Zachary Wester

A racketeering conviction against a former Jackson County Sheriff’s Deputy has been overturned by a three-judge panel of the First District Court of Appeal.

The former Jackson County Sheriff’s Deputy who was convicted of planting drugs in the vehicles of people he pulled over has been sentenced to 12 years and six months in prison.

The jury is in deliberation after hearing closing arguments in the Zachary Wester trial.The former Jackson County deputy is accused of planting drugs on motorists during traffic stops. Assistant State Attorney Tom Williams says the drugs found in Wester’s patrol car the day he was suspended, were the ones he used to plant on victims.

Former Jackson County Sheriff Zachary Wester is on trial against the state for planting drugs while searching people's cars during traffic stops. He’s facing charges of racketeering, official misconduct, fabricating evidence as well as perjury. He’s facing more than 70 charges. The state spent four days proving its case to the jury, while the defense just spent one. WFSU’s Gina Jordan talks with Blaise Gainey about what’s taken place.

Zachary Wester, the former Jackson County Deputy accused of planting drugs on people during traffic stops, is on trial this week. Most of the testimony so far has been from victims, many sharing similar stories.

Former Jackson County Sheriff Zachary Wester is on trial. He is accused of planting drugs inside people’s cars during traffic stops. Joshua Emanuel was pulled over by Wester in April of 2018.

It sounds like something out of a crime drama. A dirty cop plants drugs on people, then arrests them. But that’s what state investigators say happened in…