Bronx DA dropping 133 cases linked to indicted NYPD detective Joseph FrancoBy Tamar Lapin
January 20, 2022
More than 130 convictions that relied on the testimony of former undercover NYPD detective Joseph Franco were thrown out by a Bronx judge on Thursday — the latest in a wave of dismissals tied to the disgraced ex-cop.
Bronx Supreme Court Justice David Lewis granted the motion to drop the felony cases against 133 defendants who were indicted between 2011 and 2015.
Franco, who was fired by the NYPD in April 2020, is awaiting trial in Manhattan on charges he framed innocent people by lying about observing them dealing drugs.
The Bronx District Attorney’s Conviction Integrity Bureau launched a review of the ex-cop’s cases after he was indicted in April 2019 for perjury, official misconduct and other charges.
“We did not want to dismiss or vacate out of hand all cases he was involved in; we investigated those that hinged on his testimony and sworn statements,” Bronx County District Attorney Darcel Clark said in a statement.
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Source:
https://nypost.com/2022/01/20/bronx-da-darcel-clark-dropping-133-cases-linked-to-nypd-detective-joseph-franco/
