Police Officer Arrested and Convicted, Sent to Prison, Was It Fair?

Summary

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Episode Summary: "Police Officer Arrested and Convicted, Sent to Prison, Was It Fair?"

Podcast: Law Enforcement Talk: True Crime and Trauma Stories
Host: John "Jay" Wiley
Guest: Stephanie Moore (Former Prince George's County, MD Police Officer)
Date: January 7, 2026

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Overview

This powerful episode explores the story of Stephanie Moore, a former police officer from Prince George's County, Maryland, who was arrested, tried twice, and ultimately convicted on federal civil rights charges stemming from a 1995 arrest. Despite her exemplary record, Moore was sent to federal prison—a decision she and host John "Jay" Wiley scrutinize in detail. Together, they discuss the far-reaching impact of Moore's ordeal, touching on themes of justice, trauma, and recovery, while questioning the motivations and fairness of federal prosecution in her case. Moore's story is not only about law enforcement and legal complexities, but about personal resilience and the human cost of systemic failures.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

Stephanie's Law Enforcement Background

• Stephanie always aspired to be a police officer, aiming for roles in patrol, canine handling, and homicide investigation.
  • "Ever since I was a little girl, that is the only job I ever wanted to do when I grew up." (03:30)
• She joined Prince George's County Police in the early 1990s, a department known for its high standards, training, and pay—considered prestigious in the region.
  • "At the time, Prince George's county was, if not the leading police agency in the area. Everyone looked to them..." (02:19)

The Incident Leading to Indictment

• In September 1995, Stephanie, as a K9 handler with a training officer, responded to a night-time mutual aid call with Takoma Park PD, regarding a commercial burglary in progress.
• Two suspects were observed breaking in—a typical scenario requiring K9 intervention.
  • "At some point, the Maryland state police helicopter flew over top and the two suspects started to run...I released my canine, and he made apprehension by biting and holding the suspect in his calf." (12:59)
• Both suspects were arrested, convicted for breaking and entering, and ultimately deported.
  • "There were no complaints by the suspects involved. They were arrested, they were charged and convicted. They served some jail time for the offense, and they were illegal aliens. They were both deported." (06:14)
• Use of force (deployment of a K9 on a fleeing suspect) was standard and policy-compliant at the time.
  • "Utilizing my canine was an appropriate response back in 1995." (07:19)
• No complaints or departmental concerns arose about the arrest at the time.

Federal Indictment and Prosecution

• Five years later—one day before the statute of limitations expired—Stephanie, her training officer, and another officer were indicted for federal civil rights violations (09/20/2000).
  • "Five years later, one day before the statute of limitations was to expire, I, along with my training officer and the arresting officer, were indicted..." (05:25)
• The indictment stemmed from a broader DOJ investigation into Takoma Park PD and certain supervisors—not from complaints about Stephanie’s conduct.
  • "We were indicted because the Department of Justice had been investigating the Takoma Park Police Department and a particular Tacoma park sergeant for issues that were not related to my incident." (16:37)
• Stephanie continued to serve and excel for five years after the incident before indictment, even becoming Prince George's County’s first bomb dog handler.

Trials and Conviction

First Trial

• Both Stephanie and her training officer were acquitted of one charge, with the jury deadlocked 11-1 in their favor on the other (essentially a hung jury).
  • "The jury acquitted me of one charge and hung me 11 to 1 in favor of acquittal...The arresting officer from Takoma park, the judge threw out the charges." (23:06)
• Despite this outcome, DOJ chose to retry both.

Second Trial

• The government brought witnesses back from El Salvador and federal prison in Texas to testify.
  • "The government went to San Salvador to find one of the witnesses...the second suspect was brought back from a federal prison in Texas." (26:25)
• Prosecution shifted strategy, introducing "prior bad acts" (previous use of force incidents) and painting Stephanie in a racially biased light.
  • "The government did not try the case according to the facts. It was just a political and a smear campaign...They played the race card and they painted me to be someone who would routinely sic her dog on minorities." (29:57)
• Stephanie was convicted and sentenced to 10 years in federal prison—four times the average sentence for such an offense for police that year.
  • "I received a 10 year sentence. My sentence was four times the average sentence for any officer that had been convicted of that that same year." (32:03)

Prison and Personal Impact

• Stephanie was sent to the Alderson federal prison camp in West Virginia, spending nearly 9 years incarcerated.
• The experience was deeply isolating and traumatic, compounded by separation from her young son.
  • "He was three years old when I had to leave him and surrender myself to federal prison...It was very surreal. Almost like you just could not believe it was happening." (33:22)
• Her faith, family, and community support were critical to survival.
  • "I definitely couldn't have survived without my faith, number one, my family and my friends." (34:11)

Life After Prison and Current Status

• Stephanie describes the challenge of restarting life with a felony conviction.
  • "When I got home from prison, I had to start over. And it was worse than starting over fresh out of college because I now had a felony conviction." (35:26)
• Nearly a decade after release, she has made significant progress rebuilding her life and reconnecting with her son, though she laments lost years.
• She receives a police pension, but is not considered retired—she resigned following conviction.
• She’s seeking a presidential pardon, represented by the Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund (policedefense.org).
  • "The pardon would put an end to a long and difficult saga. It would right a wrong..." (37:29)

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Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• On the Night of the Incident:

  • Moore: "The arrest happened. It was a by-the-book arrest. There were no issues, no questions, no concerns about the arrest." (05:25)

• On DOJ Motivations:

  • Moore: "My case is definitely one of those cases where it shows how overzealous the Department of Justice can be, how they can manipulate facts and witnesses to fulfill an agenda..." (21:10)

• On Being Painted as a Villain:

  • Moore: "They played the race card and they painted me to be someone who would routinely sic her dog on minorities. That couldn't be farther from the truth." (29:57)

• Impact of Conviction:

  • Moore: "It was devastating. My. I had a two year old son at the time I was convicted...I missed his first day of school, his first loose tooth, his first sporting event." (33:22, 36:32)

• On Seeking a Pardon:

  • Moore: "A pardon would also restore one of the most valuable rights we have as citizens of the United States. It would restore my right to vote in a federal election... and allow me to travel to other countries." (37:29)

• Host’s View:

  • Wiley: "If I didn’t see the facts in front of me... I would never believe this could be possible. But it is possible. And it did happen to you." (20:57)
  • Wiley: "I think what happened to you is just absolutely horrible." (29:36)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:57–04:57: Stephanie's background and aspirations in law enforcement
• 07:19–14:51: Detailed account of the 1995 burglary arrest and use of the K9
• 15:35–17:02: The 5-year gap, continued police service, sudden indictment
• 21:10–22:53: DOJ's wider investigation and political aspects
• 23:06–25:36: First federal trial—acquittals and hung jury
• 29:57–32:03: Second trial tactics, change in prosecution, and conviction
• 33:22–35:26: Life in federal prison, impact on Stephanie and her son
• 35:26–37:29: Post-release challenges and reasons for seeking a pardon

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Takeaways and Tone

• The episode conveys outrage at perceived prosecutorial overreach and empathy for Moore’s loss and trauma.
• It addresses the complexities and imperfections of the justice system when politics and external investigations intersect with individual police conduct.
• The mood is frank, emotional, and supportive, with both host and guest expressing disbelief at the outcome and its personal consequences.

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Reference:
For more on Stephanie Moore’s case and the Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund, visit policedefense.org.

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Transcript

[A]

Was this ex police officer's arrest and prosecution by the federal government unfair and unjust? She was convicted and did time in prison and eventually got a presidential pardon. Welcome to the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show. In the Law Enforcement Talk Radio show, we are joined by special guests talking about their experiences, the realities of investigating crimes, plus those have experienced horrendous trauma. Police, first responders, military and victims of crime share their stories. Hi, I'm John J. Wiley. In addition to being a broadcaster, I'm also a retired police sergeant. Be sure to check out our website, letradio.com and also like us on Facebook, search for the Law Enforcement Talk Radio show. Calling us from my old stomping grounds, the great state of Maryland. Stephanie Moore on the phone. Stephanie, thanks so much for joining us on the Law Enforcement Show. Very much appreciated.

[B]

Thank you very much for having me today.

[A]

I want to thank you in advance because we're going to be talking about some stuff that is really, really difficult to talk about. And it takes a lot of courage on your part to discuss what happened to you and what life is like. Now. Before we get into details, Stephanie was a police officer in Prince George's County, Maryland, by the way, for those who don't know that area, that's a suburb of Washington, D.C. and to be honest with you, I remember way back in the day, Stephanie, when I was in the Baltimore Police Department, actually, Prince George is doing laterals. I went down there and tested and decided I just love Baltimore too much. I couldn't leave. I think that was back in 1985.

[B]

Wow. Well, in 1992, when I was trying to get on the police department, the only two departments I applied for were Baltimore City and Prince George's County.

[A]

And I'm sure they both said, come on down.

[B]

They did. Just Prince George's county was able to answer me sooner.

[A]

Gotcha. And I looked at it because, well, my family was not far from there. They were in St. Mary's County, Maryland. And so Prince George's county had been a lot closer. They paid more at the time. They had better equipment, they had better working conditions, better uniforms, take home cars, all this stuff. And I don't know what it was. I just, I had this love affair with Baltimore in my department. I could not leave, even though on paper it looked like a better opportunity.

[B]

I know at the time Prince George's county was, if not the leading police agency in the area. Everyone looked to them for their training and their education and their standard operating procedures and definitely their pay and everything. You said the Benefits, the starting salary, the uniforms. It also both places you can't argue. Prince George's County, Baltimore County, Baltimore City. There's definitely work to do there. You would never be bored.

[A]

No, you certainly would not. Before we get into details of the conversation, Stephanie is seeking a presidential pardon from President Trump. She's being represented by the Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund. You can go to their website, you can get details about her case. You can figure out how you can donate. Their website is police defense.org it's police defense.org unlike some of these shysters that call and say they represent, this is a legit group doing legit work. That's policedefense.org I loved being a police Stephanie, and from what I read about your case, I think you did too.

[B]

Oh, most definitely. Ever since I was a little girl, that is the only job I ever wanted to do when I grew up.

[A]

And we would love to say that in most cases you want to do this from childhood. Mine began like teenage years. I really want to do it. I fell in love with it. My career was ended due to violence and a physical, permanent line of duty injury. And that happens for a lot of people, not everyone. And then they have the cases where the man or woman goes their entire career, retires, lives happily ever after. Almost like a Cinderella story. Yours was neither one of those. Yours ended, to be honest, in a way that's very bizarre.

[B]

Yes, yes. One that I never anticipated, never saw coming. I had hoped for and anticipated having a very long career, going out on my own terms, working a minimum of 20 years. I had goals when I first came on the department of, you know what types of jobs I wanted to do in the police department. And it was very simple. I wanted to be in patrol, I wanted to be a police canine handler, and I wanted to eventually work my way up into the criminal investigations division in hopes, hopefully someday become a homicide detective. Those were my goals and I set out early on to do it. I was able to accomplish almost all of them before my career was unexpectedly cut short.

[A]

That's about the only way you can describe it. Unexpectedly cut short. Let's go right to the meat of the story. You were basically indicted, arrested and charged by the Department of Justice for violation of civil rights. And you went through two trials. The first one was basically a hung jury in your favor and they decided to retry you again. This is many years after the so called incident, correct?

[B]

Correct. It was. The incident occurred September 21, 1995, when I was a young police canine handler riding with my training officer and the arrest happened. It was a by the book arrest. There were no issues, no questions, no concerns about the arrest. And five years later, one day before the statute of limitations was to expire, I, along with my training officer and the arresting officer, were indicted for federal civil rights violations stemming from our actions taken during that arrest. We were indicted September 20, 2000, five years after the incident occurred.

[A]

Did you see this coming? Did you have any idea, Was there complaints by the. The suspects involved?

[B]

There were no complaints by the suspects involved. They were arrested, they were charged and convicted. They served some jail time for the offense, and they were illegal aliens. They were both deported. After the arrest, there was never any concerns with my supervisor or my training officer or my chain of command the night of the arrest, because the arrest involved use of force. I wrote the required documents, the commander's logs and the reports that are required to document an arrest of that nature. They went up the chain of command, they were reviewed, they were processed, they were checked. There were never any issues. The arrest was done in accordance with my training and my education. It was a standard procedure at that time. If you were presented with this type of force during a breaking and entering in progress in the middle of the night, that you could respond with the level of force I responded with. Utilizing my canine was an appropriate response back in 1995.

[A]

We'll go into details of this more, but the basic was there was a call for a burglary in progress. You got called to back up a smaller agency. You went there, you had your K9 dog, you had a training officer with you. There were two suspects involved. One of them decided to run, and basically the command was given with a dog loose and the dog took the guy down, held him, and then he was arrested and got some stitches on his calf. Was that, is that a fair assessment?

[B]

That is a fair assessment. I mean, I can go into greater detail if you'd like.

[A]

We'll do that when we come back. And the reason I say that is because back when I was on the job, if we had a burglary at night, one of the first things is called canine. And usually the suspect come out, but if not, you send the dog in. The handler would follow and the dog would you get him. And it usually involved a dog bite. If the person ran, they would let the dog loose and the dog would take him down. The dog was trained to tackle them basically by lower extremity and hold them in position until they could be arrested. And by the way, I remember being in foot Pursuits where they yelled canines here and we all had to stop because let the dog loose and the dog goes running by us and gets a bad guy. And that was standard operating procedure back in those days. This is Law Enforcement Show. We're talking with Stephanie Moore. Don't go anywhere. We'll be right back. One of the questions I get all the time, why are you always promoting the law enforcement talk radio show Facebook page? Well, because there's no better place on Facebook. That's it. It's simple. Everything about the law enforcement talk radio show and podcast is right there, including great photos, stories you'll want to see, you'll want to share memorials to law enforcement officers who are killed in line of duty. All that and more, plus old episodes of the show can be found on our Facebook page. Just do a search for law enforcement talk rated show on Facebook and be sure to click like and or follow. We'll see you there.

[B]

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[A]

Return our conversation with Stephanie Moore. Stephanie is a former police officer from Prince George's County, Maryland, seeking a presidential pardon. She was convicted of violation of civil rights. Before we end the break, Stephanie, we're talking about the incident. It was a call, burglary in progress. Two guys, illegal immigrants, illegal aliens, whatever term people want to use. I don't get hung up in that. So you arrive with your training officer and your canine dog. Take us through what happened then.

[B]

So the incident happened September 21, 1995. And to give your listeners a little background, the Takoma Park Police Department for the past several weeks prior to September 21st had been experiencing a rash of nighttime B&E's to commercial buildings through the roof. So much so that the Takoma Park Police Department set up a burglary surveillance detail to watch businesses in the middle of the night. And lo and behold, on September 21, the burglary surveillance detail watched two men jump a fence, climb up onto the roof of the building and make motions as if they were breaking into the roof of the building. To get into the building. Tacoma Park Police Department.

[A]

I'm sorry, what time was that?

[B]

After midnight.

[A]

Okay. So the reason I asked that is from a police point of view, there's really no rational reason to explain why two guys would jump a fence and go up on a roof of a building at that time of night. They're not there to watch the stars. It's because they're going to commit a crime. I can't think of another way of explaining it better.

[B]

Correct. It wasn't appropriate activity or behavior for that area and that time of night. So Takoma park police, being a small police agency, they didn't have enough officers to surround the building and set up a perimeter. Prince George's county police department offers mutual aid to Takoma Park Police Department, and they requested our assistance. So patrol officers from Prince George's county and a K9 team from Prince George's county came to help Takoma park that night. I just happened to be the K9 officer that night. I was riding with my training officer. I was a brand new K9 officer riding with my training officer. And we arrived on scene and took up a position on one side of the building. Takoma park police had their police dog on the opposite side of the building. Then at some point, the Maryland state police helicopter flew over top and the two suspects started to run. They ended up running to my side of the building. They dropped to the ground. We gave them commands. They failed to comply with our commands, and one of them made an attempt to flee or run away down an alleyway. At that point, I released my canine, and he made apprehension by biting and holding the suspect in his calf. The other suspect was taken into custody by another patrol officer on scene that night. Because as I was making the arrest with my police dog, the second suspect came up behind me and the back officers were concerned that he might do me some harm.

[A]

Right.

[B]

So both. Both suspects taken into custody, arrested, charged and convicted of B and E. On.

[A]

The surface, that looks like a routine police call and a routine way of handling a nighttime commercial burglary. Nothing about that. I'm not saying it's to diminish what you all did that night. Your bravery was phenomenal. But nothing about that raises any red flags. And police are the hardest on each other of anybody. People like to think that we all turn a blind eye to. We don't. I've seen nothing. And what I've read and nothing. What you said, that would strike me, even as a supervisor, as a sergeant, to say there's something wrong with this. There's nothing about this.

[B]

No. And even that night in the moment, my training officer, I couldn't make decisions on the scene that night without the approval of my training officer. I was required to write a commander's log, some documents within the police department documenting the use of force in the arrest because it involved force. And supervisors reviewed that report, and they reviewed the use of force, and they thought it appropriate at the time and maybe still is today. The police department had a use of force continuum, and it was basically a guide or a rule of thumb. If you were presented with this amount of force, this is how you could respond. And the use of the canine for someone fleeing the scene of a B and E was an appropriate response back in 1995 by not only Prince George's County Police, but the five prevalent police agencies around surrounding the area of the time.

[A]

And I'm not an expert in policing, but I do know policing in Maryland and in Baltimore. Standard operating procedure. I believe in D.C. it was standard operating procedure. I believe in the county surrounding you, it was standard operating procedure. Did the procedures change after 95 or subsequently after that?

[B]

Well, the procedures changed after my conviction.

[A]

And here's where it gets really crazy. This was the incident was in 1995. The two guys were arrested, they were found guilty, they did their time, they're deported or left on their own accord, one or the other, it doesn't really matter. And you're going about doing your job as a police officer for what, five more years?

[B]

Correct, Five more years.

[A]

And then what happened?

[B]

So I was continuing working in the job I loved. I had been promoted from police officer first class to corporal. I was working my second dog by then. I also had received the good fortune to be able to be not only a patrolled dog handler, but also a bomb dog handler. I became the first bomb dog handler to first bomb dog team in Prince George's county history. But five years later, one day before the statute of limitations was to expire, myself, my training officer and the arresting officer from that night were indicted on federal civil rights violations stemming from that arrest on September 21, 1995. Who made the complaint?

[A]

It wasn't one of the guys who was arrested. So who. Who initiated all of this? If you can't say that's fine, just say something in general. But was it someone that was involved in the arrest, or was it just the DOJ took it upon themselves to do it?

[B]

Well, the suspects never complained. All I can say is that we were indicted because the Department of Justice had been investigating the Takoma Park Police Department and a particular Tacoma park sergeant for issues that were not related to my incident. This is where it becomes very confusing and very tricky and very political.

[A]

We are talking with Stephanie Moore. Stephanie was a police officer in Prince George's County, Maryland. Brief overview. Was a canine handler and wound up having to release her dog on a fleeing burglar. That the dog wound up apprehending him is arrested, no big deal. And the DOJ took it upon themselves to indict her and two other officers. Court violations of civil rights. She was tried twice, convicted and sentenced to 10 years. This is the law enforcement show. We're gonna get a short break right now. Be sure to check out our website, letradio.com that's letradio.com there you'll find episodes of the show available as a podcast after airing on radio. And they're always free. There's 700 plus episodes on there right now. There's blogs. Get information about our sponsors, all that and much [e-mail] Again, the website is letradio.com if you're the purchasing manager at a manufacturing plant, you know having a trusted partner makes all the difference. That's why hands down, you count on Grainger for auto reordering. With on time restocks, your team will have the cut resistant glow gloves they need at the start of their shift. And you can end your day knowing they've got safety well in hand. Call 1-800-granger. Click granger.com or just stop by Granger for the ones who get it done. Return to conversation with Stephanie Moore. Stephanie is a former Prince George's County, Maryland police officer. And we're going to talk more about the trial and the charges and everything else. But this is, I gotta say this, Stephanie. I'm getting very upset listening to what you were put through and what you and your family had to endure. I remember back in 1988, 89, somewhere along those lines, I went to the FBI office in Woodlawn, Maryland. I was in uniform and I said I wanted to make a violation of civil rights complaint against certain investigators, my agency. And I was told that a, I didn't have civil rights because of my race and because of my job. That was exactly what the FBI agent told me. And I'm not saying to make stuff up. I'm not saying that to create controversy. I'm just saying that's the reality of, of what that legislation and those laws are about. So you guys are going about doing your job. You're policing, you're dedicated. And then the hammer comes down from doj. You, your training officer, and another officer are all federally indicted. Yes.

[B]

Correct.

[A]

What a horrible feeling that must have been, because I don't know about you, I always viewed myself as one of the good guys. I still do, and even have to go to a grand jury, which I did. And it's to be viewed upon as somehow being a bad guy or criminal is just indescribable from my point of view.

[B]

No, it was shocking to me and it was devastating to me. I never imagined in a million years that I would find myself in that position. I knew that I did my job. I knew that I did my job properly. I knew that I did my job according to my training in education and standard operating procedures of the department. I knew that my training officer approved my actions and that my commanders approved my actions. I never in a million years would think that I would find myself under scrutiny or in trouble for doing my job.

[A]

And I, quite frankly, if I didn't see the facts in front of me, quite frankly, to be honest with you, I would never believe this could be possible. But it is possible. And it did happen to you. And I hate to say this, but it's happened to other people since then.

[B]

Oh, definitely. We have probably the best justice system in the world, but sadly, it is flawed. And my case is definitely one of those cases where it shows how overzealous the Department of Justice can be, how they can manipulate facts and witnesses to fulfill an agenda they have. How it may not be about you, but if you don't cooperate, they'll get you anyways. My case points out controversy and screams of mishandling by the Department of Justice.

[A]

I think you're being nice in your description. I think it reeks of political corruption. I'm not talking about money. I'm not talking about. I'm talking about politics and power. That's what I'm talking about. And people with agendas. And I hate to say this, but we hear about all the time in the news, especially from the doj, especially from an agency that I always respected in my law enforcement career, the FBI. There's plenty of cases of people doing inappropriate things for political reasons. And inside the Beltway, the terminology they have for Washington, D.C. which, inside the beltway, it's a different world than outside.

[B]

Oh, it definitely is. Definitely is. The case didn't arise because of my actions. It arose because there was an investigation into the police department as a whole. There was an investigation into Takoma park as a Whole. And there was an investigation into a Tacoma park supervisor who was in trouble for his own civil rights violations, who happened to be on the scene of my. Of the apprehension the night of September 21st.

[A]

Now that. That makes sense. Why you appeared on their radar, but why they went after you. I just don't get it. So you were indicted. That means federal trial. The first trial, it was basically a hung jury, Correct.

[B]

The first trial was a trial that the Department of Justice brought forward according to the facts of the case. It was very simple, to the point. The facts of the case were presented, and a jury acquitted me of one charge and hung me 11 to 1 in favor of acquittal. The same results for my training supervisor. He was acquitted of one charge, and the jury hung him 11 to 1 in favor of acquittal. The arresting officer from Takoma park, the judge threw out the charges after that first trial against him.

[A]

It's a horrifying experience to be. I've been sued federally for violation of civil rights, and we won. But it's. Again, being the defendant is just extremely uncomfortable acquisition and something I never thought I'd be part of. And I. I'd be willing to bet you never thought you'd be the defendant.

[B]

Never in a million years. I was proud. I worked very hard growing up in high school and college. This was the only job I ever wanted. I worked hard in the academy. I got good grades. I was promoted at every opportunity I could. I was a decorated police officer. I did my job. I worked hard. I protected the citizens of Prince George's County. I treated people well, just like I would want to be treated. And no, in a million years, I never thought I would be on the other side of things as a defendant in a federal criminal case.

[A]

So when you got the word that it was a mistrial, they were hung. Jury 11, one in your favor. Was it a sense of relief, like, okay, now we're done with this?

[B]

It was definitely a sense of a guarded relief. And I believed that people saw the case for what it was, that there was no improper actions had occurred and that people had. The jury had listened, and they were very deliberate and thorough in their decision making. And it just. Yes, I had a sense of relief there. We knew that there was an opportunity for the Department of Justice to retry me. Although with a verdict like that, an acquittal of one charge and 11 to one in favor of acquittal by the jury, it was often unheard of that the government would bring. Bring you back to court.

[A]

Well, when you have Cases involving a traditional bad guy, for lack of better words, in a federal trial and it's a hung jury and they're acquitted on one charge and it's so lopsided the other one, it's almost a guarantee that there won't be a retrial. But that was the case for you.

[B]

That was not the case. Another stunning turn in this whole chain of events. The government elected to retry my training officer and myself. So about six months later we stood trial again for the remaining charge.

[A]

And by the way, the so called, the suspects are originally involved in their burglary. The witnesses in their trial, and I'm having a hard time saying those words that way. They have both left the country. Were they there at trial?

[B]

So for the second trial, it's my understanding that the government went to San Salvador to find one of the witnesses and bring him back so he could be a witness and testify in my trial against me. And the second suspect was brought back from a federal prison in Texas. He was serving time for some other criminal offenses that he had been tried and convicted on and he was in federal prison in Texas again awaiting deportation.

[A]

So just to, before we get a break, just to encapsulate this, I want people to understand this. A police officer with a sterling record, great record of service arrest. Two guys under the supervision of a field training officer with a canine dog. One of them gets bit where he's fleeing. They one leaves the country either voluntarily or is deported and the other one is in federal prison for other things. Because they're not angels. These are not choir boys we're talking about. And our Department of Justice at their expense, at our taxpayers expense, goes and brings them back from El Salvador or wherever you said it was to bring back to testify against you as a police officer, right?

[B]

Yes.

[A]

It gets more bizarre from here on out. We are talking with Stephanie Moore. This is the law enforcement show. Trust me, I tell you, don't go anywhere. We'll be right back. You don't want to miss this. Of all the radio stations in the United States, there are no other shows like the law enforcement talk radio show. And on Facebook there's only one official page. Do a search on Facebook for the law enforcement talk radio show and be sure to like the law enforcement talk radio show Facebook page. This is Law Enforcement show Return conversation with Stephanie Moore. Stephanie is a former Prince George's County, Maryland police officer and indicted, charged, convicted, a violation of civil rights. She's here to talk about that. Stephanie, before we go back in our conversation, I Have a rule of thumb. And there's very few things I will correct people on. They'll say if they tell people, oh, meet so and so, meet Jay. He's an ex police officer. I always correct them. I always say, no, I'm retired. And we have, in my book, we have retired. We have former. That means people left for whatever reason in good standing. And X, that usually means people who quit or are arrested or fired. In your case, I'm using the terminology former because you don't strike me as the X type. And nothing about what you did is worthy of that kind of label. If I thought it was, I'd be the first one to say it. I'd be arguing saying, no, you're an ex. You're not. You're former. And I think what happened to you is just absolutely horrible.

[B]

I appreciate it. I like former better than.

[A]

I get it. Yeah, I hate that term X.

[B]

Most people don't know that. I get a pension from the police department now.

[A]

Oh, good.

[B]

I'm not retired. I had to resign. I was allowed to resign following my conviction. But I do get a pension from them.

[A]

Well, I'm glad to hear that. Let's go back to the second trial where they made the decision to try you again, brought these guys back from federal prisons and also other parts of the world to testify against you, and the hammer came down. I don't know that the facts didn't change between the first trial and second trial. So what changed in their approach.

[B]

The second trial? The government did not try the case according to the facts. It was just a political and a smear campaign. They were able. The rules of evidence in the federal system are a bit different than they are in the state and local systems, but they were able to use my other uses of force on the police department against me as prior bad acts. And they also used. Painted me to be someone I'm not. They. They played the race card and they painted me to be someone who would routinely sic her dog on minorities. And that was. Couldn't be farther from the truth.

[A]

That's. That's a real can of worms there. I had a reputation of being quick with my hands. I worked in a very violent area. And I'll be honest with you. Prince George's county has a lot of areas that are like that with a lot of hardcore criminals. And. And they will challenge you. They will fight you. I had many uses of force. I documented all of them. I never had one sustained excessive force complaint ever. But you're absolutely right. They can bring that all into play and paint a picture of you as being some sort of gunsling, out of control cowboy.

[B]

Correct. And they did. And that was the difference between the first and second trial. And what's interesting is by sheer randomness and my second trial, when I was convicted, I ran into, on two separate occasions, I ran into two jurors who had sat on my trial. And they, when they saw me, they broke into tears. And I, I didn't recognize them, but my significant other, my son's father, did recognize them. And I was able to get from them why they were so upset. They were so upset because they never believed I was guilty, didn't think I would go to the. Go to jail. And they were just devastated by, by what? Their decision or their, their, their inability to stand strong, what it led to my conviction and ultimately going to prison.

[A]

You were convicted and you were sentenced to 10 years?

[B]

Yes, 10.

[A]

10 years. And in the federal system, 10 years means you serve how long?

[B]

Well, in the federal system, you have to serve 85% of your time. If you behave and do everything you're supposed to do while you're in prison, you are rewarded with 15% good time. But I would like to point out for the year I was convicted and sentenced, 2001, for the particular crime, I was sentenced to deprivation of civil rights under color of law. That year I received a 10 year sentence. My sentence was four times the average sentence for any officer that had been convicted of that that same year.

[A]

Where did they send you to?

[B]

They sent me to federal prison camp Alderson in Alderson, West Virginia. It was one of the largest standalone female prison camps in the federal system.

[A]

This is so devastating to hear. And part of me is, and I know it's a long time ago for you and you lived it, your family lived through it, but I'm tearing up thinking about what that must have been like to get that kind of devastating news and then have to do that kind of time for just doing your job. That's all you did. I've not heard anything or read anything, not one report. You did anything out of the ordinary.

[B]

It was devastating. My. I had a two year old son at the time I was convicted and I was allowed to remain free on bond pending my appeal. But a year later, my appeal was heard and it was denied. He was three years old when I had to leave him and surrender myself to federal prison. And it was, it was just. I was plucked out of my life. It was very surreal. Almost like you just could not believe it was Happening. I had a family and a home and a job and, you know, a job I loved and a family I loved and a three year old son at home. And one day, and the next day I was off to federal prison, stripped of everything.

[A]

What words are you used to describe having to do that kind of time and that kind of facility?

[B]

So being in prison, it's isolating. You're taken away from everything. You know, it is mentally challenging, it is emotionally challenging. Sometimes it can be physically challenging. It's, you know, cinder block walls, cement floors, steel bunk beds. There's nothing comfortable about prison whatsoever. The loneliness and the boredom sets in, the isolation sets in. You do your best to stay strong and stay focused. I definitely couldn't have survived without my faith, number one, my family and my friends. I owe my survival to my deep faith and the support of my friends and my family.

[A]

I'm glad you made it through it. I'm not glad you had to go through any of this. And I'm really, really grateful that you're taking time to talk about this. It's almost as if you're talking about this happening to someone else. But I know this happened to you and I know you're doing that for the purposes of the interview. How would you describe your life now?

[B]

My life now, I am nine years out from being released from prison. And when you're in prison, you, you lose all your ability to make a choice and to have any kind of control over your day to day activities in your life. And when you're in prison for as long as I have been or as long as I was, you come out. And coming back out into the world is like shell shock. There's definitely an adjustment period to get yourself back on your feet. And when I left for prison, I would have liked to describe myself as hard working in a job I loved, like a middle class American, just earning a decent living and, you know, making my way through the world. Nothing fancy, nothing great, but I could provide for myself and my family. When I got home from prison, I had to start over. And it was, it was worse than starting over fresh out of college because I now had a felony conviction. And so it's nine years later and I'm almost back. I can't compare my life now to what it was when I left for prison. It's not fair to do so, but at this point, I'm almost back to where I used to be. It's been a fight and it's been a struggle, but I was fortunate that I never lost my connection with my son through all the years I was in prison and I was able to come home and I lost a lot of years with him. I missed a lot of firsts with him. I missed his first day of school, his first loose tooth, his first sporting event. But I'm fortunate to say with all the support I had, I was able to pick up and start fresh with him.

[A]

And you're seeking a pardon and people get more information. You're being represented by the Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund. Their website is police defense. That's policedefense.org what would you say that a pardon would do for you and your family?

[B]

The pardon would put an end to a long and difficult saga. It would right in my mind. It would right a wrong even though it it doesn't reverse my conviction. But pardon would also restore one of the most valuable rights we have as citizens of the United States. It would restore my right to vote in a federal election. A pardon would allow me to travel to other countries. One of the opportun I had when I was released from prison was to go on my child's senior class high school senior class trip to Australia, New Zealand and Fiji. And unfortunately I was not able to attend because Australia would not issue me a visa because I have a felony conviction. And also I have missed out on professional opportunities, jobs and promotions and advancements because of my felony conviction. So a pardon would definitely improve my position professionally.

[A]

Stephanie, I wish you nothing but the best. Please keep in touch. Let us know what happens with the progress on the pardon. This is the Law Enforcement Show. Thanks for being a guest.

[B]

Thank you so much for having me.

[A]

I'd like to thank our guests for coming on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show. The Law Enforcement Talk Radio show is a nationally syndicated weekly radio show broadcast on Numerous AM&FM radio stations across the country. History. We're always adding more affiliate stations. If you enjoyed the podcast version of the show, which is always free, please do me a favor and tell a friend or two or three. I'll be back in just a few days with another episode of the Law Enforcement Talk Radio show and Podcast. Until then, this is John J. Wiley. See ya. If you like the show, please take a moment to rate, review and subscribe. It really does help the show to grow.

[B]

Thank you for listening.