have you been denied due process?
A former Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office investigator, Richard Goldston, admitted in a court-ordered deposition that he had intentionally lied and committed fraud upon the court in Los Angeles at the request of the Maricopa County District Attorney’s Office (documentation available on request). Specifically he admitted to lying in testimony and return of search warrant documents filed at the time of my arrest. I filed a lawsuit against him and others for committing this fraud upon the courts. After this testimony came out during deposition and other additional evidence was entered into court (documentation available on request), the court in Los Angeles required me to post a $50,000 bond to allow the case to move forward. Family and friends raised the bond money, with some people taking out mortgages on their homes, so that I could post the requested bond with the court. The court then threw out the case because it claimed the time limit to file was past, disregarding the fact there is no statute of limitations on the crime of fraud upon the court. Appeals courts have “rubber-stamp” denied the appeals, refusing to hear the case, because of the sensitive nature.
Why do you think that none of your appeals have been successful, given the evidence that you have suggesting you are innocent?
I have been refused the right to present this new evidence to a full evidentiary hearing, which is part of why I have not been successful. I believe that because my case is of a sensitive nature, and that this evidence shows corruption of state officials, any evidence exonerating me or of illegal or unethical acts by employees of the State of Arizona and Maricopa County has been actively repressed. As I have been representing myself, I have been vulnerable to retaliation from rogue state employees who seem to be intent on derailing my appeals (Documents 7-11). I believe that the decisions of the courts arise partly due to the fact that I am representing myself, that my conviction is from 1992, which was a while ago, and because of their biases (Document 12). It is much simpler for judges to simply “rubber-stamp” a decision of another court and to rule wrongly against me. In addition, it appears that corrupt judges are covering for each other. For example, two of the 9th Circuit Court Judges who denied my appeal are from Arizona.
Do you have a lawyer at the moment, and if not for how long have you been representing yourself?
I don't have a lawyer, and have been representing myself since 1993. I think you can see that I could desperately do with pro bono assistance.