STRIKE FORCE CIVIL RIGHTS LAWSUITS SETTLED

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) -- The state announced settlements Thursday with 11 people who claimed they were wrongly arrested or falsely charged by the disbanded drug Strike Force.

The force, created in 1987 to crack down on drug crimes, was abolished in 1996 by then Attorney General Jeff Pine, after allegations were made that its members falsified evidence.

The state agreed to pay a total of $219,500 to settle the cases.

Most of the plaintiffs had pleaded no contest to drug charges such as dealing cocaine or marijuana and had been detained briefly in the state prison. The pleas were vacated and the criminal charges dismissed.

"I think they feel vindicated after all of this," said defense attorney Brian Cunha, who represented two of the plaintiffs in the case.

Cunha said his clients had entered pleas to the charges to avoid imprisonment, even though they felt strongly the evidence against them was tainted.

"If you have a choice of getting probation or getting to jail based upon testimony of police officers, you're going to plead no contest even though you know that you didn't do it and that's why the state has paid," he said.

The plaintiffs began filing civil-rights claims two years ago, after the accusations against the strike force were made public. The drug charges stemmed from undercover investigations between April and December of 1995.

The settlements will be paid by the state and a municipal trust.

Charges against 52 suspects were thrown out when allegations against the force arose.

Three officers who were members of the force were indicted by federal prosecutors on charges they violated suspects civil rights. They all were cleared of the charges.