“According to Siegel, the prosecution tried to “goad” the defense into seeking a mistrial “from the moment this trial began” in mid-January, “for the purpose of gaining prosecutorial advantage” …
“This trial was an abomination,” said attorney Jim Lewis …
A sixth co-defendant, Dorothea Thompson Robinson, pleaded guilty and agreed to testify for the state. But when she took the stand, she said neither she nor her co-defendants had done anything wrong … “
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Statewidegate ended badly today, at least for the State of Florida.
Andy Siegel dismissed all cases because of an egregious discovery violation, with jeopardy attached.
Michael Weinstein, who filed a Motion To Dismiss For Prosecutorial Misconduct, had this to say earlier today:
“The State hid the ball throughout the entire trial. Ultimately, their hand was caught in the cookie jar during their final witness. The Court found there was clear and blatant prosecutorial misconduct, and granted all of our motions to dismiss.“
The Sun Sentinel was present for the dismissal, and during Siegel’s reportedly strongly negative critique of the prosecution’s actions and performance. Hopefully a detailed article will publish later today.
Congratulations to lawyers Michael Weinstein, Jim Lewis, David Fry, Phyllis Cook, Michael McDonald, and Michael Tenzer for a job well done …
