Jury found a Philadelphia woman accused of aggravated assault not guilty last week.
In January of 2012, a Philadelphia woman was attending a Beef and Beer fundraiser at her neighborhood bar with family and friends. She encountered several young, drunk women that began a fistfight with her. The young women were escorted out of the bar but her troubles were not over. Another group of the young woman’s relatives attacked her again, pulling her hair and scratching her face. Within moments these women were also escorted out of the bar. The angry mob remained outside the bar, banging on the windows, and threatening the woman, her husband, and friends who remained in the bar until it was safe to leave.
Unbeknownst to her, the next day one of the drunk women involved in the attack notified the police claiming that this woman had attacked her with a beer bottle breaking several teeth and causing serious nerve damage. She received treatment at the hospital where she reported that the defendant had attacked her. Philadelphia police began an investigation, consisting solely of interviewing the woman who stated she and her friend were assaulted. A month and a half later, with only this woman’s statement, the police filed an arrest warrant for felony charges alleging an attack with a beer bottle causing serious bodily injury.
Distraught and distressed this married mother of two with no criminal record sought out the assistance of Attorney R. Emmett Madden of ThePhillyLawyers. Immediately, Mr. Madden retained an investigator who promptly found half a dozen witnesses willing to testify that there was never an attack with a beer bottle and that, in fact, this poor woman was the victim, not the aggressor.
Despite these interviews, the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office continued to pursue prosecution demanding a jury trial, felony charges, and restitution of nearly $12,000 for injuries that Mr. Madden’s client never even knew had occurred.
Late last week, this case went to a jury of twelve. After a week of presenting evidence and discrediting the government’s witnesses, the jury returned a unanimous verdict of not guilty on all charges.
Another victory for ThePhillyLawyers!
