Two men, Kunta Gable and Sidney Hill, have filed a federal lawsuit against the city of New Orleans, the district attorney’s office, and several former police officers. The lawsuit comes after their convictions in a 1994 murder case were overturned due to the involvement of a corrupt police officer. Gable and Hill, who spent nearly three decades in prison, are seeking unspecified damages.
The lawsuit centers around former police officer Len Davis, who was convicted in the 1990s for his role in a drug protection ring and arranging the murder of a woman who filed a brutality complaint against him. Davis and his accomplice, former officer Sammie Williams, were known to cover up the identity of perpetrators and manipulate evidence at murder scenes in the Desire housing development, where the 1994 murder took place.
Attorneys for Gable and Hill cited several problems with the case, including prosecutors’ failure to disclose evidence that undermined the men’s guilt. They also highlighted scandals within the police department in the early 1990s and abuses outlined in a 2011 U.S. Department of Justice report, which led to a reform plan known as a “consent decree” that the city is still operating under.
While the vacating of the convictions is seen as a step towards justice, the lawsuit argues that it does not adequately address the harm caused by the defendants’ misconduct. The lawsuit names not only the city and the district attorney’s office but also Davis, Williams, and several former detectives and police supervisors as defendants.
As of now, none of the defendants have responded to the lawsuit, and the city has declined to comment on the pending litigation. District Attorney Jason Williams’ office has not yet provided a comment.
This case highlights the ongoing issues of corruption and misconduct within the New Orleans Police Department, which has faced scrutiny in the past. The lawsuit seeks not only justice for Gable and Hill but also accountability for the systemic failures within the department.
