$3.5 million deal for 87 in Camden police-fraud suit

A $3.5 million settlement has been reached in the federal lawsuits of 87 people who had drug convictions tossed out or charges dropped after Camden police involved in their arrests were linked to possible corruption, the lawyer who represented the city said Wednesday.

One plaintiff did not agree to the settlement, finalized Tuesday, said John Eastlack Jr., the city's attorney. That litigation may proceed, he said.

The Camden County Prosecutor's Office vacated sentences or dropped cases against 200 people - including the plaintiffs - in 2009, when an FBI investigation alleged that members of a Camden antidrug police unit stole cash and drugs from suspected dealers, fabricated arrest reports, faked evidence, and lied while testifying to grand juries.

Lawyers for the plaintiffs argued that their clients - many of whom had previous drug arrests - had their rights violated by the rogue officers.

One former Camden police officer was convicted, and three others pleaded guilty to charges stemming from the investigation.

In November, U.S. Magistrate Judge Joel Schneider gave attorneys for the plaintiffs until Dec. 10 to inform the court whether their clients would take part in the settlement, which he aimed to finalize in 60 to 90 days.

One obstacle was that Camden was suing its insurance company, which had refused to cover the payments.

Eastlack said Wednesday that the city's suit would be resolved along with the plaintiffs' claims.

Lawyers from ACLU-New Jersey and the ACLU's National Criminal Law Reform Project will comment Thursday on the case, the state chapter said Wednesday.

The ACLU represents Joel Barnes, a convicted drug dealer and one of the plaintiffs in the case.

Camden officers arrested him and planted PCP-laced marijuana on him in August 2008, Barnes alleged in his lawsuit. He spent 14 months in prison and a halfway house before his conviction was overturned.

In April, officials reported that Camden had paid $340,000 to settle state civil rights suits filed by 11 people whose convictions were dropped.

Under state law, those wrongfully jailed are entitled to $54.79 per day of incarceration.

The plaintiffs in the federal suits served a combined 107 years on their overturned convictions, said Alexander Shalom, an ACLU-New Jersey attorney who headed the plaintiffs' negotiating committee.

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