Another 91 Cases Linked To Lying Houston Cop Involved In A Botched Drug Raid Have Been Dismissed
from the lies-are-useful-right-up-until-they-aren't dept
The fallout continues from a no-knock raid in Houston that left the two homeowners dead. The warrant was predicated on statements/controlled buys "performed" by a nonexistent informant using drugs apparently "found" in Officer Gerald Goines' squad car. What was supposed to be the takedown of a dangerous heroin dealer was actually the killing of two people who possessed no heroin. Instead, investigators found personal use amounts of cocaine and marijuana, and none of the drugs or weapons Officer Goines claimed would be found at the residence in his warrant application.
Since then, it has been proven that sworn officer Gerald Goines is less trustworthy than the public he was supposed to protect. Goines is now facing a handful of state and federal charges related to the unjustified no-knock raid that ended with two Houston citizens dead.
It often appears that few police officers -- especially those in drug units -- want to earn the public's trust. All they want is a bunch of easy wins. Forced to confront the dirty dealings of a few dirty cops, the local prosecutor's office is voluntarily giving up a bunch of their easy wins. Here's Jacob Sullum of Reason with more details:
Harris County, Texas, District Attorney Kim Ogg plans to support the reversal of "at least 91" more convictions in cases involving Gerald Goines, the former Houston narcotics officer whose fraudulent search warrant affidavit led to the January 2019 drug raid that killed Dennis Tuttle and Rhogena Nicholas. Ogg's office had already backed the dismissal of 73 cases initiated by Goines, who faces state murder charges and federal civil rights charges in connection with the deadly invasion of the middle-aged couple's house on Harding Street.
When there's a War (on Drugs) going on, there's apparently no time to apprise yourself of the details. You just assume the men on the street know what they're doing. When it becomes apparent they don't, you respond appropriately. But don't read this as another 91 complete dismissals. It isn't. The DA's office on supports "reversals" of convictions and has recommended courts to appoint legal reps for those targeted by Officer Goines' investigations. Some convictions may still end up being upheld.
The better news is this: the DA's office recognizes the dirtiness of Officer Goine's police work.
"We've come to the conclusion that every conviction in which Goines was the major player, for the past 11 years, needs to be flipped," said Josh Reiss, chief of the Post-Conviction Writs Division at Ogg's office. "The number of cases may grow."
"May" = "will." Cops on the drug front have been given free rein for years. That only a few have ended up as disgraced (and criminally-charged) as Goines is nothing more than the dice rolling the right way. The Drug War has given us the Third Party Doctrine abuses and pets telling cops it's ok to engage in warrantless searches. It has given us the legally-blessed road piracy that is "civil asset forfeiture" and a large number of "acceptable" civil rights violations. And it has given us rogue officers like Goines, who are never given any direct oversight until officers kill someone without justification. The ends justify the means.
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Filed Under: drug raid, gerald goines, houston, lies, lying police, police
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not a rogue cop
Describing this guy as a rogue cop is dead wrong. We have no reason not to niece his actions are the norm, not the exception.
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If all the cases all over the country that hinged largely or completely on the testimony of cops who are "less trustworthy than the public [they are] supposed to protect" were to be dismissed, there would be a mass exodus from the prison system. Unfortunately, the example here is an outlier in that something is being done.
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I wonder.
You have a set of officers that May get paid extra for belonging to a Drug taskforce.
But no one is giving information and you cant find anyone selling drugs either..
what do you do?
You like that extra money, and you can stretch it with over time. And if the Arrests go down then the Whole force may be abolished..
FAKE IT..make it up as you go..
An aside...
He cant find anyone selling the drugs?? He cant find a person Low on money, that will tell him?
Anyone have an itch, about Whose side he is on??
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Nothing new for houston. Joe Campos Torres was murdered by houston police back in 1977 and it doesn't appear much has changed. The cops in that case received a year probation and a $1.00 fine.
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Re: not a rogue cop
He is still a rogue cop - it is just that in addition to whole department the whole damn system is rogue and blatantly ignoring who is really in charge - not them.
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Cultural Appropriation by privileged rich fucks
In many ways, the culture has withdrawn to rest on its privileges,
dissociating from active opposition to racism and from active identification
with Black and Third World people. A flippant attitude toward
consciousness-expanding drugs is separated from the whole picture of
deathly and pacifying drugs pumped into insurgent communities. The
prohiems of heroin, methadone, alcohol and pills have not been dealt with.
Although young people experience police oppression day-to-day, police
power directed against Black and Third World people is not eombatted.
Rarely do alternative institutions organize to meet the needs of the Black
community, Third World children, the old.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpW1u3jOjh8
Come Join Us in our Revolution!
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If these cops are dirty think about how dirty these piece of crap informants are.
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This is just another reason to end the WAR ON DRUGS!!! Lots of Innocent people have been arrested or MURDERED by the police. It's also helped create Drug warlords. When you ban things, now you have created a market for criminals to take advantage of.
I never get the whole war. Ban drugs but allow Alcohol which is a far worse problem. I can buy all the Alcohol I want but rarely drink. I just don't have much interest in it. It's called self-control. I've smoked some Marawana in the past. Who cares!!! It's been banned and yet hasn't stopped people from using it. These days it pretty much legal, at least for a number of states unlike years ago.
What people do to their own BODY is on them. Isn't that the whole Pro-Choice Movement?? That I'm actually against. I don't care what you do to your own body, but when it comes to a fetus/baby, that's another LIFE and I'm sure they would like to LIVE. That's another body. Another life not your own.
I'd rather just allow anything and everything to be LEGAL. You can go to the store and buy whatever you want. That would start to empty out our prisons to focus on real crimes. With no war on Drugs, we can cut down on the police. No real need now for drug cops. No need to go undercover for this crap. If something wants to buy some hardcore drugs in a store. hey, that should be their right.
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Re: not a rogue cop
His actions are the norm, but getting punished isn't. Violating the "not getting caught" rule is what makes him a rogue.
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Find an addict...
If you see an addict needing a shot and lacking the money for it, it isn't that hard to have him tell a story you like to hear for the money to buy that next shot. Reliability? If you (as cop) don't care, you don't ask.
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Re: Cultural Appropriation by privileged rich fucks
HOw about this comment..
EU white men wondering the world, declaring lands belong to their nations..
Bring in religion, and demand everyone be Christian...
Then we enslave all these Christians.
How about changes in the bible, the BIG one, where we went from the Old testament to the New in about 1600.. Insted of an eye for an eye, we just took you away from your home and enslaved you. And conquered your countries.
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Let's not forget George Floyd
Who (according to Grits for Breakfast and Texas Monthly) was one of those convicted via testimony from Disgraced Cop Gerald Goines' testimony. Is it any wonder he didn't want to comply with the cops?
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Re: Re: Cultural Appropriation by privileged rich fucks
Dude the cop is black
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Re: Let's not forget George Floyd
"Is it any wonder he didn't want to comply with the cops?"
And yet he did. This invited them to execute him.
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Re: Re: Cultural Appropriation by privileged rich fucks
You've already been called out on this at least once ECA. The New Testament does not date from the 1600s.
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