May 07--REPORTING FROM SAN FRANCISCO -- Prosecutors here are expanding an investigation into criminal cases that might have been compromised by revelations of police officers' racist and homophobic texts, Dist. Atty. George Gascon announced Thursday.
Gascon's probe has identified 3,000 criminal cases that could have been affected by perceived bias by 14 officers. Investigators will comb through each case to determine whether some convictions must be overturned or pending cases dismissed.
"If just one individual was wrongly imprisoned because of bias on the part of these officers -- that's one too many," Gascon said.
Gascon also widened a task force's mission to include an examination of whether a culture of bias exists in the police force that serves one of the nation's most liberal cities. He said Thursday he was adding three retired judges, including former California Supreme Court Justice Cruz Reynoso, to work with the group.
Of the 3,000 criminal cases being reviewed, 1,400 were arrests in which no criminal charges were filed, the district attorney's office said.
The expanded probe is likely to take several months. Gascon said it may be completed by the end of the year, though he has given the task force no deadline.
Text messages by four officers that were derogatory of gays and minorities were first revealed in a motion by the U.S. attorney's office opposing bail for Ian Furminger, a former San Francisco police officer who has since been sentenced to 41 months in prison on various corruption-related charges.
Gascon's investigation determined that a total of 14 officers have displayed alleged bias in texts sent to each other.
The city has been rocked in recent months by several law enforcement scandals. Sheriff's deputies have been accused of staging gladiator-like fights among inmates in the jail, and a highly publicized lawsuit charged SF Police Chief Greg Suhr with a variety of misconduct.
Gascon served as police chief before he was elected district attorney. Mayor Ed Lee replaced Gascon with Suhr, a popular figure within the department's rank and file.
Suhr moved his own people into top positions, replacing those Gascon had selected.
UPDATE
12:44 p.m.: This post was updated with details about the 3,000 cases being looked at.
This story was first posted at 11:41 a.m.
