Pubdate: Sat, 08 Aug 2015
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer, The (PA)
Copyright: 2015 Philadelphia Newspapers Inc
Contact:  http://www.philly.com/inquirer/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/340
Authors: Joseph A. Slobodzian and Mark Fazlollah

JUDGE REVERSES 158 DRUG VERDICTS

It Was the Largest Dismissal in One Day in City History.

A Philadelphia judge on Friday reversed 158 narcotics convictions 
tainted by allegations of police corruption - the largest such 
dismissal in one day in city history.

The rulings by Common Pleas Court President Judge Sheila 
Woods-Skipper were the latest fallout from the federal prosecution of 
seven police narcotics officers.

The officers - Thomas Liciardello, Brian Reynolds, Michael Spicer, 
Perry Betts, Linwood Norman, and John Speiser - were acquitted of all 
charges at a federal trial in May.

A seventh officer, Jeffrey Walker, pleaded guilty to separate federal 
corruption charges and testified against his former colleagues at 
trial. Walker was sentenced last month to 31/ years in prison by a 
federal judge who credited his cooperation with prosecutors.

The officers Walker testified against got their jobs back after they 
were acquitted, but police officials announced Thursday that one, 
Betts, will be suspended with intent to dismiss after testing 
positive for using marijuana. Despite the outcome of the federal 
trial, the reexamination by the Defender Association of Philadelphia 
and the District Attorney's Office of the integrity of hundreds of 
arrests in which the seven were involved continues.

Public defender Bradley S. Bridge estimated that Friday's total 
brings to 560 the convictions involving the seven officers that have 
been vacated since they were indicted by a federal grand jury in July 
2014. More are on the way. Woods-Skipper set another hearing for Oct. 
30, at which an additional 40 convictions are expected to be 
reversed. And Bridge estimated that his office has finished reviewing 
only 40 percent of convictions involving the six acquitted officers.

"We are continuing these evaluations, and, to his credit, the 
district attorney is saying that evidence in these cases where the 
officers were significantly involved are not justified," Bridge said.

Assistant District Attorney Robin Godfrey said her office's consent 
to the case evaluations and reversals "is not a question of guilt or 
innocence. We are not agreeing in these cases that the defendants are 
innocent. The district attorney is just exercising his discretion to 
grant relief."

Beginning in 2013 - a year before the federal indictment - the 
District Attorney's Office refused to prosecute cases tied to the 
elite squad of officers after numerous allegations that they planted 
evidence, doctored paperwork, and beat and robbed suspects.

The convictions reversed thus far overshadow previous police 
corruption scandals. The 39th District scandal - a rogue group of 
four narcotics officers convicted in the mid-1990s for preying on 
drug dealers - led to 162 overturned convictions.

More than 135 civil rights lawsuits have been filed against the city 
as a result of cases involving the seven narcotics officers.

Bridge said two people whose convictions were reversed Friday are 
still in prison, 20 more are on state parole, and another 40 on 
probation. Those in prison will be freed, and the others will have 
their probation or parole lifted.

One person in court for the hearings seemed unable to believe what 
happened and went up to question court personnel several times before 
leaving a free man.

Woods-Skipper also ordered all fines and court costs paid be returned 
to the 158 people whose convictions were vacated.

Friday's rulings came too late for some. Mary Godleski, who was 
arrested by Liciardello on Sept. 13, 2006, pleaded guilty a year 
later to drug charges and was sentenced to six months in prison.

Godleski died Aug. 3, 2009 at age 55, according to Social Security records.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom