Charges against George Coleman were dismissed.  Steve Urbon attended the trial so I assume he'll have the story.

edit: My mistake. Coleman was acquitted. Not guilty.

Last edited by billw (2010-05-04 00:54:26)

This is American justice.  Cases are continued endlessly.  Eventually victims and witnesses get tired of taking time off from work, or they grow weary from sitting around the courthouse.  If there has been no further criminal action, prosecutors will move to dismiss --even if the victim is willing to persevere.

Crime Watch chief not guilty in Onset dispute

By Steve Urbon
surbon@s-t.com
May 04, 2010 12:00 AM

WAREHAM — The head of the town's Crime Watch program, George Coleman, was acquitted Monday of assault and battery stemming from an infamous July incident involving one of the Crime Watch cruisers and a local resident.

Wareham District Court Judge Thomas Barrett ruled the district attorney had failed to prove that Coleman intended to strike a woman, Pamela Miller, who was involved in a dispute with Coleman over a parking ticket behind the Onset bandshell.

Coleman, 70, has maintained his innocence since the July 17 incident and until Monday was insisting on a jury trial. But after a bench conference with Barrett, Coleman's attorney, Leonard Bello, conferred with his client and decided on the bench trial instead.

The trial took an unusual turn at the last hour, when Barrett indicated during closing statements that the case might not be strong enough because of the issue of Coleman's intent.

"Whether he was reckless, negligent or foolish, that's not enough for a finding of guilty," Barrett said.

Coleman took the stand in his own defense, and his testimony was frequently at odds with that of Miller and a handful of eyewitnesses.

The witnesses told of an argument Miller had had with Coleman over the spot where she parked her family pickup truck while taking her children and their two friends to the summertime free lunch behind the bandshell.

She and witnesses testified that she became increasingly upset as Coleman refused to tell her his name after taking pictures of her vehicle, and that he drove slowly but steadily into her as she stood in the road trying to block his exit from the handicap parking lot.

They described how she found herself sprawled against the hood of the Ford Crown Victoria as Coleman emerged and called her "stupid" and a "retard" for allegedly jumping in front of the car.

Coleman admitted calling her those names and refusing to give her his name, which he said was a mistake. But he said he was not abusive or irate, but Miller was. Witnesses said he had taken many pictures of her parked truck and even some of Miller, but he insisted he took one single shot of the truck and none of her.

He insisted that Miller, who had been standing in the roadway directly in his path, "sidestepped" about three feet as he veered to the right to get around her, something no other witness described.

Assistant District Attorney Catherine Ham pounced on the discrepancy, but Barrett focused on the issue of whether the Crime Watch car ever struck Miller, or whether Coleman had braked in the last possible instant while Miller threw herself onto the hood.

At times during the day, Barrett appeared exasperated with Bello, who repeatedly pursued a line of defense apparently grounded on the idea that Miller's truck was indeed illegally parked and Coleman was simply doing his job. Barrett ever more insistently reminded Bello that the court wasn't interested in whether the truck deserved a ticket, but rather what happened in the parking lot with the Crime Watch cruiser.

But in the end, the fact that Coleman stopped the vehicle without causing harm to Miller was enough to win a not guilty verdict from Barrett.

Coleman, who was accompanied to court by former Selectman Bruce Sauvageau, declined to comment, as did Bello.

Steve Urbon is senior correspondent of The Standard-Times.

coleman quote.....

"According to Bello, Coleman admitted at the witness stand that he failed to give his name, which he said, in hindsight, was a mistake. He testified that he took a single picture of the vehicle. He also ackowledged that he called Miller “stupid” and “a retard,” but said that took place when Miller “sidestepped” in front of the car while he tried to manuever around her."

I don't care about the legal fees or him.  This woman and her children, the witnesses and their children will recall this over and over again.  He should have been given community service rather than a not guilty and go home.  This family is upset and the larger portion of the community are also.

When you have children and your vehicle is being photographed, how do you know it isn't some child molester or pervert who will be following you and looking around for your vehicle to possibly harm the children or yourself?

Was this a criminal case...Can she now attempt a civil suit..and seek damages?

No surprise that Bruce and Bobo see Coleman as the victim here, is it?

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