thirty fucking eight, so far

[PilotsError 2345]

Jesus, the amount of innocent people imprisoned by just this one cop is astounding.  263 cases under review.  Just one cop.  How many innocent fucking people are in prison nationwide?

A judge vacated sentences of at least eight people in state prisons and correctional facilities who were arrested by a former Jackson County deputy accused of ginning up traffic stops and planting meth on unsuspecting drivers.

Circuit Judge Christopher Patterson entered the orders Wednesday in the Jackson County Courthouse in Marianna, about an hour’s drive west of Tallahassee. State Attorney Glenn Hess also announced in court documents that charges would be dropped in the cases, all of which involved former Deputy Zachary Wester.

“(An) investigation conducted by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office into the professional conduct of Deputy Zach Wester has revealed facts that undermine the state’s confidence in the case,” Hess wrote in documents filed in each of the cases.

Back story: Fired deputy under investigation for planting drugs

Patterson also ordered Jackson County Sheriff Lou Roberts to take custody of at least five of the inmates, transport them back to the county and release them immediately.

The inmates, all of whom were convicted on methamphetamine and other drug charges, were being held at correctional facilities from Quincy to Lake City. One of the inmates had been arrested twice by Wester, according to court records.

Meanwhile, the State Attorney’s Office said charges have been dropped against thirty-plus other defendants who were arrested between 2016 and 2018, when Wester worked as a patrol deputy for the Sheriff’s Office. One of the defendants was a juvenile.

Hess on Wednesday said his office is reviewing a total of 263 cases involving Wester dating back two years. 

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement opened an investigation into Westeron Aug. 1 at the request of the Sheriff’s Office. The case is open and ongoing, and no charges have been filed against him. Wester, 26, of Marianna, was fired Sept. 10.

No one answered the door at Wester’s home off Highway 71 in Marianna after a reporter knocked on Wednesday afternoon. His attorney, Steve Meadows of Panama City, told reporters he would not comment on the pending case.

Hess told the Tallahassee Democrat on Wednesday that he lost confidence in Wester after seeing the deputy’s body camera video from a Feb. 15 arrest of an Alford woman, Teresa Odom, on charges of possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.

Deputy Zachary Wester holds an unknown item in his left hand. Tallahassee Democrat

In the video, Wester can be seen holding something in his left hand before he begins searching the woman’s pickup truck and finding a similar-looking item, presumably the meth. The Democrat obtained a copy of the video on Wednesday; the State Attorney’s Office released it to media outlets on Thursday.

Wester went to work for the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office in May 2016. Before that, he worked about nine months as a deputy for the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office. He worked under the previous Liberty County sheriff, Nick Finch, and members of the command staff under Sheriff Joe White were unfamiliar with him until news broke on Wednesday.

“We are fully prepared to work with FDLE and the State Attorney’s Office if they wish to conduct a review of any case files or case records,” said Liberty County Capt. John Summers.

https://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/2018/09/21/judge-releases-state-prisoners-arrested-fired-deputy/1366537002/

[crash_davis 23414]

this mother should get raped by a splintered club everyday for the rest of his life.  what a cumstain on humanity.

[PilotsError 2345]

Oops wrong forum.

[High Plains Drifter 11141]

Eh, I'm sure they were all guilty of something.

[pacman 7456]

Not sure how anyone can be surprised given the long history of police framing the innocent 

[Pato del Muerto 53169]

In a row?