IndiaPost.com

Half the charges against Anand Jon dropped
Tuesday, 08.26.2008, 11:16pm (GMT-7)

LOS ANGELES: The prosecution in the Anand Jon criminal case dropped a bombshell on Monday, August 25, in Los Angeles Criminal Courts Building - the government is dropping over half charges against the young fashion designer. The courtroom was clearly shocked as the deputy district attorney Mara McIlvain and Francis Young announced that they were dropping 50 percent of the alleged victims and 50 percent of the charges against Anand Jon.

This comes on the heels of BHPD Detective George Elwell's testimony one week prior where he admitted to deleting evidence, hiding evidence for almost one year regarding the hacking into Anand Jon's computers as well as not turning over any positive witness statements to the defense. All clear violations of the code of ethics.

Defense attorney Eric Chase stated in court that all of this admission of hacking and obtaining attorney-client privileged information is very peculiar combined with three of the defense computers being stolen (leaving two other non-defense related computers, cash, credit cards and jewelry untouched). Only sensitive information was stolen.

There was no forced entry. The local police have not come up with a reasonable explanation for the home invasion of a top floor unit in a security building. Regarding the amended indictment, almost all of the rape charges were dismissed. The charges left include counts unrelated to rape offenses. Defense attorney Anthony Brooklier commented that "the legal profession has never seen anything like this before. It is unprecedented that over half of the counts are dropped on the eve of trial." Donald Marks added, "This is amazing.

All the New York crossover witnesses were dropped. All we want is a fair trial. This action asserts what we've been saying all along, that Anand Jon is innocent of the charges against him." If the New York witnesses don't hold credibility in Los Angeles courts, how can they hold credibility back in New York courts? We assume they measure using the same legal yardstick. "That's like admitting that 50 percent of your case is bull," was overheard outside the courtroom. The hallway was stirring. "What were they holding him in jail for a year and a half on?" Anand Jon was indicted from a grand jury using the same accusers that were just unceremoniously dropped by the Los Angeles prosecutor. The same accusers, the same charges.

If their stories don't hold up now, then they didn't then. That clearly taints the grand jury indictment procedure which should negate the bail. The bail gridlock has kept this young man incarcerated for 15 months. Even though the judge commented in court that the prosecution can add or delete counts as they see fit to win their case, it makes you wonder if the prosecution is seeking the truth or just a notch in the win column.

The prosecution is supposed to be on the side of justice; however, it looks as if the only concern is winning at all costs. To them it's just another case, irrespective of the family and lives that are affected forever. The truth should be paramount here, simply the truth.

India Post News Service