SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. - In Officer Pierce's situation, what does his arrest mean for his past drug cases that he investigated as an undercover cop?
One defense attorney says that every investigation Pierce was a part of should now be questioned.
Defense attorney Chris Casciola says, "we've never had any incident such as this. It's highly unusual."
Casciola says he's never heard anything quite like it in 25 years he's been in San Luis Obispo County. He also believes the accusations that Cory Pierce corruptly made deals for drugs and money during his time as an undercover officer are enough to make the District Attorney's Office reexamine every investigation Pierce was a part of.
"Being involved with providing drugs to informants or possibly taking drugs himself, it calls into question the reliability of all cases that may have been investigated by this particular officer," says Casciola.
The San Luis Obispo County District Attorney's Office said they weren't immediately available for comment on what this might mean for past cases that officer Pierce was involved in.
Casciola says he hopes law enforcement makes efforts to ensure that evidence lockers within police departments have better security measures. He says that evidence is crucial to ensuring that legal cases are handled fairly and accurately.
"We need to be certain that the items that are seized at the time of the incident are the actual items that are introduced in court," says Casciola.
