Defense Attorney Says Prosecutors Relied On GTTF Testimony

In Annapolis, the state panel investigating police issues related to Baltimore City's Gun Trace Task Force held another meeting today.

Attorney Ivan Bates told the panel that prosecutors continued to bring cases based on arrests from members of the task force, including its commander Sgt. Wayne Jenkins, even though Bates said the prosecutors knew the cases could be thrown out because of the officer's conduct.

Bates said the state's attorney's office was more worried about convictions, rather than fair cases.

"These were known entities. The system clearly failed the citizens because they were worried more about statistics then they were worried about the people," Bates said in an interview after his testimony.

Bates was one of two challengers to State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby in last year's Democratic primary.

The Commission to Restore Trust in Policing was established last year in the wake of the indictments of eight police officers linked to the Gun Trace Task Force. All eight officers were either convicted at trial, or pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges and other offenses, including robbery and overtime fraud.

The commission's chief counsel also said that the panel has received a number of letters from Detective Daniel Hersl, now serving 18 years in federal prison for his own role in the case. It is not known if Hersl will eventually appear before the panel, which will continues to investigate this issue through the end of next year.