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Woman acquitted of assault charges
Superior Court Associate Judge Joseph N. Camacho has acquitted a woman of charges that she assaulted the sister of her former live-in partner and resisted arrest.
In a bench trial on Monday, Camacho found Kristy Diana Halstead not guilty of assault and battery and disturbing the peace.
Camacho also granted defense attorney Michael Norita Evangelista’s motion for acquittal on a charge of resisting arrest after assistant attorney general Darren Robinson rested the government’s case.
The judge agreed with Evangelista that the prosecution did not present any evidence whatsoever that the 28-year-old Halstead resisted arrest.
The Office of the Attorney General alleged that, on Feb. 5, 2012, Halstead assaulted and disturbed the peace of Annette Basa and resisted when a police officer was trying to handcuff her.
Evangelista told Saipan Tribune yesterday that his client is obviously very elated, having been cleared of all charges.
“Halstead can now move forward with her life without the cloud of uncertainty [that] had hung over her for the past five months,” Evangelista said.
He said his client has maintained her innocence from the very beginning and that became very apparent from all the evidences presented at trial.
“We thank the court for its thoroughness in conducting this trial, and then assistant attorney general Robinson for his professionalism throughout this case,” Evangelista said.
A police detective stated in his report that on Feb. 5 at 4:40pm a police officer responded to a residence in Afetnas after receiving a call about a disturbance.
The officer allegedly saw Halstead shouting at her former live-in partner at the driveway leading to the residence of Basa.
Basa tried to stop the commotion, but Halstead was allegedly persistent to get her hands on her former live-in partner.
The officer managed to reach Halstead before she entered Basa’s residence. The defendant then allegedly resisted when the officer was restraining her.
Basa told police that her brother asked Halstead to move out from the house because they had a fight but she refused to leave.
Basa said she ended up getting scratches on her left and right arm when she tried to stop Halstead from pulling her brother’s shirt.
By Ferdie de la Torre
Reporter
