FFWC Uncovered the Corruption of NYPD Detective Louis Scarcella
Derrick Hamilton, co-founder of Families and Friends of the Wrongfully Convicted, and victim of disgraced NYPD detective Louis Scarcella, broke the story of the terrible history of corruption by Det. Scarcella and former District Attorney Charles Hynes that led to scores of wrongful convictions, which sent many men to prison for crimes they did not commit. Following the revelations of Scarcella’s complicity, which was uncovered years earlier by Hamilton, Shabaka Shakur and Nelson Cruz while all serving life sentences together in Auburn Prison, the true story was given to New York Times investigative reporter Frances Robles who completed a detailed series of articles on Louis Scarcella and his trail of wrongful convictions. The Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez while refusing to condemn Scarcella, has admitted that they were reviewing over fifty of Scarcella related convictions. To date, their Conviction Review Unit (CRU) has made little progress.
New York Times Articles
Doubts About Detective Haunt 50 Murder Cases:
Review of 50 Brooklyn Murder Cases Ordered
The Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office is scrutinizing the cases of Louis Scarcella, a former star detective, after new revelations
Several Murder Confessions Taken by Brooklyn Detective Have Similar Language
Brooklyn DA in Conflict in Investigating Det. Scarcella
A Conflict Is Seen in a Review of a Detective’s Conduct
Brooklyn DA Look into Scarcella Cases
14 More Brooklyn Convictions Linked to Scarcella Are Examined
Judicial Review
Judge to Review Files on Brooklyn Detective Scarcella
FFWC has been Instrumental in Overturning Many Wrongful Convictions and Continues Working to Exonerate Others Still in Prison or on Parole
- Nelson Cruz – 23 years, serving 25 to life sentence
- Danny Rincon – Serving 158-year sentence, life without parole
- James Jenkins – 34 years and still imprisoned
- Vincent Simmons – Served 44 years of 100-year sentence, still incarcerated
- David Ranta – 23 years, exonerated
- Shabaka Shakur – 27 years, paroled, exonerated
- Derrick Hamilton – 21 years, paroled, exonerated
- Sundhee Moses – 17 years, paroled, exonerated
- Alvena Jennette – 21 years, parole and exonerated
- Daryl Austin – Died in prison while serving life
- Kevin Smith – 27 years paroled 2013, awaiting exoneration
Podcast: Wrongful Conviction with Jason Flom – Danny Rincon Case
FFWC Has Played a Leadership Role in Criminal Justice Reform in New York
We have worked closely with advocates, legal organizations and legislators over the past 10 years to enact criminal justice reform. These include seeking to mandate the recording of all custodial interrogations of suspects from the time they are in police custody, as well as ensure police conduct double blind police line ups to prevent witness misidentification.
We have held numerous news conferences and provided testimony before the New York City Council and NYS Legislature seeking criminal justice reform, including laws to prevent prosecutorial misconduct, bail reform, discovery reform, sentencing reform measures and parole reform.
We worked closely with journalists and editorial writers, filmmakers, podcast producers and educators in promoting legislation and helping them to frame the issues surrounding wrongful convictions causes and remedies.
We successfully helped to pass legislation that mandates law enforcement agencies statewide to video record interrogations of people accused of serious non-drug felonies, such as homicides and violent sex offenses. The requirement applies to all custodial interrogations that occur in police stations, correctional facilities, prosecutors’ offices and holding areas. Failure to record interrogations in such cases could result in a court determining that a confession is inadmissible as evidence.
NY Times Editorial on Police Interrogations by Professor Saul Kassin