|
LAW ENFORCEMENT
EXPERTS
THE UNDERUSED DEFENSE WEAPON
By
Michael Levine
(c) All rights reserved
During my 25-year career in Law Enforcement, working
for four Federal law enforcement agencies-DEA, Customs, IRS Intelligence
& BATF - I never lost a prosecution case. Here's the "secret"
to my success:
When I retired from DEA in 1990 and began my career as a trial consultant/expert
witness, I had testified in excess of 500 times at Federal and state trials
throughout the US, Puerto Rico and a few foreign countries. At approximately
1/3rd of those trials, federal and state prosecutors qualified me before
juries as an expert on everything from "RICO" ; "Use of
Force"; "Corruption"; "Undercover Tactics"; and
"Informant Handling"; to "Money Laundering"; "Narcotics
Trafficking"; "Police Corruption and Misconduct"; "Drug/Gambling
Records"; "International Smuggling Tactics"; and much,
much more. (Prosecutors are quite imaginative in the invention of categories
of expertise).
The secret of my perfect record was that neither I nor any of the officers
under my supervision, were ever opposed by an expert witness for the defense.
No matter how questionable we knew our investigative tactics to be, no
amount of a eye-rolling incredulity and table pounding by an attorney-no
matter how skilled at cross-examination- could overcome the testimony
of a man with a badge-a cop- telling judge and jury: "That's the
way we do it."
Over the past eleven years as a trial consultant and expert witness, I've
been continually astounded and saddened by the large number of attorneys
with criminal and civil cases that beg for expert testimony, who refuse
to even consider the tactic. The results are often heartbreaking. Since
the tragic events of 9/11 the situation has only grown worse, in that
too many juries now tend to accept the testimony of a law enforcement
officer-unchallenged by his peers-as gospel.
On the other hand, in recent years, it has also been my gratifying experience
to witness the situation slowly begin to change. More and more attorneys
are seeing the light. I have been able to help people, whom I believed
genuinely deserved my help in some significant ways and to learn from
some superb legal practitioners how my expertise in law enforcement-my
badge- might be used effectively in some creative and ingenious ways.
I've selected just a few brief examples from my case files that, I hope,
will both illustrate my point and inspire some out-of-the-box thinking:
Carlson v United States (San Diego, California)
Statement of Facts: A federal and state drug task force (DEA, Customs,
BATF, San Diego Police) raided the San Diego home of Donald Carlson, based
on Probable Cause testimony of a "previously reliable" confidential
informant. Mr. Carlson, a gun owner, fired at raiding officers. The officers
returned fire shooting him three times. Mr. Carlson survived to sue the
government.
Expert Witness Report indicated that the investigating officers had deviated
from acceptable standards and norms of Informant Handling procedures and
the use of deadly force.
Results: $2.7 million settlement. No trial.
Polk County Iowa v Patrick Connor.
Statement of Facts: A two man undercover narcotics team, engaged in a
buy/bust operation charged Mr. Connor with possession and sale of a "rock"
of crack cocaine that the defendant allegedly swallowed during a violent
arrest. The officers further charged the severely beaten Mr. Connors with
assault claiming, among other things, that he bit one of them severely,
possibly exposing the officer to the AIDS virus. Mr. Connor faced criminal
penalties in excess of 100 years in prison.
Expert Witness Testimony at trial indicated that the buy/bust operation
had deviated from national standards and norms for that type of operation,
thereby, provoking any violence that ensued; and that certain features
of said deviation from standards cast significant doubts as to the truthfulness
of the arresting officers.
Results: Defendant found Not Guilty after trial.
Town of Carteret New Jersey, v Zheng Zhang.
Statement of Facts: Defendant arrested by store detectives of a major
department store chain and charged with shoplifting and assault. Immigrations
notified. Deportation proceedings begun.
Expert Testimony (affidavit) That the store detectives had not adhered
to national law enforcement standards and norms in their undercover operations
and that said deviance had in fact caused the ensuing violence; that the
store detectives had also used excessive force in making the arrest.
Results: All assault charges dropped; Immigration proceedings cancelled..
New York City Police Department v (Unnamed officer)
Statement of Facts: A female NYPD officer, with 19 years service, was
accused of drawing her weapon during an off-duty traffic altercation.
The officer claimed it was a case of mistaken identity; that the incident
never happened. Her accuser, a violent felon with numerous felony convictions,
and his girlfriend pressed charges. The NYPD, after investigating the
incident, began removal hearings and submitted the case to the district
attorneys office for prosecution.
Expert Witness Report indicted that the officer's accuser should have
been handled as a "criminal informant" which required a higher
standard of investigative effort to corroborate the complaint-a standard
the investigating officers failed to reach.
Results: Prosecution and removal actions were dropped. The officer and
the department agreed to a suspension based on inconsistencies in her
statement.
Bajana v New York City Police Department (civil)
Statement of Facts: A kilo of cocaine was intercepted, addressed to Mr.
Bajana's address, by US customs and turned over to an NYPD Narcotics Unit.
A "controlled delivery" operation was carried out and Mr. Bajana
arrested. Charges were later dismissed for lack of evidence. A lawsuit
charging the NYPD with false arrest ensued.
Expert Witness Report indicated that the NYPD investigation, prior to
committing to an undercover operation, was far below acceptable national
standards and procedures for this type of an investigation.
Results: Undisclosed out-of-court settlement.
Tonya White v State of Texas, Coleman, et. al.
Tonya White and 28 other defendants were arrested, indicted and convicted
for sales of cocaine to an undercover law enforcement officer. The governor
of Texas would pardon Ms. White and 23 others due to substandard undercover
procedures and reporting on the part of a Texas Panhandle Task Force officer.
Expert Witness Report indicated that management, control and hiring of
the undercover officer were substandard to a degree suggestive of corruption.
Results: $6 million pretrial settlement in favor of client.
Informant/Entrapment Cases (including Jailhouse Snitches).
Statement of Facts: I have been retained in numerous cases, involving
DEA, FBI, Customs and many local law enforcement agencies, that fit a
pattern of law enforcement's inability to recruit and manage the activities
of criminal informants in adherence to national standards and procedures,
often resulting in crimes that would not have even been contemplated by
defendants and/or evidence contrived by said informants being presented
at trial, were it not for the substandard control and management of the
CI.
Results: Most defense cases in my experience, where this kind of expertise
is merited and properly utilized, benefit significantly during plea-bargaining
and/or trial and/or sentencing. (specifics available on request). What
is important to note here, is that, during my law enforcement career,
Informant Entrapment was a significant in-house problem for enforcement
supervisors. I am certain that many convictions, wherein the prosecution
was unopposed by a qualified expert in the standards of Informant Handling,
would have ended in either Not Guilty findings or hung juries.
Civil RICO Actions
Statement of Facts: During my law enforcement career, I have managed and/or
personally been charged with in excess of 100 RICO prosecutions. I have
recently been retained, for the first time, in a Civil RICO action against
a major corporation.
Results: Skillful attorneys are, at present, utilizing my reports, opinions
and investigative recommendations with apparent effectiveness.
Drug Asset Seizures
Statement of Facts: During my law enforcement career, I supervised the
seizure of, and/or personally seized, many millions of dollars in assets
seized pursuant to state and federal drug laws. Not a single one of those
seizures was opposed by expert testimony to contest the appropriateness
of the seizing officers' actions and/or reasoning. Not a single petition
for remission, in my personal experience, was ever successful.
Results: Since my retirement, I have been retained on two occasions to
offer expert opinions in affidavit form, as to the below-national-standards
actions and reasoning of officers seizing significant amounts of cash,
in linking said seizures to drug trafficking. Both of these cases resulted
in the return of the funds.
Since my retirement I've been retained in more than 200 criminal and civil
matters, every one of them with its own peculiar set off facts, circumstances
and problems, far too varied to cover in this short article; however,
thanks to the imagination and creativity of the attorneys involved, I
was granted a priceless education that I am willling to share with anyone
in need.
For a free telephone or e-mail consultation, I can be reached at expert53@aol.com
or 845-687-9642
|
