By Denver Colorado Domestic Criminal Defense Lawyer – Attorney – H. Michael Steinberg
When alleged domestic violence victims lie to obtain revenge on a former boyfriend that is a tragedy of enormous proportions. When that person – the alleged domestic violence victim – is a police officer using her office to persuade authorities that her boyfriend attacked her – that is a felony deserving of prison.
Domestic Violence – False Allegations
As a result of the lies of Colorado Springs police officer Sydney Huffman’s against her former boyfriend Jarrott Martinez – Martinez would sustain more than six months in jail, two jury trials ending in two acquittals and the loss of his job as a Manitou Springs police officer.
The Facts – False Allegations in Colorado Springs
In June of 2010 – Huffman told the police that Martinez – while driving – caught up to her in her vehicle, drove her off the road and then attacked and choked her. In the absence of excellent criminal defense work – which proactive investigation proved that that was a lie – this case may have ended very differently for Martinez.
Surveillance video located as a result of further investigation – proved that Martinez was at a local mall at the time of the alleged assault.
As a result of a plea agreement – Judge Larry Schwartz sentenced Huffman to 90 days of house arrest, 200 hours of community service and four-years of supervised probation. He also ordered a mental health evaluation
Huffman was originally charged with six counts of attempting to influence a public official –18-8-306 – as a result of lying to the police in multiple attempts to obtain arrestwarrants against Martinez. The plea deal was for a guilty plea to only one count.
Under Colorado Law the crime of a attempting to influence a public official 18-8-306 is a class 4 felony punishable by two to six years in prison.
A Civil Settlement For Damages
As a result of almost two years of litigation – the City of Colorado Springs agreed to pay $480,000 to Martinez for the city’s role in the prosecution of this case.
Two Different Trials – Not Guilty Verdicts
Even after Mr. Martinez was acquitted of domestic violence charges by Huffman’s – the police sought yet another arrest warrant based on new allegations that he sexually assaulted her. These new charges were later dropped by prosecutors and a third trial was averted.
An Unbelievable Last Attempt To Withdraw From The Plea Agreement
Just before she was sentenced – Huffman tried to withdraw from her plea agreement claiming she pled guilty because she learned she was pregnant and could not go to trial. Another lie – the prosecutor had agreed to delay the trial until after Huffman had given birth.
As you might expect – Huffman, it was reported, showed no emotion in court on the day she pled guilty.
Domestic Violence – False Allegations – H. Michael’s Take
This case examines the disastrous consequences of false allegations in a Colorado domestic violence case and the result of a system that always sides with the alleged victim in the case and does not carefully scrutinize her credibility as would be the case in almost every other Colorado criminal charge.