Convictions tied to cops accused of racist Facebook posts dropped, California DA says

A California district attorney has dismissed charges in 14 convictions linked to police officers accused of making racist posts on a private Facebook group.

“Our community has the right to feel secure that the criminal cases we file in this county are untainted by prejudice,” Santa Clara District Attorney Jeff Rosen said in a statement.

“I have the obligation to ensure these cases are untainted by prejudice,” Rosen said.

In June, a blog post on Medium revealed a private Facebook group where active and retired San Jose police officers sometimes posted racist comments.

A post from one active officer said “black lives don’t really matter,” while a post from a retired officer read, “I say re-purpose the hijabs into nooses,” according to the blog.

Four active San Jose police officers were placed on administrative leave following the story, KPIX reported.

Police Chief Eddie Garcia vowed to fire anyone proven to have made the posts, and the San Jose police union said it would not defend the officers, The Mercury News reported.

Rosen said his office reviewed hundreds of criminal cases that were handled by officers accused of making the posts.

A 20-person team decided to dismiss charges in 14 convictions, all misdemeanors mostly involving traffic offenses or resisting arrest, “in which we believe the integrity of the case has been so compromised that the office can no longer stand by the conviction.”

The district attorney’s office also notified defense attorneys in dozens more cases of its findings in case they wish to challenge those convictions, the release says.

“The office also has acted to make sure that if any of these officers are called to testify in pending or future cases, it will be able to notify the prosecutor and defense attorney so appropriate steps can be taken,” the release says.