[420 Girl]

HUNTSVILLE, AL. Jurors began deliberating the fate of former Huntsville police officer Wes Little, who faces evidence tampering, false reporting, gun and drug charges.

The jury, which started deliberating just before 10 a.m., has been asked to decide whether Little was an officer who "was extremely lax" on matters of police procedure but who did not break any laws, according to his attorney Randy Gladden. Or whether he repeatedly lied to hide the truth, offered to find marijuana to help another officer make an arrest, and lied on the witness stand, according to prosecutor Don Rizzardi.

Gladden told jurors it is not a crime to violate police department policy, while Rizzardi argued that police officers are expected to maintain a high standard and the jury is the only citizen review board that would ever hear the case.

Little, 31, testified on his own behalf Wednesday. He said his laxness and poor judgment put him in this position. The problems included failing to turn in a gun without serial numbers that had been seized in a search, hanging on to driver's licenses after traffic stops and failing to dispose of a set of brass knuckles a church friend had asked him to destroy. He is charged with possession of an altered firearm.

"I was making a good cop," Little said. "My procrastination changed that perception."

Little resigned from the Police Department in June 2008 after an internal investigation into reports of misconduct. He joined the force in December 2006.

Most of the charges against him stem from an Oct. 29, 2007, traffic stop, where Little responded to assist officer Quinn Campbell.

Campbell testified Tuesday that while searching the car he told Little he could smell marijuana but not find it. He testified Little told him "it can be there if it needs to be." Campbell went to his shift sergeant the next day and complained about the incident, but it took several months for police to pursue an internal investigation of Little.

Little disputed Campbell's account and his attorney pointed out that Campbell said he never saw any marijuana on Little. After making an arrest at the scene, Little turned in a bag of marijuana, which was found after the woman admitted hiding it on her person, according to Little's report.

The prosecution argues Little claimed in his police report he spotted a bag of marijuana on the floor of the car, before finding marijuana on the woman. So either he failed to turn in one of the bags, or made a false report about the first bag. One of the charges against him is attempted possession of a controlled substance.

During cross-examination, Rizzardi pushed Little and called him a liar. He questioned why there were other officers who disputed Little's account of events, including Little's then-precinct commander. Little said Campbell had lied, as had his former squad captain.

Gladden told jurors Little had made several errors in judgment, but he came to investigators and admitted lying about the gun in his possession before he was charged with any crime.

"I submit the evidence shows he had a dirty heart and wanted to clean it out," Gladden said. "And he did so. It should have been done sooner, but it wasn't."

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