Misconduct

I have never experienced a more egregious abuse of the criminal-justice system by a prosecutor than what was orchestrated by former Philadelphia District Attorney Lynne Abraham in filing murder charges against William Barnes for the death of Walter Barclay. To pursue an official charge of homicide involving a death that occurred 41 years after the original injury without having a complete autopsy performed and before obtaining and thoroughly reviewing all of the victim's medical and hospital records is truly incomprehensible and connotes serious professional negligence - if not personal malevolence.

The District Attorney's Office and Police Department are looking into allegations of misconduct by one or more investigators in Operation Ferret, the wide-ranging probe of corruption among prison guards that has so far resulted in criminal charges against 58 prison employees. The internal reviews were triggered in part by a work-release prisoner's complaint that two investigators threatened to hang him, shoot him or have him raped by other prisoners for refusing to implicate guards in an alleged February 1988 beating.

Accusing the judge on the case of misconduct, Kenneth Powell's attorney has asked that his case, scheduled to go to trial tomorrow in Superior Court in Salem County, be dismissed. Defense attorney Carl Roeder said he had filed a letter of complaint with the U.S. Attorney's Office in Camden on Friday charging Superior Court Judge William Forester with judicial misconduct and destruction of evidence during an Oct. 4 plea hearing. Neither Forester nor the U.S. Attorney's Office could be reached for comment last night.

Saying it has "zero tolerance for misconduct in the workplace," the federal Transportation Security Administration, which oversees passenger screening at airports, is seeking to dismiss seven Philadelphia workers. The seven are among 10 employees who were suspended in November 2011 from security duties at Philadelphia International Airport, pending an investigation into allegations of payoffs for passing grades in annual proficiency tests. In February, training instructor Shannon Gilliam, of Sharon Hill, pleaded guilty in federal court to taking a $200 bribe from a security officer.

Six weeks after arresting the Bucks County register of wills on corruption charges, prosecutors are investigating possible misconduct in the county sheriff's office, according to a county commissioner and the lawyer for a deputy sheriff. The deputy, Sgt. Gary Browndorf, has been asked to testify Thursday before a county grand jury examining "improprieties in the Sheriff's Department," said his attorney, Nino Tinari. Sheriff Edward J. Donnelly did not respond to two messages seeking comment Monday.

Philadelphia Archbishop Charles J. Chaput has removed two more priests accused of misconduct with minors and restored four to ministry. The six are among the 26 Catholic priests whom the archdiocese placed on administrative leave last year following a Philadelphia grand jury investigation into clergy sex abuse and misconduct involving children. In an announcement Friday, the archdiocese disclosed that a 16-month investigation by a team it had created found that the Rev. John Bowe, 64, and the Rev. David Givey, 68, had violated "standards of ministerial behavior and boundaries.

HARRISBURG - Attorneys for former House Speaker John Perzel and seven codefendants in a government-corruption case are accusing prosecutors of misconduct for destroying investigation notes they say show inconsistencies in witness statements. Common Pleas Court Judge Richard A. Lewis is considering the defendants' motion to dismiss all charges. He has not said when he will rule. Perzel (R., Phila.) and his codefendants are scheduled for trial in September on charges that they used tax dollars for political gain.

A day after the FBI said it could not account for 449 guns and 184 computers, the Senate Judiciary Committee yesterday aired new and embarrassing disclosures by bureau whistleblowers alleging corruption in the FBI's senior ranks. "There are some very, very serious management problems at the FBI," said Sen. Patrick J. Leahy (D., Vt.), chairman of the committee. Republicans joined in. Sen. Orrin G. Hatch (R., Utah) called the gun and computer losses, which FBI officials attributed to sloppy record-keeping, "simply inexcusable.

The morning news before the start of the annual Willow Creek national leadership teleconference was ironic and apropos. Sam Waksal, friend of Martha Stewart and CEO of ImClone Systems Inc., was indicted on charges of insider trading. Former Tyco International Ltd. executive L. Dennis Kozlowski stood accused of spending $2.1 million in company funds on his wife's birthday party and $6,000 for a shower curtain. "I can't think of a time when people have been more fed up with sneaky, deceitful, untrusting, immoral, greedy leaders," said the Rev. Bill Hybels, senior pastor of Willow Creek Community Church outside Chicago.