Pubdate: Sat, 16 Mar 2002
Source: Courier-Journal, The (KY)
Copyright: 2002 The Courier-Journal
Contact:  http://www.courier-journal.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/97
Author: Shannon Tangonan, The Courier-Journal
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/corrupt.htm (Corruption)

TWO JEFFERSON DETECTIVES PLEAD INNOCENT

Officers Accused Of Misconduct Freed On Bond

They wore orange jail jumpsuits and handcuffs as sheriff's deputies led 
them into the courtroom yesterday. As defendants, two Jefferson County 
narcotics officers pleaded innocent to more than 450 counts of police 
misconduct.

Detectives Mark Watson and Christie Richardson never addressed the judge. 
Instead, they whispered with their lawyers during their brief arraignment 
in Jefferson Circuit Court.

A day after a massive, 221page indictment was returned against them -- and 
after spending the night in single cells at the Jefferson County jail -- 
the detectives stood opposite each other before Circuit Judge Steve Mershon.

Five hours later, after their families each posted $150,000 in property and 
$25,000 in cash, they were released.

Outside, Watson's lawyer, Mark Miller, complained that murder suspects 
receive smaller bonds.

"They're making an example of them," Miller said.

Watson and Richardson are accused of fabricating information to obtain 
search warrants, tampering with drug evidence, forging judges' signatures 
and taking money meant to pay informants.

Two miles away from the courtroom in the Urban Government Center's Metro 
Narcotics Unit, their former colleagues dealt with conflicting feelings of 
anger, frustration and relief over the arrests.

Among them was Lt. Jeff Sherrard, who worked 18-hour days investigating the 
detectives he once worked with.

"I think they (colleagues) feel betrayed because they were working 
alongside these people, and honestly I don't think they suspected a thing," 
said Sherrard, who placed Richardson and Watson under arrest Thursday evening.

Before they were taken to the jail for booking, Watson and Richardson were 
brought to the Metro Narcotics office while their citations were readied, 
Sherrard said. Several detectives were in the office while the paperwork 
was being prepared, he said.

"Nobody wants this to happen ever again," Sherrard said. "When you come up 
with a policy or procedure, you hope that you've covered every loophole. 
You can never underestimate people who are determined to beat the system."

Watson and Richardson could be sentenced to as many as 70 years in prison 
on charges of bribery, theft, perjury and burglary if convicted.

Moreover, their arrests likely will result in the dismissal of more than a 
dozen prosecutions and may bring the release of at least two felons because 
Watson and Richardson handled the cases.

The arrests have prompted county Police Chief William Carcara to solicit an 
independent audit of Metro Narcotics.

Yesterday, Carcara contacted several organizations that conduct such 
audits, including the Police Executive Research Forum, or PERF.

Police accountability experts said Carcara should be commended for 
soliciting an outside review. The organizations Carcara has contacted have 
conducted valuable audits, said Samuel Walker, a University of Nebraska 
criminal justice professor.

James Fyfe, a professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice at the City 
University of New York, said PERF is a major peer organization that can 
"let the department know whether (Metro Narcotics) is up to snuff."

Fyfe said he is on an audit team in Oakland, Calif., where similar 
allegations of police misconduct have resulted in several arrests of 
officers and the dismissal of numerous court cases.

"There are serious challenges to maintaining close supervision" in 
narcotics and other vice units, Walker said.

With a PERF audit, the police department "defines the scope of what 
research they want" and in-house experts most often conduct the audit, said 
David Edelson, a PERF spokesman.

According to its Web site, PERF's clients have included the U.S. Border 
Patrol, U.S. Department of State and several municipal, county and state 
police departments.
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MAP posted-by: Terry Liittschwager