Police corruption trial heads to jury

Eleven Miami officers are accused of planting guns and covering it up in four shootings from 1995 to 1997.

©Associated Press
March 17, 2003

MIAMI -- Federal prosecutors charge bad cops planted guns on the unarmed victims of four police shootings, and their police buddies covered it up. The officers' defenders say it never happened and it wasn't proved during a 10-week trial.

Jurors will be asked this week to decide the corruption case involving 11 Miami officers who face possible 10-year prison sentences and loss of their careers. None of the defendants testified, but two officers on their special teams broke the police "code of silence."

Back at the station, the Miami Police Department has a new chief and new policies after years of rubber-stamping police shootings as justified in spite of brewing community outrage.

Police shootings, beatings or acquittals in Miami triggered riots or smaller street clashes six times from 1980 to 1995.

The indictment covers shootings from 1995 to 1997 and is the city's worst police scandal since the 1980s when the so-called "Miami River Cops" stole cocaine from drug traffickers and sold the drug themselves. More than 100 officers were arrested, fired or disciplined.

"From a purely community viewpoint, the best thing would be to have this over," said attorney Joe Serota, who helped nominate a new civilian police review board.

"It has, I think, raised real concerns about the credibility of the police and the ability of the police to internally root out corrupt cops."

The judge has asked attorneys not to discuss the case, and they have not made any comments since the trial began.

The star prosecution witnesses were two former insiders, now-retired officers who pleaded guilty to the same conspiracy charge against the others.

The defense attacked them as witnesses more interested in staying out of jail and keeping their pensions than telling the truth. If jurors reject their testimony, the defense says the government's case will fall apart.

The strongest witness, John Mervolion, is a man other officers consider a disruptive, dishonest snitch.

The other, William Hames, is an alcoholic who quit drinking after holding a gun on a bus driver in a drunken blackout.

During the trial, Mervolion testified that he saw Officer Jesse Aguero drop a handgun after the shooting of a homeless man and held a gun for Aguero that turned up after a purse-snatching.

Mervolion and Hames were among the officers who killed two fleeing tourist robbers.

Police spokesman Angel Calzadilla said the chief would not comment on the trial until it's over and then will "address it fully and openly."

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