SF cops and Fairfield coroner suspected of misconduct

A federal grand jury on Thursday indicted 6 SF police officers on public corruption charges. They are alleged to have falsified police reports, entered rooms at SRO’s without probable cause, and stolen residents’ belongings. The indictment is the culmination of an investigation which began in 2011 when the SF Public Defender’s Office released video surveillance footage raising serious question about whether officers in fact had the consent of residents when they searched rooms at the Henry Hotel in the Tenderloin. A blog I had written at the time is here.

Susan Hogan, the forensic pathologist who performed autopsies in Solano County (including Vallejo and Fairfield) was forced out in December. On Monday a superior court judge took the unusual step of ordering that her personnel file be released to attorneys in pending homicide cases. Significant questions have been raised about Dr. Hogan’s temperament and laboratory protocols. Defense counsel will be carefully reviewing Dr. Hogan’s opinions about the cause of death in all pending homicide cases and even in cases in which a conviction has resulted. Dr. Hogan has performed autopsies for Solano County since 2009.