"In a bid to toss their client's murder conviction, defense attorneys say an Oakland homicide detective showed racial bias by telling him an all-white jury could see him as a "big scary Black guy," unless he confessed to the killing. By remaining silent and not admitting to the 2012 shooting, the detective allegedly told the suspect, he "might as well squeeze that noose a little tighter," according to a recent legal filing by Jenny Brandt and Jane Brown of the Alameda County Public Defender's Office."
"The public defenders allege Tran led an investigation guided by stereotypes of Black men, resulting in the conviction of Steven Buggs, who was initially sentenced to 82 years to life in prison for the September 2012 killing of his close friend, Lester Young. He and his attorneys are now seeking to get the conviction tossed under California's Racial Justice Act, claiming Tran "engaged in traditional stereotyping from the beginning of the investigation.""
"The allegations come amid the ongoing fallout of felony perjury and bribery charges filed in 2023 against Tran, who is accused of paying off and coercing a witness in a separate 2011 murder case. Convictions against two other Black men in that case were later quietly overturned by the Alameda County District Attorney's Office, after a key witness claimed she received thousands of dollars from Tran to lie on the stand."
An Oakland homicide detective is accused of using racial stereotypes during interrogation, telling a Black suspect that an all-white jury could view him as a "big scary Black guy" and urging a confession by saying he "might as well squeeze that noose a little tighter." The detective, Phong Tran, led the investigation that produced Steven Buggs' conviction for the September 2012 killing of Lester Young and an initial sentence of 82 years to life. Public defenders seek to overturn the conviction under California's Racial Justice Act, alleging stereotyping shaped the probe. Tran faces separate 2023 felony perjury and bribery charges for allegedly paying and coercing a witness in a 2011 case. Convictions of two other men in that case were later overturned after a witness said she received thousands of dollars from Tran to lie. Prosecutors have reviewed hundreds of cases Tran investigated, and appellate courts have raised concerns.
Read at The Mercury News
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