Family of Matthew Turner Petitioning Justice Department

The family of Matthew Turner-- the Highland Park teen who was convicted in August of 2010 of a 2008 murder on Marmion Way--is now circulating a petition asking the Department of Justice to look into the case.

Wayne Turner made allegations of misconduct about the Los Angeles Police Department, District Attorney's Office and the judge who presided over the case that ended with his son receiving a 90-years-to-life sentence for the killing of Adrian Betancor. 

In an appeal of the conviction filed on Friday, July 15 by Turner's attorney Christopher Darden to the Superior Court, he states that prosecuting attorney Andrea Pott withheld information about the payment and relocation of two of the prosecution's witnesses during the trial.

Further, Turner claims that LAPD Detective Lisa Governo declined to tell the court that a key witness told her that he had "never seen Matthew Turner" before and that he was "the wrong guy."

According to court records, when brought before the defense during the request for retrial, Governo admitted under oath to withholding the witness' misgivings from the court.

Turner also alleges that Judge Bob S. Bowers Jr.--who presided over the case--was biased against his son due to his affiliation with a local gang.

Turner's petition asks for the Justice Dept. to look over cases involving Pott, Bowers, Governo and Northast LAPD Officer Jose Carillo "to see if there are more innocent people that have been convicted due to (but not limited to and including) the withholding of information about witnesses and Exculpatory Evidence."

As of Thursday afternoon, the petition had received 5 of the needed 10,000 signatures.

The Turner case took another turn in November of 2010 when, following Turner's conviction, LAPD Officer Gabriel Morales resigned after facing allegations that he illegally mined department databases in search of witness information on behalf of the Turner family.

Morales had been dating Turner's sister for several years.