Defendants in general have an uphill battle in our criminal justice system, and when the government punishes (and even fires) employees for doing the right thing, you have to wonder if there actually is justice within our legal system. Case in point, an employee of the Florida state attorney’s office who was fired after he testified that prosecutors withheld evidence from George Zimmerman’s defense team.
Five weeks before George Zimmerman’s trial began Ben Kruidbos (the office information technology director) testified that Trayvon Martin’s cellphone contained images of the teen blowing smoke of marijuana and deleted text messages concerning a firearm, and that those images had not been given to Zimmerman’s defense. In response, the Florida state attorney’s office, in a six page employee dismissal letter, railed about Kruidbos’ assertions and his motivations. A member of the Florida state attorney’s office allegedly accused Mr. Kruidbos of having erased data from a laptop, thus violating public records law.
In all, the alleged missing evidence didn’t result in Zimmerman being convicted, but certainly it could have played a role in his defense at some level, and more importantly the government is required to provide defendant’s access to all evidence in its possession, both inculpatory and exculpatory.
If you or a loved one is charged with a criminal offense in Washington State, it is imperative that you seek the assistance of a qualified and reputable Seattle criminal defense attorney. The Seattle criminal attorneys that make up the criminal defense team of SQ Attorneys are highly qualified and reputable Seattle criminal defense lawyers that are dedicated to providing top notch, aggressive representation for those arrested for crime all across Western Washington and the Greater Puget Sound region. The team creates success by working with law enforcement and the prosecuting attorney’s office to ensure that all facts and circumstances related to the criminal allegations are considered in creating the fairest, most equitable and just resolution possible in light of all the surrounding circumstances of the given case.
