Long-Lost Records Surface in Wrongful Conviction Case, Detailing Lead Detective’s Fondling of Informants

We recommend this article on propublica.org because it shows the importance of making records about discipline of police officers public: Long-Lost Records Surface in Wrongful Conviction Case, Detailing Lead Detective’s Fondling of Informants. The article describes how newly released documents shed light onto police misconduct that occurred more than a decade ago. An Indiana detective whose investigations led to two wrongful convictions was forced to resign in 2001, but the city withheld the details about his resignation until recently. Now, thanks to the civil lawsuit of one of the wrongfully incarcerated men, the public knows that the detective’s forced resignation was due to sexual misconduct with informants. When police officers resign because they abused their power, civilians deserve transparency about what happened. As in this case, the details about why the police officer was forced to resign raises questions about the credibility of the officer’s investigative work.