CONNECTICUT REVIEWING CASES HANDLED BY ARRESTED DRUG UNIT CHIEF

NEW HAVEN -- The state is reviewing an undisclosed number of drug
cases because the head of the New Haven police narcotics unit was
arrested on theft charges in a federal sting, the state's attorney
here said on Tuesday.

The narcotics chief, Lt. William White, a 39-year veteran of the
force, was accused last week of stealing nearly $30,000 in what he
thought was drug money, but was actually cash planted by the F.B.I.
He is also accused of taking tens of thousands of dollars in bribes
from bail bondsmen in return for capturing fugitives who skipped bail.

A detective in the narcotics unit, Justin Kasperzyk, was charged with
stealing less than $1,000 in money planted by the F.B.I. and accused
of taking $800 from the girlfriend of a suspect arrested by narcotics officers.

Officials here disbanded the narcotics unit after the arrests,
handing over some of its cases to state authorities.

Michael Dearington, the state's attorney for New Haven, said, "We are
more closely scrutinizing the pending cases and any other cases that
are brought to our attention" involving the arrested officers. Such
issues as whether evidence was corroborated are under examination, he said.

Mr. Dearington said the number of cases involved was significant, but
he did not say how many there were or how far back the investigation
would go. So far, no cases have been dismissed, he said.

Local black leaders called for an outside review of the unit's cases.

"Every case that this particular unit has dealt with, they need to be
reopened," said Scot X. Esdaile, president of the Connecticut and New
Haven chapters of the National Association for the Advancement of
Colored People.

Michael Jefferson, chairman of the state African-American Affairs
Commission, also called for a review of the unit's investigations.
"They're clearly in my mind tainted," Mr. Jefferson said.

Mayor John DeStefano of New Haven said he agreed that the cases
should be reviewed, but he had no reason to believe they were tainted.

The president of the Connecticut Criminal Defense Lawyers Association
said defense lawyers who handled federal drug cases involving the
officers could seek new trials on the ground that federal authorities
did not disclose the allegations.

"Arguably any case he's involved in certainly in the last few years
should be subject to some kind of review," Jon L. Schoenhorn,
president of the lawyers' association, said of Lieutenant White.

Early in Lieutenant White's career, officials found that he had
planted white powder on a suspect in a drug arrest, which cost him
his job -- although he won it back with the help of the police union.