PHILADELPHIA - A man whose murder conviction was overturned after years in jail is suing Philadelphia, claiming its detectives manufactured evidence.
In a lawsuit filed May 24 in Philadelphia federal court, Naeem Waller alleges that he was wrongfully convicted of murder due to fabricated evidence and misconduct by Philadelphia police detectives.
Waller was arrested on June 15, 2002, and convicted on December 17, 2004, based primarily on the testimony of Tyron Rouse, a jailhouse informant with significant mental health issues, the suit says. This conviction came after two previous trials ended in hung juries.
Pomerantz
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Waller's conviction was vacated on May 24, 2022, following new testimony from Timothy Moses that implicated other individuals in the crime. The lawsuit names the City of Philadelphia and detectives Dennis Dusak, James Griffin, and William Gross as defendants.
It accuses them of fabricating evidence, coercing false testimony, and suppressing exculpatory information.
The complaint alleges a pattern of misconduct within the Philadelphia Police Department (PPD), including prior cases alleging Detective Dusak coerced confessions and fabricated evidence that led to wrongful convictions.
Michael Pomerantz of Marrone Law Firm represents the plaintiff.