When a person is charged with a crime, other people may be quick to judge the accused. The media, neighbors, friends, employers and other members of the community might condemn a person as guilty before criminal proceedings have even taken place. Portland residents should understand, however, that just because a person has been charged with a crime, that does not mean those charges won't eventually be dropped.
Recently, this occurred with a 24-year-old man in Portland. According to reports, the man is a community advocate that sits on the TriMet Transit Equality Advisory Committee. He was apparently on a city bus when he noticed a leaky vent. Reports claim that the man approached the bus driver about the vent but was met with hostility. After a third attempt to broach the subject with the driver, the man was asked to leave the bus. Police claim that he refused and they were forced to remove him. He was subsequently charged with a second-degree trespassing charge, a misdemeanor.
However, the criminal charge has since been dropped. Prosecutors from Mulnomah County claim that the person that excluded the man from the bus may not have actually had authority to do so. Additionally, prosecutors say that they needed more evidence --in the form of witness statements -- in order to actually proceed with the case.
As this case shows, just because a person faces criminal charges doesn't mean that this person will face penalties -- like a fine or jail time. Criminal defense options exist even for misdemeanor charges that, with the right help, can eliminate the charge altogether.
Source: The Oregonian, "Portland Streetcar trespassing charge against community advocate Cameron Whitten is dismissed," Stuart Tomlinson, May 19, 2015
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