Law360 (October 28, 2026, 6:13 PM EDT) -- The Philadelphia District Attorney's Office has accused the chair of the city's Police Oversight Commission of selling witness information to a man held in prison on attempted murder charges in a domestic violence case.

Hassan Bennett is charged with intimidation of witness, conspiracy, bribery and criminal use of communication facility stemming from alleged communication with the imprisoned defendant, who according to prosecutors was recorded on prison phone calls and on social media attempting to intimidate a witness.

Prosecutors alleged in a statement Tuesday that the imprisoned defendant indicated he was looking for the witness in an attempt to keep them from coming to court in the domestic violence matter.

In one recorded call, Bennett read the defendant's arrest report to him over the phone, prosecutors said. During that call, the defendant allegedly offered Bennett $500 for the paperwork, which the District Attorney's Gun Violence Task Force claimed he obtained from Bennett and sent to others for the purpose of witness intimidation.

"Our criminal legal system relies on victims and witnesses coming forward to provide information and, in many cases, testify in court. As a result, our office takes their safety very seriously, and any time someone tries to intimidate a witness or engages in conduct that threatens the safety of a witness, we will act with swiftness and determination," said Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner. "Defendant Hassan Bennett not only committed serious crimes, but in doing so has violated the public's trust. His actions are not a reflection on the work of the Citizens Police Oversight Commission or the Defender Association of Philadelphia."

Bennett did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday and has not yet entered a plea in response to the charges. A preliminary hearing in the case before Philadelphia Municipal Court Judge Karen Y. Simmons is scheduled for Nov. 12.

The district attorney's office said Bennett is being held on $1 million bail.

Bennett gained fame in 2019 after successfully representing himself in a challenge to his 2008 conviction for a murder he maintained he did not commit.

He spent 13 years in prison for the 2006 shooting death of Devon English. He was first represented by a public defender in 2008, but the case resulted in a mistrial over jury tampering concerns.

The second trial saw Bennett convicted of second-degree murder, which carried a life sentence. Bennett appealed that conviction on the grounds that his counsel provided ineffective assistance, and a judge agreed to grant him a third trial.

That third trial resulted in the jury returning an 11-1 verdict in favor of acquittal, leading to a fourth and final trial in 2019 in which Bennett represented himself and successfully convinced a jury to acquit him.

Counsel information for Bennett was not immediately available.

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is represented by the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office.

The case is Commonwealth v. Bennett, case number MC-51-CR-0020835-2026 in the Philadelphia Municipal Court.

–Additional reporting by Matt Fair. Editing by Amy French.

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