The Law Offices of Frederick K. Brewington is a well-respected litigation firm with an office in Hempstead, Long Island. Our focus is primarily in the area of civil rights, voting rights, employment discrimination, police misconduct, personal injury, medical malpractice, wrongful death and criminal law. However, the Law Offices of Frederick K. Brewington is a full- service law firm handling matters in numerous areas of law and providing a wide range of services from contract formation to litigation and trial practice.
|
Dolores Sharpe, Female African-American Nassau County Police Officer, Found Not Guilty of Criminal Charges Stemming from False Arrest
Dolores Sharpe, a female African-American police officer with the Nassau County Police Department, has been found not guilty of charges of harassment and resisting arrest. A Hempstead District Court jury of five women and one man rendered a unanimous verdict in favor of Officer Sharpe, who was wrongfully charged by two of her fellow officers, Charles L. Volpe and Victor J. Gladitz. Ms. Sharpe was represented by Frederick K. Brewington and Mickheila Jasmin.
The charges had arisen from a November 29, 2013 incident, in which Officer Sharpe was wrongfully treated, falsely arrested and abused at the hands of Officers Volpe and Gladitz. Officer Sharpe was forced to endure the act of being cursed at; handcuffed in public; having the unauthorized removal of her service weapon from her; disrespected in multiple ways; having her credentials snatched from her possession; and then physically grabbed, slammed, and handled by the officers, all without reason or legal authority. On January 9, 2014, she was arraigned at Hempstead District Court on false criminal charges filed by her fellow officers.
During the trial, the defense showed that the two arresting officers not only conspired to arrest Officer Sharpe but held serious animus against her, referring to her in sexist and misogynistic terms. After two weeks of trial and deliberations, on March 4, 2015, the jury pronounced their verdict of not guilty before the Hon. Susan Kleuwer.
Fighting back tears of joy, Officer Sharpe said, "I am free of this dark cloud that these men placed over me and my good name. I did nothing wrong and today the jury made that fact clear. I am thankful to them for allowing my case to be heard and decided."
"Not only was this incident one which subjected Officer Sharpe to an extreme level of humiliation, but the clear attempt by these two officers was to personally degrade her and deprive her of any sense of dignity," Mr. Brewington said. "She has now been vindicated. The County of Nassau and its Police Department have been asked to investigate the actions of the two officers and consider charges of perjury against at least one of them."
|