It looks like Brian Bates has escaped jail again. Due to "technicalities," his case was dismissed. He is now free to roam around south OKC, videoing prostitutes in action.




'Video vigilante' case dismissed

By Ty McMahan
The Oklahoman

Self-proclaimed “video vigilante,” Thomas Brian Bates, was scheduled to go to trial today on a pandering charge, but a judge dismissed the case on a technicality.


Debra Forshee, spokeswoman for Oklahoma County District Attorney Wes Lane, said prosecutors failed to respond in writing to a motion filed by Bates' attorney. Forshee said prosecutors expected to argue the motion in court, which is the generally accepted practice in Oklahoma County District Court.

Prosecutors filed a motion Monday for District Judge Ray Elliott to reconsider his decision to dismiss the case. Elliott is scheduled to hear that motion Jan. 20.

I have done three things in the past five minutes. I ate breakfast, read the newspaper, and read this posting on Brian Bates... Wait... There is more.

I will do a fourth thing. Vomit. Bates getting set free makes me sick.

The man clearly was caught paying a man to engage in prostitution. What more evidence do you need? I hope the judge reconsiders.

I don't think that his troubles are over. I think his problems are just beginning and he is too full of himself to know it. Just wait for it.

Can you explain further? Do you have some information we don't?

What is the problem, guys? Are you afraid he will get a video of you with a prostitute?

I did not follow the news stories as he was being charged, so I may have missed a very very important piece of incriminating evidence; someone, please clue me in?????

By the way, to keep your escapades discreet, you might call a service and have the lady to come to your place instead of rendezvousing in an alley in the back seat of your car.

What is the problem, guys? Are you afraid he will get a video of you with a prostitute?

I did not follow the news stories as he was being charged, so I may have missed a very very important piece of incriminating evidence; someone, please clue me in?????

By the way, to keep your escapades discreet, you might call a service and have the lady to come to your place instead of rendezvousing in an alley in the back seat of your car.

I do not know if you know the man, however, we do. To put it polietly, he is not a nice person. When his days are over, things will be mighty hot, if you get my drift.

Admittedly, all I know of him is what has been printed in news stories and on television, and from those stories, I do not find a way of knowing whether he is a nice person or not; from the stories though, it appeared that his motive was to clean up his neighborhood. Am I wrong, and if I am, how?

Okay, am I the only one that finds the title to this thread to be hilarious?

Okay, am I the only one that finds the title to this thread to be hilarious?

What you are probably thinking is spelled "bait," but truth is, I had not made the connection till you mentioned it.

It's not nearly as funny if I have to explain it.

Consider what he was charged with. Now, consider that the title of the thread says he's getting "off the hook." Hook = hooker.. I found that funny. Now that I have explained it, the moment has passed.

But your explanation does not fit about the hooker and hook; bait goes on a hook, and Bates got off the hook.

on, off, on, off.

Admittedly, all I know of him is what has been printed in news stories and on television, and from those stories, I do not find a way of knowing whether he is a nice person or not; from the stories though, it appeared that his motive was to clean up his neighborhood. Am I wrong, and if I am, how?
In the beginning, Brian Bates made headlines by exposing the prostitution problem in south OKC. He would sit in his car in an area where prostitutes hang out. When he saw a "customer" pick up a hooker, he would follow them to wherever they were going, and then he would walk up on them, and start videoing them while they were doing the dirty deed. Then, he would call the police and have the hooker and the "customer" arrested.

After doing so much videoing of these hookers having sex with their customers, I think Brian was actually starting to enjoy what he was seeing, so he set up a meet between a hooker and a john so that he could video them in the act. According to the hooker, Brian promised to pay her for doing the act with the john. Well, I guess Brian refused to pay her, so she turned him in to the police.

Brian doesn't have a very good relationship with the police, mainly because he videoed rwo police officers beating up a man who they were trying to arrest. The man had drugs in his vehicle, along with a hooker. Because of his video, the arrest made national news, and gave the police department a black eye. They called it police brutality, however, it was clear to see in the video that the suspect was not cooperating, so they were trying to subdue him. Because of that video, I believe the police had their eye on him and was waiting for him to make a mistake.

Yes, Brian Bates is off the "hook," and I would imagine he is still out there videoing prostitutes in action.

Yes, I saw that video on television (Many many times), and even though the guy may not have been cooperating, from what I remember, he was not resisting.

Again, from what I watched, it appeared the cops were just beating hell out of the guy, and they just kept on hitting him.

Did the guy file a lawsuit against the police, and if he did, how did it come out, or has it come on for trial yet?

Yes, I saw that video on television (Many many times), and even though the guy may not have been cooperating, from what I remember, he was not resisting.

Again, from what I watched, it appeared the cops were just beating hell out of the guy, and they just kept on hitting him.

Did the guy file a lawsuit against the police, and if he did, how did it come out, or has it come on for trial yet?
Yes, he did file a lawsuit against the police for police brutality, however, I haven't paid much attention to it., so I don't know the outcome.The story you are about to read is true.....

UPDATE: On 10/18/02 Donald Pete and Leann Clark were sentenced. Mr. Pete pleaded no contest to Resisting Arrest, Engaging in an Act of Lewdness and Destruction of Evidence. Charges of Assaulting a Police officer, Possession of a CDS and possession of Drug Paraphernalia were dropped. Mr. Pete was sentenced to pay $700 in fines plus costs. Leann Clark was found guilty of Engaging in an Act of Lewdness and was sentenced to 9 months in jail and $130 in fines plus court costs.

Recorded by an Okee who calls himself the Video Vigalante,an individual who fights "crime' with his camera, the video clip records the brutal beating of a man whose crime was having sex with a prostitute in a van, and then trying to swallow his stash of marijuana when the cops showed up after being called by the Video Vigilante. Not only did the cops in this video try to charge the man getting beaten, Donald Pete, with assault, but they were also cleared of all charges of over excessive violence in the arrest!

You can also view the beating at http://www.pot-tv.net/archive/shows/pottvshowse-1750.html

We have a mutual pain in the ass. I like to call him The Vidiot. This guy almost ruined my life awhile back and I was hoping the police would get him for me but I see he used the small fortune he has made selling his tapes overseas and blackmailing poor smucks to hire about the most expensive lawyer in the city. I am wanting to give him a taste of his own medicine and post a site about him. If anyone here has anything they would like to contribute send me an email to ntkbasis@hotmail.com.

SouthSider said: "This guy almost ruined my life awhile back."

Curious here to hear the scenario that caused the problem.

We have a mutual pain in the ass. I like to call him The Vidiot. This guy almost ruined my life awhile back and I was hoping the police would get him for me but I see he used the small fortune he has made selling his tapes overseas and blackmailing poor smucks to hire about the most expensive lawyer in the city. I am wanting to give him a taste of his own medicine and post a site about him. If anyone here has anything they would like to contribute send me an email to ntkbasis@hotmail.com.

Most expensive lawyer in the city?

puleese.

All the details are not important nor appropriate for this public forum. Safe to say he does his homework and knows if you have alot to loose with his video antics and would not dare reveal yourself by contacting the authorities about his tactics. He is lining his pockets with extortion from more than one of his targets.

As for his high priced lawyer. I don't know how many times you have needed the services of a criminal lawyer Midtowner, but the vidiots lawyer is not one of those cheap suit type of slugs that inhabit downtown OKC. My aunt is married to a DEA agent. We don't get along well but the first thing out of his mouth after Master Bates was arrested was 'how in the hell did he afford that lawyer?' Seems that guy (don't remember his name) represents several DEA agents and other lawyers and rarely loses serious (life and/or death sentence) cases. My uncle had a friend hire him for a possession case and it cost him $25,000 in attorney fees from that shister, but he got a deferrment when he should have gotten 5 years.

Like I said. He's made a small fortune from the tapes he makes and it wasn't all legally. How'd you like to make a mistake and then have to pay for it - LITERALLY.

Sounds like you guys have some personal experiences with him too. Again, if you want it exposed, send me an email.

edited for fact checking

Is that Brian Bates?

Midtowner you lost me. Is that guy in the link you posted related to Brian Bates or what? As for his lawyer. It neither here nor there. I was just saying, for someone who claims he makes no money and is just a poor college student, he went out and retained a VERY expensive lawyer.

I think it's obvious Bates is making a killing off of his web development business and mostly off his video vigilante website. Not sure how many tapes he's sold, but it's a lot.

The guy claims he's still doing this to help fight prostitution, but the OKC Police stopped responding to his calls years ago. His tapes are only benefitting him.

Midtowner you lost me. Is that guy in the link you posted related to Brian Bates or what? As for his lawyer. It neither here nor there. I was just saying, for someone who claims he makes no money and is just a poor college student, he went out and retained a VERY expensive lawyer.

Nah, it was a search that turned up information that I would expected to see for BB. Mistakenly though, (and I don't know why) I searched Michael Bates... I've never heard of Michael Bates, but if guilty, may he rot in hell :)

As far as that expensive lawyer goes, that expensive lawyer typically takes any case that gets even a hint of publicity -- or could. I'd expect that it's pro-bono, or close. I have no idea as to the particular arrangements, but that attorney isn't as great in the courtroom as you let on (at least according to the attorneys I know). Certainly not worth $25,000 for a criminal case.

Must be pretty good. He got Bates off the hook.