NASHVILLE CRIMINAL LAWYERS | CASE STUDIES
PRACTICE AREA(S):
CASE BRIEF:
Criminal defense case study of a client charged with misdemeanor theft and publicly defamed (by the accuser) after taking a stray cat that attacked his cat on his property out into the woods for disposal in Cheatham County, Tennessee.
THE STAKES: This was a small-town affair. The accuser took to social media and stirred people into a frenzy that resulted in death threats to our client. Our client’s reputation and safety were in jeopardy. The possible penalties for the charge included a year in jail and a $2,500 fine, but the damage to his reputation and associated threats on his safety were also huge factors.
THE GOAL: Our client wanted to be completely vindicated AND pursue a lawsuit against the accuser for malicious prosecution. Because an essential element of a claim for malicious prosecution is the “dismissal” of the case for which you were wrongfully prosecuted, our goal was dismissal.
CHARGES:
Theft under $1,000.
CHARGE CLASSIFICATION(S): CLASS A MISDEMEANOR
RELEVANT LAWS FOR CHARGE:
OUTCOME / RESULT: Theft charge dismissed and all of the client’s remedies against the false accuser preserved.