Demario T. Harris, whose
life sentence was overturned as a result of an investigation into corruption at
the Tulsa Police Department has agreed to settle his lawsuit against the city
of Tulsa for $50,000..
Harris had been convicted in Tulsa federal
court in April 2005 on charges of possession of cocaine with intent to
distribute and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
He was sentenced in
November 2005 to life in prison but was freed in October 2010. The order
vacating his sentence said the prosecution had conceded that Harris’
“conviction was obtained in violation of the defendant’s due process rights.”
The allegations of
corruption within the Police Department did not start to come to light until
2009. At least 17 civil suits have been filed by people who claim that they
were victimized by the sort of activity that was the subject of a grand jury
probe into the Tulsa Police Department. The investigation resulted in charges
against six current or former Tulsa police officers and an ex-federal agent, as
well as accusations of criminal behavior against five officers who were never
charged.