Jerry was facing prison time after being falsely accused of aggravated assault. In less than a month, the Rossen Law Firm got the case dismissed. Jerry is very happy to continue with her life now that she is no longer worried about being falsely investigated for assault.
Jerry was a model citizen with no prior arrests, yet was now worried about going to prison for up to 5 years. One day she was a successful businesswoman with a bright future, and the next she was waking up to her mugshot plastered online. Without a home, friends, or family, in her new town, she had to face these serious felony allegations alone. Jerry was terrified.
For over a decade, Jerry had been a victim of her husband’s abusive behavior. He had a history of substance abuse issues and anger issues. In Alaska, where they previously lived, Jerry fled from their home to reside in a domestic violence shelter on multiple occasions to escape her husband’s physical abuse. Soon after moving down to Sunrise, Florida, Jerry and her husband got into a disagreement that resulted in Jerry defending herself with a knife. After telling her husband repeatedly to back away from her, she had no choice but to use her weapon against him to protect herself.
When a concerned neighbor contacted the police, Jerry explained to the officers how she was simply defending herself in accordance with Florida’s Stand Your Ground law. The police, however, did not believe it. That same day, Jerry was falsely arrested for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and facing serious prison time. After spending a day in jail and posting her bond, Jerry made the wise decision of contacting the Rossen Law Firm.
After speaking with Jerry during the first meeting, it was clear that Jerry was falsely accused. Because Jerry contacted us the day she got out of jail, we were able to move swiftly before the case had actually been filed by the prosecutor. Jerry’s case was still in the pre-filing stage, which left a window open for us to dismiss the case before it was reviewed by the prosecutors. This period of time is typically used to evaluate the gravity of the situation and decide whether the charge should be increased, reduced, or even dropped.
Our strategy was simple: get in early and explain the situation. This included letting the prosecutors know that the police were wrong in arresting Jerry and also that there was an established pattern of violence towards our client. Because the police do not have access to the full 911 tapes, they were not told that the complaint that there was a man screaming at a woman, not the other way around.
Additionally, in the days and weeks following this incident, Jerry’s husband sent her multiple threatening text messages and even harassed her at her hotel to the point where she had to call the police. While this was a terrifying situation for our client, it was helpful for her case. We were able to use this to our advantage and demonstrate his violent tendencies. After three exhausting weeks, Jerry received the news that the Rossen Law Firm convinced the prosecutors to dismiss all of the charges. Because we went in early, neither Jerry nor the attorneys had to go to court.
Now, we are working to expunge her records so that this case cannot be found in public records, nor by potential employers. Jerry now has full custody of her son and is in the process of filing for divorce. She is safe, happy, and ready to live her life with this nightmare behind her.
Call our office to schedule an appointment for a free consultation:
Rossen Law Firm
