Queens DA Wants Convictions Overturned Due to Prosecutor’s Racist Notes
A Queens judge on Thursday tossed the decades-old convictions of two men — including for the attempted murder of a cop that landed on The Post’s front page — because the prosecutor intentionally excluded women and minorities from the juries.
Supreme Court Justice Joseph Zaya overturned the convictions of defendants Paul Morant and Santiago Valdez at the request of their lawyers and the Queens District Attorney’s Office.
“Although the evidence of discrimination in jury selection does not raise any question about the defendants’ guilt, the law is clear,” said DA Melinda Katz at the hearing, which was conducted by video. “A conviction obtained through these discriminatory practices cannot be permitted to stand.”
The DA said her office would retry both defendants — including Morant for shooting NYPD Officer Keith Schweers twice in the chest at close range. The judge ordered them held without bail while they await new trials.
