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Prosecutor: 2 Michigan men freed from prison due to police misconduct

Posted at 10:33 AM, Mar 26, 2020
and last updated 2020-03-26 10:33:44-04

DETROIT (AP) — A judge on Tuesday dismissed the convictions of two men in prison for drug crimes, including one who has been locked up for more than seven years, after prosecutors said the cases were spoiled by Detroit police misconduct.

“These are the first cases that deal directly with fraudulent search warrant affidavits and other activities by highly unethical and compromised narcotics police officers,” Wayne County prosecutor Kym Worthy said.

“These cases take time to review, and we expect that there will be more. I will not hesitate to free other wrongfully convicted individuals if we find tainted or fraudulent evidence,” Worthy said.

Darell Chancellor, 38, was convicted of a drug crime in 2012 and sentenced to at least 14 years in prison. Darrell Richmond, 52, has served less than a year of an eight-year sentence for drug and gun crimes. Both will be released by the state Corrections Department.

Chancellor chose a bench trial and was convicted by Wayne County Judge Daniel Hathaway. He lost his appeal in a 2-1 decision in 2014, although appeals court Judge Douglas Shapiro said he would have granted a new trial because of insufficient evidence.