DOMESTIC ASSAULT & BATTERY CHARGE AGAINST ELDERLY, DISABLED MAN DISMISSED BY COMMONWEALTH DURING TRIAL

Client, 72-year-old man, was in a relationship with his girlfriend for 40 years. On one night, the client’s girlfriend called 911 and reported that she was physically assaulted by her boyfriend. She told police that the client had sucker-punched her in the face several times. She alleged that she locked herself in her bedroom after being chased by the client. She claimed that the client was banging on her bedroom door with a 6-foot wooden club. She took out a restraining order in which she alleged that she was afraid that the defendant would beat her to death with the wooden club. Prior to the trial, the girlfriend provided the District Attorney with photos showing scratches and marks to her face, as well as damage to her bedroom door.

Result: Prior to trial, Attorney Patrick J. Noonan discovered that the girlfriend was recently charged with Assault with a Dangerous Weapon stemming from an incident in which she threw hot coffee at two Dunkin Donut employees. The Commonwealth dismissed this charge against the girlfriend. In a prior hearing, Attorney Patrick J. Noonan asked the girlfriend if she threw the hot coffee at the employees and she vehemently denied doing so. At the start of the trial, Attorney Noonan filed a Motion in Limine to admit evidence of the hot coffee incident. Attorney Noonan argued that the girlfriend’s violent actions in throwing the hot coffee at the unsuspecting employees were relevant to show that she was the first aggressor and that she attacked the client. After a hearing, the judge allowed Attorney Noonan’s Motion. Anticipating that the girlfriend would once again deny throwing the hot coffee, Attorney Noonan had a witness ready to testify that he was standing in line and saw her throw the hot coffee at the two employees. The Judge allowed Attorney Noonan to call this witness and have him testify to the hot coffee incident. As we were getting ready to empanel a jury, the girlfriend opted not to take the witness stand and she invoked her Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination. As a result, the Commonwealth had to dismiss the case.