It’s been a bad week for prosecutors and law enforcement in Kansas City. In one case, a DEA Agent was found to have beat and kicked a handcuffed suspect while he was in custody. A federal judge found that the DEA Agent’s testimony was “not credible,” and found that officers with the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department conspired to cover up the beating. The judge awarded the man who was beaten over $800,000. Here is a link to the judge’s opinion, and here is an article by the Kansas City Star regarding the incident.
In the other case, a Missouri district court judge punished the prosecutors by barring all evidence against a suspect. The case involved a lawyer accused or murdering his law partner. The man’s first trial, almost ten years ago, resulted in a guilty verdict. However, on appeal, the Missouri appellate courts found that the prosecution failed to give the defense significant evidence that would have proven the man innocent. The Missouri appellate court reversed his conviction and sent the case back down for another trial. The judge in the new trial set a July deadline for the prosecutors to turn over the evidence to the defense, but by September the prosecutors had still not complied. The judge found:
“The rules have been ignored, this court has been ignored and judicial resources have been squandered[.] The judiciary cannot wait while the state dawdles…A decade is enough time. This court is left with but one conclusion: The only effective sanction is to exclude all of the state’s evidence from trial.”
Here is a link to the KC Star article. The defendant has spent five years in prison waiting for a fair trial.
These stories go to show how powerful the government thinks it is. From beating an innocent man in handcuffs to holding another man for ten years without a fair trial, bad cops and prosecutors can make a mockery of the criminal justice system. That’s why it’s important that, when you’re choosing your David to stand against the government’s Goliath, you choose one that knows how to properly operate a sling. For every story like this where corruption and conspiracies are exposed, hundreds go unheard of. At Bell Folsom, P.A., we work tirelessly to hold the government’s feet to the fire and expose these types of practices. If you’re facing criminal charges, contact us immediately so that we can make sure your rights are not violated.