Protestors demand investigation into cases handled by retired Detroit police officer
More than a dozen protestors lined up outside the Wayne County Criminal Justice Center for hours on Wednesday, pushing for an investigation into a retired Detroit police officer accused of misconduct during investigations.
In fall 2024, County Prosecutor Kym Worthy asked the Board of Commissioners to increase funding to expand the county's conviction integrity unit after multiple calls to reopen cases handled by former Officer Barbara Simon.
"These are innocent people that you're locking up and not even giving them a chance to defend themselves or get back out of prison. It's easy to get in, it's hell getting out," said activist Mark Craighead.
For the families of Damon Smith and James Jones, this is personal. Both men have served more than 50 years behind bars, with their families saying they were the victims of a corrupt system.
"We've all been serving time with him, me, his sister, his brother, his wife. We're all in prison with him," said Jones's mother, Diane Jones.
"The building's new. It smells fresh and new, but the stench of injustice is still in there, and we don't want that to get forgotten," said Smith's brother, Marlon Taylor.
Holding signs and photos of their incarcerated loved ones, many protestors said they are as frustrated with the system as they are hopeful something can be done.
"We're just asking for an independent investigation. We want someone with eyes, fresh eyes, to look at the case," said Smith's niece, Ochga Smith. "We want justice. We want our voices to be heard. We want our family members' voices to be heard, and all we're asking for is fairness."
CBS News Detroit reached out to the prosecutor's office for comment. A spokesperson said Worthy has hired an attorney and a detective for the conviction integrity unit, who are currently working on cases connected to the retired detective full-time.
CBS News Detroit also reached out to the Detroit Police Department and did not hear back.