Wednesday, May 6, 2015

Narco Cops Trial Heads To The Jury

By George Anastasia
For Bigtrial.net

The government wasn't interested in finding the truth, but merely in making a case.

That was the message delivered again and again today in closing arguments for the defense in the racketeering corruption trial of six Philadelphia Police Department narcotics investigators.

The jury, which is expected to begin deliberations sometime tomorrow, heard a steady stream of defense arguments built around attacking the government's case and the credibility of its witnesses, including more than a dozen admitted drug dealers and one dirty cop.

One defense attorney after another fired verbal shots at the prosecution.

It was, the jury was told, a "flawed" case built on "fables" not facts. Testimony came from "a parade of witnesses that looked like an audition for the Jerry Springer Show." The prosecution was "disingenuous in the extreme" and the six-week trial was an example of "innocent men being accused by guilty men."

Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Wzorek, who had the final word in the government's rebuttal closing late this afternoon, shrugged off the criticism, telling the jury the defense strategy was to "attack and distract" and that despite the emotional claims and high octave rants, the defense still was faced with one hurdle it could not overcome.

How was it possible, Wzorek asked, that Jeffrey Walker, the former narcotics cop turned government witness, told the FBI after his arrest in 2013 virtually the same stories of corruption that drug dealers
had recounted five or six years earlier?

The six defendants, all former members of the Police Department's Narcotics Field Unit, are charged with stealing more than $500,000 in cash, drugs and other valuables from drug dealers they had targeted and then fabricating police reports and arrest records to cover their tracks. The corruption extended from 2006 through 2012, the indictment alleges.

Wzorek said the cops thought they had committed "the perfect crime." Drug dealers, he said, had "a lot of cash and couldn't complain" when money was taken because the money was drug proceeds. What's more, he said, if they complained their credibility would be questioned. In most cases, he said, having cash stolen was considered "the cost of doing business."

The prosecutor dismissed the testimony of nearly a dozen police officers and supervisors who were called as defense witness and who refuted and contradicted the allegations that came from the witness stand when the prosecution was presenting its case.

Wzorek said the "thin blue line" of unchallenged loyalty that is part of the unwritten code of all police officers "became quite wide" when the indictment in the current case was handed down. Wzorek implied, as the prosecution has throughout the trial, that police officials were willing to look the other way because the Narcotics Field Unit had a high arrest rate and made big cases.

The defendants, he said, were not heroes, as the defense had argued, but rather a "disgrace;" police officers who had sworn to uphold the law, but them systematically broke it.

The defense, as it had throughout the trial, hammered away at the prosecution in pointed and often vitriolic closing arguments.

"They didn't want to know the truth," said Jeffrey Miller, the lawyer for lead defendant Thomas Liciardello who emerged from prosecution testimony as an arrogant cowboy cop who trampled on everyone's rights while pocketing cash and falsifying reports. 

"The government wants you to convict based on the testimony of a freak show," said Miller after comparing the witnesses to the misfits who appear on the Jerry Springer Show.

James Binns, the lawyer for Michael Spicer (the only defendant to testify), offered an emotionally
charged 30-minute closing argument in which he managed to quote Shakespeare, the poet Walter Scott, the Bible and Yogi Berra.

Binns said the government witnesses "committed perjury with aplomb" and called the six defendants "heroes" who deserved to be thanked for the job they did, rather than prosecuted. He said they were the "peacemakers" referred to in the Bible verse about the eight beatitudes and "they shall be called children of God."

Two female jurors appeared to be dabbing tears while Binns delivered his argument.

Somewhere on the "road to the truth" the government got lost, said Nicholas Pinto, the lawyer for defendant Linwood Norman. Pinto called Walker, the cop-turned-cooperator, a "snake" who couldn't be believed or trusted. Yet, he argued, the government embraced the admitted dirty cop who said he routinely had stolen money and drugs while on duty.

Gregory Pagano, the lawyer for Perry Betts, said the testimony of admitted drug dealers, many of whom planned to sue or had already filed suit against the city, "made a mockery of the justice system."

Those witnesses,  he said, "will profit from a guilty verdict in this case."

And Michael Diamondstein, noting that his client John Speiser was seldom even mentioned during the trial, said the fact that Speiser was a defendant said all anyone needed to know about the integrity of the prosecution.

"There is no evidence against John Speiser, absolutely none," said Diamondstein."It's wrong that John Speiser is here." But, he added, the prosecution "was not interested in justice. They just wanted to win."

The war of words finally ended around 3:45 when Wzorek completed his arguments and Judge Eduardo Robreno sent the jury panel home for the night. Robreno will charge the panel -- explain the laws that apply in the case -- when court reconvenes at 9 a.m. tomorrow. The jury will probably begin its deliberations sometime around noon.

George Anastasia can be reached at George@bigtrial.net.

65 comments

  1. Fingers crossed and prayers are with you fine Boys. Hopefully home by evening tmrw again best wish.s for you and your familys.

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    1. Ok. Lol NOTTTTTT !!!!! THIS JUDGE WILL TAKE THEM ALL INTO CUSTODY AS SOON AS THEY ARE FOUND GUILTY!!!

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    2. Mr. Bubba will be praying for little Tommy .

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  2. The prosecution wants us to believe that the 15 drug dealers were honest in their testimony, and that every police officer and police supervisor who got up and refuted and contradicted the allegations is a despicable liar.


    We are to believe this despite the fact that every story told by the drug dealers was filled with inconsistencies and statements that were proven time and time again to be flat out lies.

    I am disgusted by the federal prosecutors and the FBI. This is the sloppiest, most ridiculous investigation ever conducted.

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    1. I believe Lt .Otto He is a good guy .

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    2. How can you believe a guy who looks like Largo the bad guy in thunder ball .

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    3. So you're saying Officer Walker did all this dirt, committed all of these crimes alone and the rest of the "elite" squad of Narcs had no idea and are completely oblivious?? Are you serious? So as he was conducting his rouge crimes, the rest of his squad were just doing the lords work right. Wow I feel so bad for you to be so gullible.

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  3. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Wzorek should be ashamed of himself. To prosecute this case was an absolute disgrace.

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    1. So you're saying Officer Walker did all this dirt, committed all of these crimes alone and the rest of the "elite" squad of Narcs had no idea and are completely oblivious?? Are you serious? So as he was conducting his rouge crimes, the rest of his squad were just doing the lords work right. Wow I feel so bad for you to be so gullible.

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    2. Idiot one up he testified on his day off he was shaking down drug dealers and planting drugs on the same dealers he testified with by himself then got caught and made a deal can you slap dicks even read.

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    3. OH so the elite narcotics squd had no idea that there brother in blue was doing that???? Are you serious, so they are just inept at their jobs? Ok got it, thats even worse but I know that you dont believe that, you are just a cop or a cop lover so you tell yourself what you have to but common sense and half a brain tells you that not only did they know but they participated. There is no way he could have kept all of that a secret from his detective brothers, come on man think. I actually like police and understand the need, I am just being unbiased unlike you. Common sense man use it, of course they all did it not just Walker, he would have needed back up and they defintiely would have known when they saw the paperwork.

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    4. Hey 11:23, Walker stated he did his jobs on Mondays, his day off. I would say he went alone...

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    5. So you say believe walkers statement sometimes..Oh now I understand

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  4. And Michael Diamondstein, noting that his client John Speiser was seldom even mentioned during the trial, said the fact that Speiser was a defendant said all anyone needed to know about the integrity of the prosecution.

    That comment is all you need to know about this trial. No audio, video, surveillance, no record of lavish spending by the cops, nothing. The only evidence is a cop that is a known thief and admitted drug dealers trying to cash in on a civil lawsuit.

    If I arrested a drug dealer and showed up to court with the evidence the Feds have I would be laughed out of court by the prosecutors. This is a travesty, over five years investigating these cops and this is all they have. Please tell me the agents and prosecuter swill be disciplined after this not guilty verdict.

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    1. Why was Walker on the squad so long ? Why didn't Lt .Largo or Sergeant bottles get rid of him ,if he was so derelict in his duty as a police officer ?

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    2. So you're saying Officer Walker did all this dirt, committed all of these crimes alone and the rest of the "elite" squad of Narcs had no idea and are completely oblivious?? Are you serious? So as he was conducting his rouge crimes, the rest of his squad were just doing the lords work right. Wow I feel so bad for you to be so gullible.
      Read more at http://www.bigtrial.net/2015/05/narco-cops-trial-heads-to-jury.html#Y00ZpTxscdr8pjus.99

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    3. Hey 11:36, Walker testified he did his dirty work on Mondays, his day off. Sounds like he was alone to me...

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  5. These gentlemen will ALL be home for dinner Friday night! God bless and hang in there tomorrow boys. It's been a long road and thankfully it is coming to an end.
    Will be patiently awaiting the Not Guilty Verdict over the next day or two.
    The Prosecuters in this case should be cleaning out their desks as we speak. They should not get to walk away from this case Scott free. What they did to these men, these men will never get back. Disgusting and embarrassing to our federal system, who's investigating them....

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    1. The only thing you can hope for is a hung jury . If that happens they will be rearrested and the trial will continue at a later date .

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    2. The only thing I can hope for is that these men get their lives back in an order that they are happy with after what these corrupt federal investigators did to them. I don't need to hope for a hung jury when the jury will come to a Not Guilty Verdict.

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    3. So you're saying Officer Walker did all this dirt, committed all of these crimes alone and the rest of the "elite" squad of Narcs had no idea and are completely oblivious?? Are you serious? So as he was conducting his rouge crimes, the rest of his squad were just doing the lords work right. Wow I feel so bad for you to be so gullible.

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    4. Not what I said, but I am saying READ THE ARTICLES FROM THE START on bigtrial if you would like to actually FOLLOW the case CORRECTLY instead of posting your stupid comment ten times over on here.

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  6. 2013 jeff walker told the story of phila police corruption that matches the same stories told by fed witnesses 5-6yrs earlier. Cant dodge this bullet no matter what. These 6 ex dirty narcs are history. They did the crime now let them pay the crime!!!!!

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    1. No, not one of these dare I call them "witnesses" told these stories at the time of their crimes which all occurred with in the passed 6 years. These men only told these stories AFTER Walker got caught red handed and started "flagging" jobs that they did and telling his own stories. There were hundreds of holes in all of their stories and testimony including Walkers because their testimony was just that, nothing but "stories" fed to them by Walker and the Federal government. None of them could get them straight. The ONLY "whiteness" that the Feds used that had testimony that had any type of proof was the under cover federal agent who posed as a drug dealer to set these men up because of the Audio and video footage and all he could say about these men was they use "Foul Language" with the ONLY time audio and video was available to prove any wrong doing on this whole case, there was no money missing there was no drugs missing there was no hitting no sledge hammers no talk of wives or daughters, but they dropped the F bomb a couple times- and LAST TIME I CHECKED ( unless the Feds changes the rules because apparently they get to play by their own ) CURSING WAS NOT A FEDERAL CRIME. So wash all of their mouths out with soap and send these free men on their way, back to their families and back to their lives that the federal government got to destroy.

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    2. I am sure Home depot will hire them .

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    3. He told the exact same story after his 47th interview with the FBI. They basically fed him the story. These guys arrested over 5000 people and this was the best 16 they could find. Every one of them told a different story each time they were interviewed, the case is a joke. See you guys this weekend.

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    4. So you're saying Officer Walker did all this dirt, committed all of these crimes alone and the rest of the "elite" squad of Narcs had no idea and are completely oblivious?? Are you serious? So as he was conducting his rouge crimes, the rest of his squad were just doing the lords work right. Wow I feel so bad for you to be so gullible.
      Read more at http://www.bigtrial.net/2015/05/narco-cops-trial-heads-to-jury.html#Y00ZpTxscdr8pjus.99

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    5. Just master cut and paste ?

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  7. Jimmy Binns is so full of himself .

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    1. Really? You Strap, Jimmy Binns is so full of himself. The guy resurected the Hero thrill show, donated Harleys to various police departments, started a program so police officers lobg forgotten by bags of shit like would be forevere remembered. YOU DICK

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    2. Didn't I see Jimmy at Woodys with a cop uniform on?

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  8. Just let these 6 shit bags get found guilty and hauled off to jail. Case friggin closed.

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  9. Federal prosecutors are exactly like slave traders, selling human beings into slavery for a profit. The profit is a win, a conviction, a career advancement.

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  10. Let's not forget the Text messages to walker from Tommy.They admit guilt by calling Walker a Snitch.If there was nothing done illegal together then Tommy should have called him a liar or said why are you making shit up or just not even text him.Tommy makes himself look guilty as charged.Then Tommy will be Sir-Snitch-Alot.Tommy will bring the rest of the Squad down to save his own ass.This is the first step to cleaning up our Philadelphia police department.Our city needs to reignite our community to police relations.

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    1. This was after walker said that tommy stole his weapon. It had absolutely nothing at all to do with the federal indictment. Read the case and you will know the facts.

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    2. The text messages were in reference to an internal affairs investigation that they were all cleared from years before Walker was even arrested. Different timeline not associated with why they were indicted.

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  11. The FBI attempted to set up these "rogue" cops using a plane, audio and video technology inside a vehicle and inside an apartment and what did these officers do? They confiscated and documented every dollar and cleared the 2 federal agent decoys without arresting them due to lack of evidence. Sound like "thieves"stopped these decoys or does it sound like expierenced narcotics officers just doin their jobs? I think the later!!! God bless these officers and their families. Shame on the federal government for bringing any charges against these men! It is and embarrassment to our justice system!

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  12. Ex dirty narc brian reynolds found the camera and looked right intO it duh. Ass hole reynolds knew at that point the game was serious. Guilty!!!! Send all 6 ex dirty narcs up the river with no paddles.

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    1. It was actually John speiser who was looking at the camera. If you're gonna talk shit, at least get your facts straight.

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    2. The judge even told the prosecution how the dates of the texts didnt line up with the federal investigation and she still used it in her closing argument. She should be fired immediately.

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    3. 10:06
      10:09
      It's like talking to a wall fellas. These haters are just like the prosecution, they don't want the facts of the case or the truth, they want a guilty verdict for their own personal reasons.

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    4. So you're saying Officer Walker did all this dirt, committed all of these crimes alone and the rest of the "elite" squad of Narcs had no idea and are completely oblivious?? Are you serious? So as he was conducting his rouge crimes, the rest of his squad were just doing the lords work right. Wow I feel so bad for you to be so gullible.
      These six criminals were obviously working with him, they just knew the Feds were onto them since the sting was a year after they got their partner Walker, so they knew to be careful. These 6 are a disgrace to the uniform and instead off blindly supporting them, the so called "good" cops should want to get rid of these parasite, already cost the city millions in lawsuits and even worse destroyed the reputation of the entire Philadelphia Police Department.

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    5. That's really weird how they knew the feds were onto them when the setup that was done on them was a year BEFORE Walker's. Not the other way around. Start reading the articles more closely you fuckin idiot. They also told their supervisers that they no longer wanted to work with Walker and he was all alone working by himself. You have no idea what is really going on so please stop typing the same exact nonsense comment on every post. The drug dealers are the parasites costing the city millions.

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  13. We can have a pissing contest all day. Anthing other than a Not Guilty verdict after what the feds presented up there would be a total travesty. M.T Jimmy G and Jay let them hate . Things have a way of taking care of those who continue to wish ill will on others wheter it be family or kids it comes back to bite them in the ass.

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  14. Just a waiting game now, judge will charge jury this morning and then they are off to make their decision.
    Praying that the truth in this case will set you men free!!! That the jury can see what the prosecution has done, and not done in this case. They were not after the truth or justice here.
    GOODLUCK BOYS!
    LOTS OF PRAYERS COMING YOUR WAY TODAY!!

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    1. I agree the Feds did not conduct a great trial or investigation, but these 6 are so obviously guilty it doesn't matter. These six cops make the entire department look bad but instead of telling the truth their supervisors lie in court and support them, thats why people don't trust cops because the so called "good" ones protect the bad ones and unlike your job of delivering pizza when a bad cop does bad the consequences aren't just a cold pizza no, they ruin peoples lives if they don't outright kill them.

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    2. Their supervisors all lied? LMAO not the drug dealers that got caught in so many lies a number of them didn't make it on the stand ?? I don't recall any of their supervisors getting caught in any lies on the stand or I guess they are "just that good" too? Give me a break buddy. Idiots like you make the police department look bad. But if it makes ya feel better after the not guilty verdict I'll deliver you a nice Hot pizza to drown your sorrows in. ( since accoring to you that's my job wink wink )

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    3. So , you concede that the investigation was poorly conducted but somehow you have determined that the police supervisors are lying. If you have been paying attention at all to the coverage of this trial, then you should know that the government's witnesses, the drug dealers, repeatedly lied and conflicted their own testimony. But somehow you have decided that these fine officers are obviously guilty. I am so glad that you are not on this jury.

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    4. The "Feds" should be embarrassed by their lack of evidence & gathering bottom feeders to "build" this case. The prosecutions witnesses are the lying, drug dealing scum that plagues this city, who would lie about anything to not only lessen sentences but seek lawsuits. The real victims are these 6 men and their families. Praying for a few good men to get their lives back.

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    5. I am the only non bias person on here. I support the police but I will not blindly support them like you. These cops need to be held accountable, I dont' care that the victims are scumbag drug dealers because they are still human beings with rights. The police are supposed to protect us all not pick and choose who they think deserves to be treated as a human and who doesn't. They broke the law, they broke basic human decency and they need to go to jail simple as that. I do believe that the scumbag drug dealers lied at certain points probably to hide their own crimes and didn't want to admit in open court for all to see that they are drug dealers so they try to make themselves look good, fine charge them with perjury i don't care about them, but the meat and potatoes of their stories are true so I don't care if he lied about selling a van when clearly the money they stole from him was drug money because at the end of the day they still stole money, drug money or legal it doesn't matter.

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    6. I am not blindly supporting them, there is no physical evidence to support these accusations, as there clearly was when the "witnesses" clearly were caught! The truth is the truth!

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    7. 12:33
      The feds would love you for a juror, you believe the feds just because they are the feds.

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  15. THE ALLEN CHARGE.
    LOL. DID YOU HEAR?
    CTFU. DEF GOING TO BE FOUND GUILTY. FOR ALL MY FRIENDS LOOKING TO SEE THESE 6 BUM EX NARCS GO TO HELL...JAIL...THEN BACK AGAIN CHECK OUT THE Rule of ALLEN CHARGE.
    WELL THE JURY WILL GET THAT ALSO TODAY. HA.

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    1. How dumb are you? The Allen Charge is given when a jury is deadlocked on a verdict after deliberations. Now why on the first day of deliberations would a jury be given an Allen Charge? Dope.

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    2. M.T they are all very dumb, sound like a bunch of god damn idiots.....Go Team Blue !!!

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  16. You don't even know what the hell an Allen charge means, you idiot. Why in the hell would the jury be given instructions on a Allen Charge the first hour into deliberations, you continue to make yourself look like an ass, go back to school and learn how to read and write and compose a complete sentence. Good luck officers, I'm praying for you that a NOT GUILTY verdict comes down

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  17. To jail with these six snails...life has no room for culprits of the sort!!! Off to siberia with these low life ex dirty narcs that may their souls wallow in the endless pits of eternal suffering. Guilt i say....GUILTY GUILTY GUILTY

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  18. The verdict will come back Not Guilty, as it should. These officers will be back on the street, cleaning up the scum of the earth!! All you drug dealing murders will need to find a minimum wage job, because your scam to file a civil suit will be tossed... No big pay day for you low life's and I am sure if you try and resume selling drugs, our friends in the narcotic unit will be right there to lock your ass up again... So, listen low life, less than dog shit, murders, start thinking now!!!!

    NOT GUILTY!!!!!!!!! NOT GUILTY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    Maybe we should march in the streets tonight to show our support!

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    1. Oooooo im scarrrrrred. Lol
      Im goin to jail agian??? Lol Really? 3 hots and a cot??? Better then welfare. Let me guess? Your gonna follow tommys method, false warrants maybe? Wait...pistol whip me lol. Nah....you will just plant drugs in my infants diapers and say i hid them there? Sounds about right lol. Well now that i hear you.... will just take my chances with the honest police of this city!!! Atleast they wont do the things Crumb bag Tommy did. Guilty by All MEANS!!!!

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    2. Not Guilty, should we all go loot a mall and set a gas station on fire to show support for these men and their NOT GUILTY VERDICT?? isn't that what you trash bag scum of this earth do!!?????

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  19. Smokin blunt....drinkn some henny to guilty verdict today....hip hip hoorayyyy. This city is one happier place with out these six low life bastards ex dirty narcs.

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    1. That sounds like a hard working man smoking blunts and drinking henny, lock you up and throw away the key. The streets would be much happier without you on them, you are a fine example to your children. They will be found NOT GUILY you losers

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  20. Anonymous 11.26.
    Allen charge you fucking idiot. You should go buy a large allen wrench and have your wife or girlfriend crack you in the head and may be knock some sense into your Sorry ass. As for you other anonymous hating clowns ill be upset if there found Guilty. But its looking more like Not Guilty. And for you sorry SOB That means the Grim Reaper and The Boys will be paying your asses a visit and your family won.t be able to help you this time because your shit is gonna get real raggedy real fucking quick. So keep wishing for a guilty verdict but its not in the cards for your sorry little souls. Lol

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  21. Party time...fellas. my treat when these six creep ex douch bags are hauled off to jail. Salute to the USA FEDERAL GOVERMENT.

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