Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Trial for Former Officer Wesley Little Begins


The trial of a former Huntsville police officer accused of allegedly planting drugs in a suspect's car begins today in Madison County Circuit Court.

Wesley Little's trial began this morning with jury selection and opening statements.

Little and fellow former officer Ryan Moore were indicted in May 2008 for attempting to possess a controlled substance, possession of a firearm with an altered serial number, tampering with physical evidence and false reporting to law enforcement authorities. Little and Moore both resigned from the police force.

According to a civil lawsuit filed against Little by Quincy Turner, Little attempted to plant marijuana in Turner's car during an arrest in September 2007.

According to the lawsuit: Turner was diving a rental car in Huntsville when Little stopped him about a problem with the vehicle's license plate. Little searched the car and allegedly found marijuana.

Turner was arrested on a charge of possession of marijuana, taken to jail and prosecuted in Huntsville Municipal Court. But the city dropped the marijuana charge against Turner on June 16, 2007.

Little resigned from the police department in June 2008 after he was indicted.

According to the indictment, Little allegedly told a fellow officer during another vehicle search on Oct. 29, 2007, "there could be some marijuana inside the vehicle if it needed to be." Officers searched the car a second time and found marijuana, according to the indictment.

Little also was indicted on charges of possession of a pistol with altered or missing serial numbers, tampering with physical evidence and false reporting to a law enforcement agency.

Little, 30, had been with the department since December 2006.

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