Domestic Violence Charge Dismissed
John Doe is a 40-year-old police officer from central Connecticut. When his marriage was dissolving, his wife filed a complaint against him contending he had threatened both she and their children. The result was an arrest and the officer's removal from his town's SWAT team.
Throughout the proceedings, the client insisted on his innocence and that he had done nothing wrong. There was no physical evidence supporting his wife's claim.
The case lingered for one year. At one point, the state offered to drop the charges, but the client wanted a dismissal. Had the state merely entered a decision not to prosecute, the charges could have been reopened at any time within 13 months. Mr. Doe was unwilling to give his wife a 13-month leash, so we held out for trial.
When the state would not call the case to trial, we filed a speedy trial motion. We reported to court today and the state folded. The case was dismissed, our client will now be free to rejoin the SWAT team, and he has no criminal record. Indeed, the reason you are not reading his name here is that his file is erased by operation of law.
John Doe held out for trial rather than accept a disposition that would have placed him at further risk of manipulation by his now ex-wife. His case is a stark reminder of how the criminal courts can be abused by vindictive spouses battling for cash and custody of children. The case also reminds why you must find counsel ready, willing and able to take your case to trial.
