Push for new trial, former cop wants conviction overturned

MILWAUKEE (AP) — A 28-year-old Milwaukee man is asking for his murder conviction to be overturned, saying a police officer who was later fired amid allegations of misconduct planted a bullet used to convict him.

Steven Hopgood was convicted in the June 2010 attempted robbery of a liquor store customer. He was accused of providing the gun another man used to fatally shoot Vincent Cort.

Lawyers for the Wisconsin Innocence Project filed a motion for a new trial Monday in Milwaukee, saying Hopgood was convicted in large part based on the discovery of a bullet in Cort's car. Their motion says the bullet was discovered by Milwaukee police detective Rodolfo Gomez, who was later fired.

Gomez faces a misconduct in office charge in relation to the videotaped beating of a handcuffed suspect.