BALTIMORE (WMAR) — A federal appeals court has denied a request to overturn the convictions of two former members of the Baltimore Police Gun Trace Task Force.
In June 2018, Marcus Taylor and Daniel Hersl were each found guilty of Rico and Hobbs Act violations and sentenced to 216 months in prison.
Both appealed the verdicts, accusing the district court of abusing its discretion in denying various motions during trial, and being prejudice against them.
Lawyers for Hersl and Taylor argued that prosecutors didn't provide enough evidence to prove guilt.
The three judge panel disagreed, upholding the sentences.
“This is a particularly sad case. The community places a noble trust in police officers to define and enforce, in the first instance, the delicate line between the chaos of lawlessness and the order of the rule of law. And when police officers breach that trust and misuse their authority, as here, a measure of despair infuses in the community, tainting far more than do similar crimes by others. The officers’ convictions and sentences in this case are just and necessary, and we can only hope for a renewed commitment to the trust that we place in police officers who discharge their duties well," wrote Circuit Judge Paul V. Niemeyer.
Five other members of the GTTF have plead guilty and are currently serving anywhere from 7 to 25 years in Federal Prison. Hersl and Taylor are the only two who stood trial.
To read more on the GTTF click here.
