The Queens district attorney’s office asked a judge Monday to toss out 60 criminal cases that relied on work by three former New York Police Department detectives who were later convicted of perjury, sexual assault or official misconduct.

The move is part of the office’s review of cases that involved police officers who had committed crimes or workplace misconduct and who had served as “essential witnesses” in Queens prosecutions, District Attorney Melinda Katz said.

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“We cannot stand behind a criminal conviction where the essential law enforcement witness has been convicted of crimes which irreparably impair their credibility,” Katz said.

The office’s review stems from a letter sent in May by the Legal Aid Society and other legal defence and civil rights organisations to the city’s five district attorneys and the special narcotics prosecutor, identifying 20 police officers who had been convicted of crimes and two others who had engaged in work-related misconduct. The letter asked the offices to erase convictions in which the officers played a role.

The Brooklyn district attorney’s office was reviewing the Legal Aid letter as part of its broader efforts to examine problematic convictions, a spokesperson, Oren Yaniv, said. “Our review is nearing its end, and we expect to dismiss a number of cases,” Yaniv said.

A spokesperson for the Manhattan district attorney’s office said a review of cases involving the identified police officers was ongoing, and the Bronx district attorney’s office said cases involving seven police officers were under review.

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A representative for the Staten Island district attorney did not respond to a request for comment.

After receiving the letter, Katz, who took office in January 2020, launched a review of the borough’s cases. It found that 10 officers on the list had played roles in Queens criminal cases, Katz said Monday, adding that hundreds of cases remained under review.

In a hearing Monday afternoon in Queens Supreme Court, Justice Michelle Johnson vacated 59 convictions and cleared one person of pending charges and a warrant issued for an arrest. Most of the cases were misdemeanours or violations, but seven were felonies.

Some of the people cleared Monday had served prison terms, while others had lost jobs and licenses; one man was still on parole at the time of his dismissal, and one woman had died, Legal Aid Society lawyers said.

Of the 60 cases, 34 were based on the work of former detective Kevin Desormeau, a street cop once held in high regard, who in 2018 was convicted of lying about witnessing a Queens drug deal that had not taken place. At the sentencing, Justice Michael Aloise gave Desormeau no jail time and criticized the prosecutor’s office for its conduct during the former officer’s trial.

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Desormeau later pleaded guilty in Manhattan to separate charges that he fabricated facts concerning a 2014 gun possession arrest in Washington Heights, a case that also led to charges against his former partner on the force, Sasha Cordoba.

The Queens district attorney asked Monday to dismiss 20 cases involving Cordoba, who pleaded guilty in Manhattan in 2018 to perjury and official misconduct charges in connection with the gun possession arrest. Cordoba was also convicted of a misdemeanour in the Queens drug sale case, but the judge threw out her verdict, citing lack of evidence.

Six of the cases dismissed Monday stemmed from the work of former Queens detective Oscar Sandino, who pleaded guilty in 2010 to federal civil rights charges related to the sexual assault of people in custody. In one instance, Sandino sexually abused someone under arrest in the bathroom of the 110th Precinct in Queens, the district attorney’s office said.

“Criminal convictions largely based on the work of corrupt former or active NYPD officers who engaged in misconduct while executing their duties flies in the face of oaths officers take to protect and serve New Yorkers,” said Elizabeth Felber, director of the Legal Aid Society’s wrongful conviction unit. “This unconscionable and inexcusable behavior corrodes the public’s trust in law enforcement,” she said.

The review in Queens is part of a broader movement to reassess criminal cases and convictions, some decades old, over concerns about official misconduct and perjury by police officers.

In April, Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez asked the court to dismiss 90 convictions — nearly a third of them felonies — that was based on the work of a former narcotics detective, Joseph E. Franco, who had been charged with perjury and other offences in connection with his undercover work and testimony for prosecutors.

The Manhattan district attorney’s office had charged Franco in 2019 with 26 criminal counts, saying he had lied about witnessing drug buys. The Manhattan and Bronx district attorney’s offices, as well as the special narcotics prosecutor, have moved to vacate scores of convictions in which Franco was involved.

Franco was fired by the Police Department in April 2020. He has pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial.

The Queens district attorney’s office asked a judge Monday to toss out 60 criminal cases that relied on work by three former New York Police Department detectives who were later convicted of perjury, sexual assault or official misconduct.

The Queens district attorney’s office asked a judge Monday to toss out 60 criminal cases that relied on work by three former New York Police Department detectives who were later convicted of perjury, sexual assault or official misconduct. The move is part of the office’s review of cases that involved police officers who had committed crimes or workplace misconduct and who had served as “essential witnesses” in Queens prosecutions, District Attorney Melinda Katz said. Also read | Capitol Hill violence: Investigation committee issues subpoenas to top Trump lieutenants “We cannot stand behind a criminal conviction where the essential law enforcement witness has been convicted of crimes which irreparably impair their credibility,” Katz said. The office’s review stems from a letter sent in May by the Legal Aid Society and other legal defence and civil rights organisations to the city’s five district attorneys and the special narcotics prosecutor, identifying 20 police officers who had been convicted of crimes and two others who had engaged in work-related misconduct. The letter asked the offices to erase convictions in which the officers played a role. The Brooklyn district attorney’s office was reviewing the Legal Aid letter as part of its broader efforts to examine problematic convictions, a spokesperson, Oren Yaniv, said. “Our review is nearing its end, and we expect to dismiss a number of cases,” Yaniv said. A spokesperson for the Manhattan district attorney’s office said a review of cases involving the identified police officers was ongoing, and the Bronx district attorney’s office said cases involving seven police officers were under review. Also read | What if scientists are wrong about the age of continents? New study says they are 700 million years older A representative for the Staten Island district attorney did not respond to a request for comment. After receiving the letter, Katz, who took office in January 2020, launched a review of the borough’s cases. It found that 10 officers on the list had played roles in Queens criminal cases, Katz said Monday, adding that hundreds of cases remained under review. In a hearing Monday afternoon in Queens Supreme Court, Justice Michelle Johnson vacated 59 convictions and cleared one person of pending charges and a warrant issued for an arrest. Most of the cases were misdemeanours or violations, but seven were felonies. Some of the people cleared Monday had served prison terms, while others had lost jobs and licenses; one man was still on parole at the time of his dismissal, and one woman had died, Legal Aid Society lawyers said. Of the 60 cases, 34 were based on the work of former detective Kevin Desormeau, a street cop once held in high regard, who in 2018 was convicted of lying about witnessing a Queens drug deal that had not taken place. At the sentencing, Justice Michael Aloise gave Desormeau no jail time and criticized the prosecutor’s office for its conduct during the former officer’s trial. Also read | Why New York is closing 6 prisons? Desormeau later pleaded guilty in Manhattan to separate charges that he fabricated facts concerning a 2014 gun possession arrest in Washington Heights, a case that also led to charges against his former partner on the force, Sasha Cordoba. The Queens district attorney asked Monday to dismiss 20 cases involving Cordoba, who pleaded guilty in Manhattan in 2018 to perjury and official misconduct charges in connection with the gun possession arrest. Cordoba was also convicted of a misdemeanour in the Queens drug sale case, but the judge threw out her verdict, citing lack of evidence. Six of the cases dismissed Monday stemmed from the work of former Queens detective Oscar Sandino, who pleaded guilty in 2010 to federal civil rights charges related to the sexual assault of people in custody. In one instance, Sandino sexually abused someone under arrest in the bathroom of the 110th Precinct in Queens, the district attorney’s office said. “Criminal convictions largely based on the work of corrupt former or active NYPD officers who engaged in misconduct while executing their duties flies in the face of oaths officers take to protect and serve New Yorkers,” said Elizabeth Felber, director of the Legal Aid Society’s wrongful conviction unit. “This unconscionable and inexcusable behavior corrodes the public’s trust in law enforcement,” she said. The review in Queens is part of a broader movement to reassess criminal cases and convictions, some decades old, over concerns about official misconduct and perjury by police officers. In April, Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez asked the court to dismiss 90 convictions — nearly a third of them felonies — that was based on the work of a former narcotics detective, Joseph E. Franco, who had been charged with perjury and other offences in connection with his undercover work and testimony for prosecutors. The Manhattan district attorney’s office had charged Franco in 2019 with 26 criminal counts, saying he had lied about witnessing drug buys. The Manhattan and Bronx district attorney’s offices, as well as the special narcotics prosecutor, have moved to vacate scores of convictions in which Franco was involved. Franco was fired by the Police Department in April 2020. He has pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial.

60 criminal cases are thrown out because of 3 detectives’ misconduct

Kenyan police on Tuesday fired teargas and arrested activists gathering for a march against perceived government injustice that has been given extra impetus this year by allegations by rights groups of police brutality during the COVID-19 lockdown.

Activists said protesters from several areas had planned to march from their homes to the centre of the capital Nairobi, but many were dispersed or arrested before reaching there. Samuel Kiriro said six of his colleagues from rights group the Ghetto Foundation in the Mathare slum had been arrested.

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For those who made it into the city centre, police fired more teargas and made further arrests, a Reuters witness said.

Activists rally each year on July 7, marking the date in 1990 when opponents of late president Daniel Arap Moi launched a bid to open up multiparty politics. The protest is called "Saba Saba" - "seven seven" in Swahili - because of the date.

This year, protesters have been galvanised by mounting accusations of police brutality during the coronavirus lockdown.

"The police have been killing a lot of people ... During this pandemic, it has gotten worse," said Michael Njau, an activist at Kiamaiko Justice Centre.

Police were not immediately available to respond to multiple requests for comment.

Rights group Amnesty International said Kenyan police had killed at least 100 people in 2020, with 21 related to COVID infractions, such as curfew or mask violations. In March, in the first 10 days of the curfew, at least six people were killed, Human Rights Watch has said.

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Over the weekend, protesters in western Kenya set fire to a police station after an officer allegedly killed a hawker for selling fake hand sanitisers. The officer was taken into police custody, a police report seen by Reuters said.

Kenya police spokesman Charles Owino told Kenyan TV station NTV in June, responding to allegations of brutality, it was fair to highlight the issues "but it is also important for us to try and get results of investigations for each and every matter" to avoid setting the public against the police.

In April, President Uhuru Kenyatta said there had been "some challenges" in the initial stages, adding: "I want to apologise to all Kenyans maybe for some excesses that were conducted."

Kenyan police on Tuesday fired teargas and arrested activists gathering for a march against perceived government injustice that has been given extra impetus this year by allegations by rights groups of police brutality during the COVID-19 lockdown.

Kenyan police on Tuesday fired teargas and arrested activists gathering for a march against perceived government injustice that has been given extra impetus this year by allegations by rights groups of police brutality during the COVID-19 lockdown. Activists said protesters from several areas had planned to march from their homes to the centre of the capital Nairobi, but many were dispersed or arrested before reaching there. Samuel Kiriro said six of his colleagues from rights group the Ghetto Foundation in the Mathare slum had been arrested. Also read: Swarms of locusts devastate parts of northern Kenya For those who made it into the city centre, police fired more teargas and made further arrests, a Reuters witness said. Activists rally each year on July 7, marking the date in 1990 when opponents of late president Daniel Arap Moi launched a bid to open up multiparty politics. The protest is called "Saba Saba" - "seven seven" in Swahili - because of the date. This year, protesters have been galvanised by mounting accusations of police brutality during the coronavirus lockdown. "The police have been killing a lot of people ... During this pandemic, it has gotten worse," said Michael Njau, an activist at Kiamaiko Justice Centre. Police were not immediately available to respond to multiple requests for comment. Rights group Amnesty International said Kenyan police had killed at least 100 people in 2020, with 21 related to COVID infractions, such as curfew or mask violations. In March, in the first 10 days of the curfew, at least six people were killed, Human Rights Watch has said. Also read: Kenya court rejects China's multi-billion dollar BRI rail project Over the weekend, protesters in western Kenya set fire to a police station after an officer allegedly killed a hawker for selling fake hand sanitisers. The officer was taken into police custody, a police report seen by Reuters said. Kenya police spokesman Charles Owino told Kenyan TV station NTV in June, responding to allegations of brutality, it was fair to highlight the issues "but it is also important for us to try and get results of investigations for each and every matter" to avoid setting the public against the police. In April, President Uhuru Kenyatta said there had been "some challenges" in the initial stages, adding: "I want to apologise to all Kenyans maybe for some excesses that were conducted."

Kenyan police fire teargas, arrest marchers protesting at brutality

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60 criminal cases are thrown out because of 3 detectives’ misconduct

Kenyan police fire teargas, arrest marchers protesting at brutality