A case that touches on the credibility of New York City Police Department officers and how well New York City is supervising them will be heard by a jury in January, Senior U.S. Eastern District Judge Jack B. Weinstein ordered Tuesday.

In Cordero v. The City of New York, 15-CV-3436, plaintiff Hector Cordero alleges that he was arrested by NYPD officers on Oct. 24, 2014 on drug charges because the officers wanted to make an arrest near the end of their shift so that they would be paid overtime. Cordero denies involvement in the drug transaction.

“A NYPD official took the position that the problem of perjury is not pervasive within the department, and that the tendency of police officers to fabricate testimony is no greater than that of non-police witnesses,” Weinstein wrote. “The statement misses the point. Police officers, unlike civilians, have the power to terminate constitutionally protected liberty; with this power comes great responsibility; as well as the need for appropriate oversight.”