Not guilty verdict after a 15-year-old girl called the police, Stuart Florida

In July 2004, a Martin County Circuit Court jury in Stuart, Florida, heard a sexual battery case that began when a teenager reported to police that she had been assaulted beside the pool at an apartment complex.

About three weeks after the report, two young men were charged with sexual battery by multiple perpetrators. One of them, who was 16 at the time, was charged as an adult and took his case to trial. The other entered a no contest plea and was sentenced to six years in prison. Investigators recovered physical evidence, including DNA, from the scene.

The trial ended in a not guilty verdict.

Cases like this show why everyone accused of a serious crime is entitled to a careful review of the evidence and a vigorous defense. The State must prove every element of a charge beyond a reasonable doubt, and a jury decides whether it has done so.

If you or a family member is facing criminal charges in Martin, St. Lucie or Okeechobee County, learn more about our criminal defense practice or call Stone & Capobianco at (772) 781-4357.

Case history: National Registry of Exonerations, University of Michigan Law School.