That's about the same time investigators raided an auto shop in southeast Fresno owned by a Fresno narcotics officer who is now under an internal investigation. Richardson believes the officers in the unit felt they were above the law. "It's almost like they held themselves out to a position that they dared people around them to stop them," said Richardson.
Richardson is now reviewing 8 or 9 other cases to see what role the officers may have played in hopes of getting the cases dismissed. ABC 30 Legal Analyst Tony Capozzi says the officers' credibility certainly could be the grounds for an appeal or even the dismissal of pending cases. "That is a defense attorney's dream," said Capozzi.
But while Richardson says hundreds of cases could be affected by the officer's actions, Capozzi says attorneys would have to prove the officers' involvement had a substantial effect on a guilty verdict. Still, both attorneys agree the fallout is just beginning. "This is something that may involve the civil rights of the defendants, the people involved in these cases. I can see where the federal government, perhaps the F.B.I., the U.S. Attorneys Office would get involved. This could lead to a lot more than what's happening right now," said Capozzi.
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