People v. E.P.
A young computer programmer was alleged to have rear-ended another driver on a busy intersection. The victim of the accident reported to police that after pulling over to the side of the road, that other party had tried to pull over at first but then decided to avoid contact and chose to flee from the scene. The victim-driver was able to identify the man’s vehicle due to a personalized license plate. Police were notified and placed a search warrant for the man in reference to a Hit & Run incident. Several days later, the young man was found and arrested for the allegation.
The firm was retained to represent the client accused of the Hit & Run shortly after receiving a letter in the mail regarding the charges. Meanwhile, the victims in the accident proceeded to acquire medical bills for the personal injuries sustained during the accident.
Lead trial counsel worked tirelessly to investigate the scene of the accident, the persons involved (in particular the victim/driver), the vehicles that were involved, video surveillance of the surrounding area, witness statements, and the police department’s own investigation. Defense investigations lead to unveiling important information regarding the witnesses scheduled to testify in trial if the case were to reach that point.
One week prior to trial, prosecutors contacted the firm to inquire whether the defense had any interest in settling the case for minimal penalties. On the day of trial, with the client beside him, our lead trial counsel, Bart Kasperowicz, announced ready to proceed with the witnesses and evidence at hand. The prosecution carefully reviewed the case one last time. Because of this final assessment, the deputy prosecutor assigned to litigate the case dropped all charges and dismissed the case.