Court Upholds Reversal in Rampart Case

A state appeals court on Monday upheld a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge’s decision to throw out the convictions of three Los Angeles police officers accused of framing gang members, charges that were part of the LAPD’s Rampart Division corruption scandal.

The 2nd District Court of Appeal said Judge Jacqueline Connor did not abuse her discretion when she ruled in December 2000 that there had been a prejudicial error in jury instructions and that the evidence, viewed independently, did not warrant the guilty verdicts.

Los Angeles Police Department Sgts. Edward Ortiz and Brian Liddy and Officer Michael Buchanan were found guilty in November 2000 of conspiring to frame gang members Cesar Natividad and Raul Munoz, who the officers said assaulted them. The officers have been suspended without pay pending disciplinary hearings.

The L.A. County district attorney’s office said Monday’s decision was under review, and no decision has been made whether to further the case in the appellate process. It has not been decided whether to retry the case.