This could be huge:
1,000 Criminal Cases To Be Reviewed In Wake Of Racist, Homophobic Texts Sent Between San Francisco Cops
San Francisco Public Defender Jeff Adachi estimates as many as 1,000 criminal cases will be reviewed following the racist and homophobic text messages allegedly sent by four San Francisco police officers.
Adachi and his colleagues said today that their office has already identified 120 cases involving two of the four officers and said those cases could get thrown out beginning as early as next week.
District Attorney George Gascon said he was “deeply disturbed by these text messages” and said that “in order to ensure our criminal justice system is fair and equitable,” his office will also be assessing every prosecution in the past 10 years in which the officers participated.
Perhaps in a bit of serendipity, the text were discovered on the phone of another disgraced (and since terminated) officer, Ian Furminger, who in February was sentenced to more than 3 years in Federal prison on charges of stealing seized property and other crimes. The messages were discovered by the FBI, and federal prosecutors publicized several of them when Furminger appealed to Stephen Breyer of the US Supreme CourtCharles Breyer of the U.S. District Court arguing that he should be released on bail while the appeal of his conviction was on-going, using them to show that releasing Furminger on bail really wouldn't be a good idea; Breyer agreed.
It's still up in the air how many of the cases involving the four involved officers will end up having the convictions overturned if it's found that bias may have affected the officers' investigations or handling of the case.
I've generally had positive contact with police, more in the realm of a victim than a potential suspect. But when we hear about cops behaving badly, just remember that they don't always need a gun or a Taser -- sometimes just a smart phone will do.
EDIT: Thanks to Catte Nappe for pointing out my brain fart regarding the name of the judge involved in the appeal; I might have been better off with a bowl of Breyer's Ice Cream.