Monday, November 17, 2008
Cop Corruption Case Takes An Odd Twist
Jason Barber is one of several IMPD police officers who has faced criminal charges since the beginning of the year. Barber is charged with selling a handgun to a convicted felon and official misconduct. According to the Star's Jon Murray, an attorney for Barber claims the confidential informant in Barber's case, the convicted felon who allegedly purchased the gun from Barber, recanted his story about purchasing the gun from Barber. Making matters worse, Corey Smith, the 30-year-old informant, was found dead last week under suspicious circumstances. Barber's attorney claims that Smith was coached by police to help frame his client according to Smith's recantation. Not surprisingly, Barber's attorney wants prosecutors to dismiss the charges against his client. Retired IU criminal law professor Henry Karlson tells Murray that prosecutors will have a tough time obtaining a conviction. Any way you choose look at this latest development in this case, it further shakes public confidence in the Indianapolis police department.
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4 comments:
Unless you believe the informant was killed to prevent him from testifying, I don't see how this development has anything to do with public confidence in the police department. The damage has been done already. And no matter what happens with this case, Barber's career is over, so there won't be any more problems from him.
I'm leaning toward D on this one...
Seems like more of a "confidence" problem in the PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE.
They'll not be able to toss enough "stuff" to make this really stick.
B.G.
First, who would care what Henry Karlson things about a criminal case. He isn't even licensed to practice in our state. He has never tried a case. He is an academic who is far removed from the realities of trial. His opinion means zero.
Second, a confidence problem in the prosecutor's office, bob g. ? You have no idea what it means to prosecute a case-prosecutors cannot change evidence, don't get to choose what evidence they have, and don't simply "toss enough 'stuff'" to make a case stick. The deputies who try cases on a day to day basis in Marion County are professional and good attorneys. And they have no control over cops who break the law.
Its me,
I've seen far too many people charged in Marion County who should never have been charged. I've seen numerous cases where charges were left pending against individuals long after it was clear the Prosecutor's Office did not have a case. While I think the rank and file deputies might exercise good judgment, I don't think their supervisors give them the authority to exercise judgment quite often.
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