"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"
"In a hearing Thursday, Assistant District Attorney John Brouhard said the case was dismissed in the interest of justice, court records show. 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. Buggs is at least the third person whose murder conviction has been dismissed amid concerns about Tran,"
"In Buggs' case, prosecutors and defense attorneys sparred over Tran's methods for identifying suspects in the killing of Lester Young, who was shot dead inside his East Oakland home. Tran originally obtained an arrest warrant for another man, after the only other individual in the room during the killing identified that person as the shooter. Tran's focus later shifted to Buggs after receiving a tip from either an anonymous caller or confidential info"
Steven Buggs, 50, was released after the Alameda County District Attorney's Office dismissed the murder case tied to a 2012 killing. The dismissal followed a judge overturning his conviction and is linked to an Oakland Police Department scandal involving veteran detective Phong Tran, who is accused of bribing and coercing witnesses. Assistant District Attorney John Brouhard said the case was dismissed in the interest of justice. Buggs is at least the third person affected. The scandal has produced lenient plea deals, dismissals, and a review of more than 200 homicide cases connected to Tran, with disputes over his suspect-identification methods.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
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