1,000 Convictions to Be Reviewed After SFPD Racist Text Scandal

A series of racist and homophobic text messages allegedly sent by officers in the San Francisco Police Department could result in the dismissal of three pending criminal cases as early as next week, and the review of 1,000 convictions that took place over the course of the last decade. Additionally, as many as 120 other cases could be scrapped.

Public Defender Jeff Adachi said his office will file papers in San Francisco Superior Court challenging auto theft and drug cases brought forward as a result of police work done by two of the four officers who are being investigated for potential racial bias, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

The two officers, Michael Celis and Noel Schwab, reportedly swapped text messages with former Sgt. Ian Furminger, whose phone was seized when he was recently convicted in federal court on corruption charges in an entirely separate case.

The other two officers involved in the investigation are Michael Robison and Rain Daugherty. Sgt. Furminger’s phone reportedly had racist texts on it from the four other officers, which which led to the investigation.

All four officers have been reassigned to non-contact-positions last month as their cases are reviewed. Officer Daughtery is reportedly on personal leave, the Chronicle notes.

Prosecutors have reportedly agreed to cooperate in the inquiry and Adachi’s office is looking into implementing several reforms into the SFPD including sensitivity training.

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