Criminal Defense Case Studies

Evidence Found Mitigated Long Sentence

WASHINGTON was a gang member and drug dealer charged with murdering a rival. Our investigation developed a community member witness who identified WASHINGTON as one of the men in the courtyard when the deceased was killed, but not the person who shot the complainant. This case was tried and the witness testified that WASHINGTON was not the person who shot the deceased. In addition, our investigation found that the caliber of weapon used to kill the complainant was not the weapon found with WASHINGTON, but was recovered in the possession of the State’s prime witness. The State’s witness also fit the description of the person seen by the witness, identified in our investigation as the shooter. Result: The jury was unconvinced by the evidence presented and convicted WASHINGTON, but the Judge in the case substantially reduced the sentence.

Attempted Murder Reduced to Misdemeanor

STEVENS was charged with attempted murder of a peace officer. The State claimed that STEVENS shot at officers with an assault weapon as they approached his apartment while investigating the discharge of a firearm. The officers came to STEVENS’s apartment and arrested him, recovering the assault weapon. Our investigation found that the officers listed as complainants approached the complex from behind thick bushes and that STEVENS could not have seen them approaching from his balcony. The investigation also developed witnesses who provided a timeline of the shots fired that did not match the police report. Finally, the investigation uncovered physical evidence to suggest that the weapon was fired into the ground directly under STEVENS’s balcony.   Result: This information prompted the ADA assigned to the case to visit the scene. When she confirmed the information presented, the charges were reduced to a misdemeanor, and STEVENS was placed on probation.

Investigation Resulted in Unprecedented Offer of Probation

JACKSON was charged with sexual assault of a child that he and his wife had cared for in his home. The child provided graphic descriptions of sex acts she alleged she had been forced to engage in by JACKSON. JACKSON adamantly denied these allegations and told his lawyer he wanted a trial. We began our investigation and learned that the mother of the child regularly had sex—with multiple partners—while the child was in the room. In addition, the mother and her various boyfriends watched pornography with the child in the room. Many of the acts described by the child were very similar to those commonly seen in pornography. Result: The ADA assigned to the case made an unprecedented offer of probation due to the investigative facts, but JACKSON held firm, demanding a dismissal or exoneration at trial. Unfortunately, JACKSON passed away suddenly before the matter could be tried. It was clear the stress of the events surrounding the case contributed to his death.