A former Baltimore Police Department official who is being blamed for the dismissal of at least 50 police misconduct cases hit back Friday, saying all of her decisions were closely monitored by top police leaders and promising to outline "incredibly horrendous acts of crime and malfeasance" within the department.
In a statement released through her attorney, Warren A. Brown, JoAnn C. Woodson-Branche said she is "prepared to pull back the curtain on the cesspool that exists within the Police Department's disciplinary oversight unit."
Brown said she was unavailable Friday but would elaborate next week.
"The truth will not only vindicate attorney Branch, [sic] but should lead to a major shake-up of the Baltimore City Police Department and those ultimately responsible for its operation," the statement read.
Woodson-Branche has been silent since her firing in April amid claims by the police union and defense lawyers that she had manipulated internal charging documents in police misconduct cases. The agency's legal office found that at least 50 cases had been compromised and tossed them out. Most of the officers had been suspended and will regain their police powers.
Critics have long maintained that the agency's disciplinary system was rife with problems and racially or politically motivated. As part of a $4.5 million settlement reached this week in a 2004 federal race discrimination lawsuit, the department has agreed to work with an outside consultant for three years.
But Woodson-Branche's comments may provide a rare look at the inner workings of the department.
The Police Department's chief spokesman, Anthony Guglielmi, said Thursday that the department considers the situation related to the case dismissals rectified and that no other officials are being investigated in the cases. The department has not publicly linked the dismissals to Woodson-Branche, and Guglielmi declined to comment on her accusations.
"The Baltimore Police Department has a fair and prudent disciplinary system that has to be applied judiciously across the board," Guglielmi said. "In these cases, there were administrative issues that were not followed. All we can focus on at this point is moving forward."
But Woodson-Branche told her attorney that all of her decisions were "micromanaged" by Deputy Commissioner for Administration Deborah Owens.
