The Case of the Keyed Car
Criminal Mischief: Dismissed in Court
Attorney Alan Cohen represented a former Harris County Deputy who was on probation for a family violence case involving the deputy’s ex-wife. The ex-wife told the Humble Police Department that her car had been keyed at work. The ex-wife also told officers that co-workers had observed an individual matching her husband’s description near her car on the morning of the incident. The investigating officer showed a photo spread to the witnesses and Cohen’s client was subsequently charged.
The Gradoni Investigation Ensues
Our investigation revealed there was a good possibility that the ex-wife had shown her co-workers a photograph of her husband before they were interviewed by the police. After we interviewed the witnesses, we determined that their identification was far from positive. The defendant, who had just had a recent surgery, was also wearing a probation monitor. The Harris County Probation Department’s records indicated that the defendant was at home during the time the alleged incident occurred. When the District Attorney was presented with this information, the case was dismissed.