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ENM Law News: “Not guilty” verdict in Homicide trial

by | Dec 27, 2017 | Uncategorized | 0 comments

A criminal case can’t get much more serious than a murder charge and not all attorneys are capable of handling this type of case. However, when Attorney Nevins was given the responsibility of representing a client accused of criminal homicide in Reading, PA, he knew that he was up to the challenge.

Our client was charged with fatally shooting a man during the early morning hours of June 4, 2016. Video from the incident showed that the decedent was the initial aggressor and that our client backed away. The decedent went for his waistband, but came away with nothing. At the same time, our client drew his legally possessed weapon and pointed it as the decedent advanced seven steps towards our client. Our client fired one shot. After interviewing our client, the police reviewed surveillance footage and because there was a discrepancy between our client’s report and the video, the police filed a homicide charge. Because of the nature of the charge, our client was denied bail pending trial.

After consultation with his client, Attorney Nevins decided that the argument at trial would be one of justification: that our client was justified in using deadly force in defense of himself. In preparation for trial, Attorney Nevins filed a motion in front of the judge asking that he be allowed to present evidence of the decedent’s gang affiliation as well as history as a domestic abuser. This type of evidence is permitted at trial only under narrow circumstances. In a major win for the defense, the judge granted Attorney Nevins’ motion and this important evidence was heard by the jury. In addition, Attorney Nevins was permitted to present testimony of our client’s former service in the Marines. Ultimately, Attorney Nevins was able to convince the jury that our client acted reasonably in defending himself with deadly force. The jury found our client “not guilty” and he was released after spending almost a 1 ½ years in Berks County Prison while awaiting his day in court.

While you may not need help with a homicide charge, you want to be represented by a Reading, PA criminal law attorney who knows how to represent a client against the most serious of charges. If you’ve been charged with a crime in Berks County, contact our knowledgeable criminal attorneys at 610-372-5128 or [email protected]

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