CASES INVOLVING FORMER GAINESVILLE POLICE OFFICER DROPPED

GAINESVILLE - Prosecutors ended up dropping 31 criminal cases, 17
listed as felonies, because of an investigation involving a
Gainesville Police officer who resigned in May.

The State Attorney's Office provided a list of different cases
involving former Officer John Bostick that were dropped.

The agency cited insufficient evidence as the reason for dismissing
the cases, most of which involved drug charges, such as possession a
controlled substance without a prescription.

In these cases, Bostick had been listed as the sole police witness,
according to the State Attorney's Office.

After an internal investigation at the police department surfaced
against Bostick, his credibility as a witness was damaged and
prosecutors did not believe they could proceed in court.

"Without him available as a credible witness, we cannot go forward,"
said State Attorney Bill Cervone on Friday.

"Assuming that I could get him to show up, and assuming that he
testified in a convincing fashion, the cross-examination would then
just be brutal. Him being the only witness could help lead to a
reasonable doubt."

Most of the cases were dropped in May. The most recent dismissal was
in early June.

Bostick left the police department May 9 after authorities asked if he
had given out information about specific, ongoing cases and
investigations.

An internal investigation was launched when a woman reported to
authorities that he had been involved with her. She taped
conversations with Bostick, who she said gave her advice on how to
deal with law enforcement in different situations and plans he had for
cases such as who would be targeted for arrest.