Date: 02-19-1999

Case Style: Jose de la Rosa v. City of Boston, et al.

Case Number: 98CV10609

Judge: Douglas P. Woodlock

Court: United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts

Plaintiff's Attorney: Howard Friedman, Boston, Massachusetts

Defendant's Attorney: Krisna M. Basu and Michael A. Goldsmith, City of Boston Law Department, Boston, Massachusetts

Description: Civil rights - 42 U.S.C. 1983 claim. Plaintiff claimed that $2,300 was stolen from his home by Boston detectives Walter F. Robinson, Jr. and John Brazil when they searched it on September 26, 1991 during a phony raid. The officers arrested de la Rosa and falsely charged him with possession of cocaine when he couldn't give them "someone big" to arrest. One of the officers, Robinson, was later indicted and convicted of corruption and Brazil resigned his commission with the police department. Brazil was granted immunity and eventually testified that detectives Robinson and Acerra taught him how to obtain search warrants using false information. The officers would keep any money found by them during searches of the "suspects" property. The cocaine trafficking charge, which carried a minimum mandatory 15-year sentence, was eventually dismissed by a judge in October, 1997.

Outcome: Settled for $62,500.00.

Plaintiff's Experts: Unknown

Defendant's Experts: Unknown

Comments: None