Hallinan May Drop Charges Against Police
By Jeralyn, Section Crime in the News
Posted on Mon Mar 10, 2003 at 11:06:25 PM EST
Tags: (all tags)
Posted on Mon Mar 10, 2003 at 11:06:25 PM EST
Tags: (all tags)
San Francisco District Attorney Terence Hallinan is reportedly close to a decision to dismiss charges brought against the command chain of the SFPD:
District Attorney Terence Hallinan, in an interview Sunday, explained why, in the final analysis, he might drop the felony obstruction of justice charges against San Francisco's top police brass.A decent prosecutor, in our view."As I said in my closing statement (to the grand jury), the problem is not whether there was obstruction of justice -- the problem is can I show an agreement (to conspire to obstruct)," said Hallinan.
In other words, the trick is proving beyond a reasonable doubt that the brass conspired in a coverup of that alleged Nov. 20 street assault by three off-duty officers. "I don't have to have a smoking gun, but I have to have circumstantial evidence that's credible," Hallinan said. But "if I don't feel I can get a conviction," Hallinan added, "I can't bring charges ethically or legally."
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