Protective Orders

Protective Orders

Graduate Student Accused of Assault and Battery, Destruction of Property - Not Guilty/Dismissed

Our client, a foreign national attending a local university as a graduate student, was accused by her ex-boyfriend and his mother of assault and battery and destruction of property. Additionally, the two alleged victims obtained preliminary protective orders against her and were seeking full two-year permanent protective orders. Their attorney offered to dismiss all charges and the protective order if our client withdrew a complaint she had filed against her ex-boyfriend at school - our client refused this offer, and we took the case to trial. The ex-boyfriend and his mother accused our client of stalking the ex-boyfriend, as well as attempting to stab the mother with a knife, grabbing their arms, and striking and kicking his vehicle, supposedly causing several dents. At trial, the alleged victims testified and were cross-examined extensively on numerous inconsistencies. Additionally, our client testified. At the close of the "prosecution's" evidence, the judge GRANTED our motion to strike the destruction of property charge on the basis that no evidence was submitted of damage, thus that charge was DISMISSED. After a nearly three and a half-hour trial, the judge found our client NOT GUILTY of the two charges of assault and battery. After an additional hearing on the protective orders, the judge DENIED the ex-boyfriend and mother's requests for protective orders and instead ordered that our client must simply post an unsecured peace bond for a period of time.