PHILADELPHIA – More than a thousand narcotics cases in Philadelphia may collapse after revelations that officers allegedly offered false testimony, with 134 cases already dismissed by the Common Pleas Court, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. For now, this initial wave underscores the potential scale of the fallout as hearings continue and prosecutors reassess the credibility of officers whose testimony has been called into question.
According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, 134 cases have been dismissed by the Common Pleas Court, based on false testimony provided by the narcotics officers involved (Three Philly cops who defenders say ‘straight up lied’ cause 134 drug cases to be dismissed, hundreds more expected). This is the first wave in a series of hearings which could potentially dismiss over a thousand narcotics cases in Philadelphia, due to the unreliable witness testimony provided by the officers.
Officers Ricardo Rosa, Eugene Roher, and Jeffrey Holden have testified in hundreds of narcotics cases, as part of their responsibilities with the Narcotics Strike Force. They are currently having their credibility questioned after video footage recovered by the Defender Association of Philadelphia contradicted their witness testimony in several of these cases. According to the article, the footage was not disclosed to defense or prosecution attorneys in court, and “showed they also testified to things that never happened or that they could not have seen from where they were positioned, according to court filings.”
The Inquirer states the footage itself shows statements made by the officers that directly contradict their testimonies in court. An example highlighted in the article regards when Roher testified in one case that he witnessed two drug deals while sitting in an unmarked police car. However, “video footage captured by a surveillance camera on the end of the block showed that one drug deal never happened, and the other supposed deal was behind a building and would have been impossible to see.” This is one case of several where the officer’s testimony does not align with the series of events captured in surveillance footage.
As a result of this recovered footage, prosecutors on the cases decided they could no longer vouch for the credibility of the officers, and are expected to dismiss hundreds of cases based on their testimonies. The article notes that after a review of cases with the officers involved, “lawyers for the defender association and prosecutors identified more than 900 cases and expect to ask the judge to dismiss them over the next year.”
The Inquirer also acknowledges that despite these allegations, the officers involved remain in their positions in the Narcotics Strike Force. Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel launched an internal investigation last March, which is still ongoing. He stated, “thus far we have not identified any evidence that would raise concerns of misconduct or criminal behavior on the part of those officers.”
The officers have declined to comment on the scrutiny they are facing. Additionally, District Attorney Larry Krasner refused to acknowledge whether his office would be investigating the misconduct on their end. The article highlights his attestment to Bethel’s efforts, where he says, “I have dealt extensively with Commissioner Bethel. I know he and the mayor are committed to rooting corruption, lying, stealing, and cheating out of the police department.”
The 134 cases that were dismissed are a fraction of an issue at a much larger scale. According to the article, “Over the past three decades, judges have thrown out thousands of drug cases after officers were found to have fabricated evidence, lied on the stand, or stolen money from dealers.” Public Defender Bradley Bridge has personally worked to overturn approximately 2,500 of these cases in the past. Bridge is currently handling the cases regarding Rosa, Roher, and Holden as well.
According to the article, Bridge has stated “Tragically, nothing is unique about this. It’s exactly the same problems that keep arising since 1995, including the lack of supervision and oversight of police officers on the street.” The officers have also shown active disinterest in the potential charges they face, and have consistently missed court hearings regarding their cases.
Having the officers remain members of the narcotics squad has been troubling to many critics, because it shows a lack of accountability and leaves a high risk of the officers repeating their behavior while their conduct is under investigation. In the article, one member of the defender association asked “How is the public supposed to have trust in a department that continues to employ people who have so clearly proved themselves to be liars, that has resulted in thousands of people being arrested and jailed?”
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