Cases (20) collapse after officers arrested

[flashl]

20 to be dismissed by today; convictions in others may be overturned

The arrests of four Indianapolis police officers are forcing the dismissals of more than two dozen pending cases and could cause drug-crime convictions in other cases to be overturned on appeal, prosecutors said Monday.

As of today, the Marion County prosecutor's office expects to have dismissed 20 cases investigated by former narcotics officers Robert Long and Jason Edwards, officials said.

"These officers were in this court several weeks ago testifying against defendants," Prosecutor Carl Brizzi said Monday. "Now they are defendants."

Deputy Prosecutor Lawrence Brodeur, the chief of narcotics and gun cases, said he was evaluating 12 other cases and would consider the effect on even more in coming days.

Indy Star