NEGLIGENT OPERATION: DISMISSED at CLERK’S HEARING

Randolph Police were dispatched to a motor vehicle accident involving a vehicle striking a utility pole. Upon arrival, Defendant stated that something ran into the roadway and he swerved to avoid hitting the object and he could not recall what happened after that. Police observed that there was extensive damage to the utility police – specifically, the utility pole had been completely snapped in half, electrical wires were down, and traffic had to be shut down. Police also observed that there was heavy front-end damage to the Defendant’s vehicle. Based on the extent of the damage to the utility pole and the Defendant’s vehicle, police charged him with Negligent Operation. Defendant is 21 years-old. He has no criminal record. He is currently in college studying criminal justice with aspirations of becoming a police officer. For over three years, Defendant has worked security at the Harvard Vanguard Hospital.

Result: At the clerk magistrate’s hearing, Attorney Gerald J. Noonan convinces the clerk-magistrate to dismiss the criminal complaint due to insufficient probable cause.