"The Alameda County District Attorney's Office this week dismissed its case against Steven Buggs, who had served time in state prison after jurors found him guilty of the 2012 killing. Buggs is no longer listed in state prison logs. The dismissal is tied to an ongoing Oakland Police Department scandal involving Phong Tran, a veteran homicide detective accused of bribing and coercing witnesses to secure numerous convictions."
"The decision by Alameda County District Attorney Ursula Jones Dickson's decision comes weeks after a judge overturned Buggs' murder conviction in the killing, leaving Jones Dickson with a decision on whether to re-try the case. A message by this news outlet to Jones Dickson's office seeking comment on the decision was not immediately returned. The Alameda County Public Defender's Office, which represented Buggs, also did not return a request by this news outlet for comment."
Steven Buggs, 50, was freed after the Alameda County District Attorney's Office dismissed its case; he had served time following a 2012 guilty verdict in the killing of his childhood friend. The dismissal is linked to an Oakland Police Department scandal involving detective Phong Tran, who is accused of bribing and coercing witnesses and faces felony bribery and perjury charges. A judge overturned Buggs' murder conviction, and prosecutors declined to retry the case, dismissing it "in the interest of justice." Tran's investigative methods prompted reviews and have led to plea deals and dismissals across more than 200 homicide cases.
Read at The Mercury News
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