If an arresting officer is personal friends with the defendant, can I have the case dismissed?
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If an arresting officer is personal friends with the defendant, can I have the case dismissed?
I got into a fist fight with another man; I have claimed I was acting in self-defense. There are no
other witnesses to this event other than the two of us. I was charged with aggravated assault
misdemeanor only. The arresting officer is personal friends with the man I fought and was seen bowling with him a week after the incident. Does that pose any issues with the case?
Asked on January 24, 2018 under Criminal Law, Michigan
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 6 years ago | Contributor
It is not grounds for dismissal; there is no "conflict of interest" law or rule stating that an office cannot arrest someone who has an altercation with the officer's friend. It may be grounds to attack ("impeach" is the legal term) the officer's testimony at trial, if you can convince the court that he is testifying the way he does out of friendship and not truthfully. Of course, if the officer was not a witness, as you indicate, this will not help you: since the government will not be relying on his testimony to prove its case, weakening his credibility does not impact their case.
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