The Exoneration Project, The Legal Aid Society and Queens Defenders, in a recently issued letter, requested relief for those convicted of crimes in cases in which three current and former NYPD officers played a role. The officers – Heather Busch, Robert Hassett, and Robert Smith – were charged with various federal crimes on May 11, 2021, reports the Queens Daily Eagle.

As described in court filings, Ms. Busch, Mr. Hassett and Mr. Smith’s status as police officers was essential to their alleged criminal conduct; Mr. Smith also engaged in violent, anti-Black behavior and routinely used anti-Black slurs. This letter follows correspondence dated May 3, 2021, in which the Exoneration Project, Legal Aid, and a coalition of other defender and innocence organizations identified 22 current and former NYPD officers who had been convicted of crimes relating to their duties and asked all of New York City’s District Attorneys to vacate convictions in which those officers played an “essential role” and to conduct a transparent review of all other cases.

Today’s letter adds the three recently indicted officers to the May 3 list. On May 10, DA Katz responded to the May 3 letter stating that she had instructed her staff to gather and analyze the officers’ cases in which no prior remedial action had been taken. Last month, the District Attorneys in New York, Kings and the Bronx counties vacated or announced plans to vacate convictions in cases that rested largely on the account of former NYPD Detective Joseph E. Franco, who is currently facing perjury charges in Manhattan for framing innocent New Yorkers

“The indictment makes clear that the charged individuals’ status as police officers was essential to their alleged criminal conduct. While we recognize that these are allegations and all of these individuals enjoy the presumption of innocence afforded all criminal defendants, we believe that the allegations are sufficiently serious to warrant your office’s review of all criminal cases involving these officers,” reads a statement from The Legal Aid Society and others.