"Mafia Cops" Convictions Thrown Out
Wow. Who would have thought? Great work by New York defense lawyer Joe Bondy, building on work done by the trial lawyers, Ed Hayes and Bruce Cutler. U.S. District Court Jack Weinstein has tossed almost all of the "mafia cops" convictions because the charges were brought after the statute of limitations perios had expired.
In a shell-shocking written order, a federal judge ruled today that, despite overwhelming evidence of "heinous and violent crimes," the two retired detectives at the center of what has been termed the Mafia Cops corruption case should be acquitted of all federal racketeering charges -- including eight murders -- because the statute of limitations in their case had run out.
....Louis J. Eppolito and Stephen Caracappa.... were found guilty in April of some of the most spectacular corruption charges in the city's history. Although a jury found that Mr. Eppolito and Mr. Caracappa had participated, as paid assassins, in killings for the mob, the judge's order vacated the racketeering convictions on legal -- if not evidentiary -- grounds.
As to the 102 page ruling:
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