Client and friend are going to house where friend is going to pay back $50 to female friend. All above board: returning some borrowed money. Not for drugs or sex or bribery of public officials.
Client drives friend, who gets out and approaches female. Guys with female start arguing with friend and fight starts. Client is still in car, watching. During fight, gun comes out and one of the guys is shot and killed. Friend gets in car and client drives off.
Client didn't have gun, didn't anticipate any problems, didn't shoot anyone, didn't do anything more illegal than witness a shooting.
So . . . client gets charged with murder first degree! Amazing probable cause statement, tells straight story--no criminal activity, just a witness to a shooting. Now, it's alarming that a detective thinks that's a crime. More bizarre is a prosecutor signing off on probable cause. And a judge signed the complaint. And a grand jury indicted.
$500,000 cash only bond (reduced by Judge Youngs, who probably read the (lack of) probable cause statement. Now, realizing that no crime was committed by client, the prosecutor wants him as a witness.
Instead of dismissing and apologizing for arresting, charging and incarcerating a mere witness, the prosecutor is offering a "deal:" plead to a felony of hindering prosecution, take four years, be a snitch.
We have declined the offer.
And they wonder why the public doesn't want to cooperate . . . .
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