wins

In one case, I represented a young man who was accused of selling drugs to an undercover buy officer. The evidence did not look good for him. He was arrested yards from where the drugs were sold, he basically matched the description given by the observation officer and worse he was identified by the undercover buy officer. When I spoke to my client he explained to me that on that day he was arrested he had been inside with his mother all day. He explained to me that he was told to go throw out the trash in the alley behind his house. That when he went to throw out the trash and two police officers arrested him. The State’s Attorney explained that my client was on a street corner about an hour earlier and that he sold four bags of drugs to a buy officer. The used the testimony of three police officers to prove their case. The State had the officers testify that the man who sold the drugs was African-American, about 20 years old, had dreadlocks, and was wearing a red shirt with jeans on. They also had the buy officer testify that my client was the guy. That he recognizes him not only in court on the day of trial but on the day of the drug deal he identified him while in police custody. I then got my opportunity to cross exam the officers.  I forced the officer to explain that after the transaction they lost sight of the man who sold the drugs and that they did not see anyone who looked like the suspect for an hour. Further, I forced the police to explain that when my client was arrested he was wearing a red shirt and shorts and not jeans. I also forced them to explain that the prerecord 505 funds were not on the man arrested and further more I elcited testimony from the buy officer that when he identified the man who he believed sold him drugs he was the only person in police custody and that he drove by without stopping his car. I argued to the Judge that the officer’s identification was faulty. That it is not probable that a person can 100% identify a person without stopping their car and getting out and that further more this man was in handcuffs surrounded by police officers. Anyone looks like they are guilty if they are in handcuffs. I further argued that the only thing my client was guilty of was having dreadlocks and wearing a red shirt. The judge agreed and found my client not guilty.