Disorderly Conduct

Client allowed a co-worker and her family to move in with her while they were between homes. It took the client over a year to get them evicted. During the evection process, an argument began between the client and her co-worker’s spouse. The argument turned physical and the client struck the “victim.” The co-worker and her family then had the client arrested for battery and tried to take possession of the house as a condition of the client’s pre-trial release. At the initial appearance I was able to successfully argue that it was the client’s house and the “victim” was trespassing so the client could keep her home. As the case progressed I learned there was a video of the physical argument that the “victim” had in their possession that they had not turned over to the State. I was able to force the State to get that video. The video showed the physical contact was not everything the State thought. With the video I was able to get the State to drop the battery charges and we resolved the case to a disorderly conduct and no conviction, and a promise from the State to charge the “victim” with the same charges.