22 Indicted In Ticket-Fixing Scandal Have Another Week Of Freedom

Via Atomische's Flickr

The Bronx grand jury that has been reviewing evidence of widespread ticket-fixing in the NYPD wrapped up the majority of its work reviewing 1,000 criminal counts yesterday. 17 police officers and five others—including two who are believed to be drug dealers—will have at least another week of freedom while all the paperwork is done, sources tell the Times. Only ten police officers are believed to be charged with ticket-fixing, with seven more being indicted for "unrelated misconduct."

While one former ADA has been acquitted of DWI, and another man acquitted of attempted murder thanks to the taint of the ticket-fixing scandal, and other cases have yet to be affected, 17 officers is well below the 40 that at one point were believed to be charged.

Commissioner Ray Kelly may have designated a task force to root out ticket-fixers, but perhaps this 6-month-long investigation is really a victory for "the culture of extending courtesies to members and their families within the NYPD." As a former union delegate said last week, "You might as well indict this whole department." Does anyone really believe ticket-fixing is finished?

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Christopher Robbins in News on October 1, 2011 11:30 AM

Comments [rss]

Sulayman

Nope, ticket-fixing is not finished. It may die down for a few months, and cops will try doing it more surreptitiously. Clearly the Union supports it and it will go on. If they really wanted the ticket-fixing to go away, they'd prosecute a lot more and have new rounds of prosecution every few months.

Lcpljoel

This is all political the bronx DA only interest is to make a name for himself

Lcpljoel

Thanks to the Bronx DA nobody will get a brake when pulled over now. no more warnings in the Bronx. Its bullshit atmost everybody at one point had a courtesy of just getting a warning due to the circumstances, their jobs or people they know including the DA I'm sure. This is a waste of city tax payers money.

Barbara Starkweather

I might give a bit of credence to your whining, except that the issue ain't just fixing a few parking tickets.

"Those crimes included narcotics corruption, covering up an assault and, in the case of a lieutenant who had been assigned to the Internal Affairs Bureau and worked on the case in its early stages, leaking information about it to union officials".

Just what is a District Attorney's office supposed to do when an investigation uncovers crime? Nothing?

You know what would save the city taxpayers money? If the people responsible for enforcing the law didn't break it, and our DA's didn't have to investigate and prosecute them.

Lcpljoel

i hope those cops who are involved in corruption get to serve some real time because they are supposed to be held to a higher standard. I'll guess soon we'll heard about the charges agaist them, but i still think it was blown out of proportion for a few rotten apples, so the Bronx DA get recognition think about why the others DAs didnt want a piece of the action. If only the bronx DA will also focus more of their investigation in prosecuting hard core criminals that walk the streets of the Bronx free because of some legal technicality maybe i wouldn't whine too much on the way my taxes are being spent

Gothamistriss

Another week of freedom? You know they aren't going to jail right? They'll be asked to voluntarily surrender, they'll be arraigned (where they plead guilty or not guilty), then they'll be released and told to come back a few months down the road for trial.

petey2

Most likely after paying a bail, that regular citizens would never get. They would get released with no bail even though the cops would be a lower or similar flight risk.

Gothamistriss

I agree, almost everybody is ROR'd but i'm sure to avoid headlines they'll make them pay bail. I would assume the PBA would pick up the tab though.