Former Louisville Metro Police who was fired after being accused of charging innocent people with crimes continues to fight to get her job back. On Friday, Crystal Marlowe's merit board appeal continued with the defense that she is not the only one at fault. Marlowe and her attorney have been saying that from the beginning, but Friday afternoon they got some backup.
Marlowe is accused of sloppy police work. Among the charges are relying on a Jefferson County Youth Center employee's word that a suspect was in youth detention and relying on photo packs to issue arrest warrants.
In the end, several people were charged with crimes they didn't commit. Some of those people who were in jail when the crime they were charged with happened are now suing.
Mary Sharp, Marlowe's attorney, maintains her client was never trained properly. Now the lead investigator for the LMPD Public Integrity Unit agreed in part, saying it's not just Marlowe with the problem.
"I'd have to say management of the department," answered Sergeant Pete McCartney when asked where the problem began."
McCartney told the Police Merit Board the department is so focused on getting arrest statistics it's pushing officers to go too fast.
"Your stats are your arrests and they don't go by conviction, they go by arrests," McCartney continued. "If you've got a thousand cases you're going to try and get them done as quick as you can and go to the next one."
Marlowe's division commander, Major Steve Green, also testified. When asked if LMPD should share in any of the blame for what happened, Green answered, "Yes."
Green testified if he had been informed earlier about Marlowe's problems, the situation could have been corrected before it got worse.
"There are other steps we could have taken in order to remove her from the detective position or whatever needed to be done at that point," said Green.
The merit board appeal picks back up July 27.