Wrongly Convicted Man Released From Prison After 7 Years Sues Philadelphia and Former Detective
PHILADELPHIA, April 19, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- A wrongly convicted man who was released from prison after seven years has sued a former Philadelphia detective who put him there and the city that failed for years to prevent the detective's widespread misconduct.
The lawsuit was filed by Ross Feller Casey, LLP on behalf of James Frazier who, in 2013 at the age of 18, was convicted and sentenced to life in prison for a role in a double murder in Philadelphia based on testimony coerced by Homicide Detective Philip Nordo.
A grand jury indicted Nordo in February of multiple counts of rape, related sex offenses and official oppression. He is accused of repeatedly using his position of power to groom criminal informants as sexual conquests. After the indictment, the Philadelphia Police Department acknowledged that Nordo's criminal behavior was a result of a lack of oversight and proper supervision.
In March, a judge vacated Frazier's conviction and he was released from prison.
The lawsuit alleges, among other things, that Nordo through threats and intimidation coerced Frazier into falsely stating a role in the murders. Additionally, the suit alleges the Philadelphia Police Department had disregarded numerous credible allegations of misconduct against Nordo for more than a decade.
Nordo was "able to continue his misconduct for years, unfettered" because the city "failed to institute any oversight or supervision over his conduct," according to the lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
Ross Feller Casey attorneys Matt Casey and Joshua Van Naarden are litigating the case.
"James Frazier was only 18 when he was wrongfully arrested, tried and convicted of a crime he did not commit as a result of the misconduct of corrupt Philadelphia Police Detective Philip Nordo. Mr. Frazier spent over seven years behind bars before the truth came to light and his conviction was vacated. We will prove the City of Philadelphia was well aware of Detective Nordo's persistent and pervasive misconduct for years before Mr. Frazier was wrongly imprisoned," Casey and Van Naarden said.
ABOUT ROSS FELLER CASEY
Based in Philadelphia, Ross Feller Casey, LLP is among the nation's preeminent personal injury law firms. The firm has won numerous record-setting verdicts and settlements for those injured by someone else's negligence.
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SOURCE Ross Feller Casey, LLP
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