Maryland Assault and Kidnapping Case Muddled by Faulty Testimony

Romantic relationships can lead to heated interactions, fueled by passionate fear, sadness and anger. In the case of one Maryland couple, a woman’s decision to move out of her and her boyfriend’s apartment led to an emotional and allegedly violent crime.

According to the Maryland Gazette, the 27-year-old boyfriend got a ride to the home where his girlfriend was staying and initiated a fight. Directly following the July incident, the boyfriend faced assault charges, a weapons charge and a kidnapping charge.

Due to a reported lack of evidence and the girlfriend admitting to telling a lie, the Maryland assault suspect is now only convicted with second-degree assault. He pleaded guilty to that one charge in a deal with prosecutors. All other charges, including first-degree assault, use of a dangerous weapon and kidnapping were dismissed.

The initial weapons charge was based on the assault victim’s account that the boyfriend pointed a gun at him during the dispute over his girlfriend. But because the defendant had sprayed the teen with mace, it was difficult to prove that the teen truly saw a gun.

After the defendant’s arrest, the girlfriend initially said that she had been taken by him against her will, but she lied. She later told authorities that she willingly went with him in an attempt to keep the incident from becoming more serious, which is why the kidnapping charge didn’t stick.

The sentencing hearing regarding the recent guilty plea and conviction is scheduled for Friday. Sources report that the second-degree assault conviction could earn the man up to eight years in prison.

Source

Maryland Gazette: “Prosecutors drop top charges after victim changes her story,” 15 Dec. 2010