FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 1, 2010
CONTACT: Erica Terry Derryck, DA Harris’ Office, (415) 553-1167
DISTRICT ATTORNEY KAMALA HARRIS ANNOUNCES FORMATION OF TRIAL INTEGRITY UNIT
DA Harris Convenes Leaders of the Defense Bar to Discuss Disclosures of Police Misconduct
SAN FRANCISCO – District Attorney Kamala D. Harris announced today the formation of a Trial Integrity Unit in the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office. The Trial Integrity Unit is charged with reviewing the impact of expected disclosures of law enforcement misconduct on prior convictions. The Trial Integrity Unit formalizes reforms District Attorney Harris announced several weeks ago to address cases impacted by disclosures about former lab technician Deborah Madden and the San Francisco Police Department Crime Lab’s narcotics division. The new unit is comprised of senior prosecutors and led by Jerry Coleman, a 31-year-veteran of the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office. This new unit will review cases impacted by expected disclosures of misconduct by law enforcement agencies.
The new unit has already begun reviewing past cases where Ann Marie Gordon, a civilian employee of the Medical Examiner’s Office, testified in criminal cases. Gordon had an undisclosed history in Washington State that was recently uncovered by the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office and disclosed to defense attorneys.
District Attorney Harris has also convened leaders of the San Francisco Defense Bar, the Public Defender’s Office and the Conflict Panel today to discuss measures the District Attorney’s Office has taken to review past cases impacted by issues of misconduct by members of law enforcement and plans for dealing with expected disclosures of misconduct from law enforcement agencies.
The formation of the Trial Integrity Unit is the latest measure announced today in a series of ongoing reforms instituted by District Attorney Harris that include implementing a written Brady policy, calling on top criminal defense attorney John Keker to serve as an advisor on Brady disclosures issues, working with San Francisco Police Chief George Gascón and the Board of Supervisors to develop an independent narcotics testing program in San Francisco, and pushing for a tough new law to make evidence tampering by a civilian employee of a police department an automatic felony punishable by state prison.
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