NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — With Bronx prosecutors securing the dismissal of over 130 cases on Thursday, officials said more than 500 convictions across New York City have been or will be overturned due to their reliance on the testimony of an indicted former NYPD detective.
Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark said a judge tossed out 133 felony cases connected to Joseph Franco, who is alleged to have framed innocent people in his cases.
Her office's Conviction Integrity Bureau still plans to ask a judge to toss over 250 more cases Franco is linked to.
"We did not want to dismiss or vacate out of hand all cases he was involved in; we investigated those that hinged on his testimony and sworn statements," Clark said in a statement. "His compromised credibility suggests a lack of due process in the prosecution of these defendants, and we cannot stand behind these convictions."
Over 250 cases in Manhattan and Brooklyn have also been dropped that were connected to Franco, who was fired by the NYPD in April 2020.
Manhattan prosecutors indicted Franco on perjury charges in 2019, accusing him of lying in testimony and paperwork about witnessing drug transactions that security camera footage showed never took place.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
