The Legal Aid Society praised Queens County District Attorney Melinda Katz’s decision to vacate convictions in 60 cases where the purported evidence of guilt was obtained or produced by corrupt New York City Police Department (NYPD) officers, as reported by The New York Times.

The action comes in response to a letter sent in May by Legal Aid, together with The Exoneration Project and other defender and civil rights organizations, that identified 22 officers whose cases were in need of review due to past convictions associated with their law enforcement duties.

“Criminal convictions largely based on the work of corrupt former or active NYPD officers who engaged in misconduct while executing their duties flies in the face of the oaths officers take to protect and serve New Yorkers,” said Elizabeth Felber, Director of the Wrongful Conviction Unit at The Legal Aid Society. “This unconscionable and inexcusable behavior corrodes the public’s trust in law enforcement.”

Legal Aid continues to call on the City’s other district attorneys to follow suit and examine cases where each of these officers played an essential role and to commit to regular and transparent review of cases involving police officers with credibility issues.