Former Police Officer Exonerated of Battery Domestic Violence Charges
LAS VEGAS, NV, USA, June 5, 2019 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Johan Owens devoted much of his life to serve and protect his local community as a police officer in Las Vegas. This experience invariably led him to view law enforcement matters through the lense of a prosecutor. However, Owens had the proverbial tables turned on him when he was charged with four counts of Battery Domestic Violence by Strangulation.1
The baseless allegations were levied against Owens by his ex-fiancé. She alleged Owens strangled her on four separate occasions. Suddenly, Owens became the subject of a criminal investigation and prosecution. He needed help. He needed a legal team that would stand up and advocate on his behalf. He found his advocates in Nicholas Wooldridge and Reno Aldabbagh with LV Criminal Defense.
Serious Penalties Associated with a Battery Domestic Violence Conviction
Owens needed top-notch legal representation due to the seriousness of the charges filed against him. Battery domestic violence is a Category C Felony offense. According to Nevada Revised Statute 200.4852, the legal definition of battery domestic violence is intentionally inflicting unlawful physical force against a spouse, relative, significant other, or housemate. If Owens was convicted of this felony offense, he could have been sentenced to serve up to 15 years in prison. In addition, he would have to carry to scarlet letter of a felony conviction on his permanent record.
Legal Strategy
LV Criminal Defense took an active and aggressive approach on behalf of Owens against the complainant regarding these untrue allegations. Our legal team attended a Family Court TPO Hearing,3 requested all medical records of the ex-fiancé, and developed leads of people familiar with her who could testify about her lack of veracity. This investigative work enabled our legal team to highlight some of her prior inconsistent statements and impeach her at trial. Our legal team also retained a strangulation expert to review the ex-fiancé’s medical records and testify at trial.
Plea Negotiations
Prior to trial, state prosecutors made a plea offer where Owens would agree to plead guilty to misdemeanor domestic battery in exchange for reviewing no jail time. When these types of offers are conveyed, having the sound legal advice of a skilled attorney is critically important. We discussed the offer with Owens and determined a guilty plea was out of the realm of consideration. Why? Because Owens was not guilty.
There are some attorneys who shy away from taking a case to trial. They may be intimidated by the spotlight, or simply prefer getting a case resolved with a plea deal. That is not how Nicholas Wooldridge and Reno Aldabbagh operate. They are proud to stand up and advocate on behalf of their clients in an effort to secure the best outcome. That strategy worked in this case.
Not Guilty Verdict
After a 5-day trial, the jury weighed all of the evidence presented by the government and by the legal team with LV Criminal Defense. The jury entered a “not guilty” verdict in favor of Owens on all counts. The decision not to accept the plea deal described above was correct and Owens was exonerated.
About Nicholas Wooldridge
Wooldridge is one of the most respected and skilled criminal defense attorneys practicing in Nevada. He is ranked as a Top-100 Trial Lawyer in America and has a perfect Five Star rating on Avvo, an independent attorney-rating site. Wooldridge is a proud Las Vegas native who has dedicated his legal career to representing individuals confronting serious criminal charges. He began his legal career in New York City working with a prominent defense law firm. In 2015, Wooldridge decided to return home to Las Vegas and founded LV Criminal Defense.
About Reno Aldabbagh
Reno Aldabbagh is an associate with LV Criminal Defense. He graduated from the William S. Boyd School of Law at UNLV in 2018 and works on an array of complex criminal matters. Aldabbagh is a member of the State Bar of Nevada and is licensed to practice law in all Nevada State Courts, as well as in the United States District court for the District of Nevada.
About LV Criminal Defense
LV Criminal Defense is a boutique law firm focused on handling complex and controversial criminal cases. The legal team takes pride in handling some of the toughest cases in state and federal courts in Nevada. LV Criminal Defense is unique in that it tailors a custom defense strategy for your particular case with the goal of securing the best outcome possible. LV Criminal Defense puts the interests of clients first and works hard to get their lives back after being charged with a serious criminal offense. To learn more, contact the firm at LV Criminal Defense, 400 S. 7th St #401, Las Vegas, NV 89101; 702-623-6362; lvcriminaldefense.com
Nicholas Wooldridge
LV Criminal Defense
+1 702-623-6362
email us here
1 https://www.lvcriminaldefense.com/domestic-violence/domestic-battery-with-strangulation/
2 https://law.justia.com/codes/nevada/2010/title15/chapter200/nrs200-485.html
3 http://www.clarkcountycourts.us/departments/tpo/