April 18, 2012

• Steven Topazio wrote this April 27, 2014 at 3:41 pm

The client, a 31 year old administrative assistant with no prior criminal history, immediately hired Attorney Topazio to represent her after she was stopped by police and searched after purchasing marijuana. Although not arrested, the Client received an application for criminal complaint to appear in court to answer on the charges. Attorney Topazio obtained the police report and learned that members of the Drug Control Unit stopped the Client after observing her engaged in what they believed to be a drug transaction. According to the police report, a $50.00 bag of marijuana was recovered from the Client who admitted to purchasing the marijuana and was released by police. After the Client was released, she called the alleged seller’s cell phone which was answered by police. The police, using a ruse, answered the alleged seller’s cell phone and reported that the Client stated that she was just stopped by the police and that they recovered only one of two bags of marijuana from her. The police still under the ruse, arranged to meet the Client for a second time, where it was reported that the Client was not in possession of the second bag of marijuana as she admitted to distributing it to a third person. Today, Attorney Topazio convinced the clerk magistrate and the police not to issue a criminal complaint against his Client at this time but rather to hold the matter open for one year and if his Client gets into no further trouble to dismiss all charges at the conclusion of the year. Dismissing the application for complaint prior to issuance of the formal criminal complaint also prevents an entry from appearing on his client’s clean criminal record or (CORI).