By Holly Reed
Los Santos, San Andreas — A pre-trial hearing held today at the Superior Court of Los Santos, located at 200 Occupation Avenue, concluded with an unexpected dismissal of charges against Chris Black, marking a surprising turn in the case of San Andreas vs. Chris Black.
The hearing aimed to determine whether sufficient evidence and probable cause existed to proceed to trial and whether any plea agreements could be reached. State Attorney David Carmichael presented the case for the prosecution, alleging that Mr. Black’s presence in the back of a stolen police SUV, coupled with his possession of first responder gear—including two access tools for vehicle entry and a battering ram designed for forced building entry—provided enough evidence to proceed.
Attorney Carmichael further argued that Mr. Black had previously been informed by law enforcement that such items are designated for police use only, making his possession of them knowingly unlawful. Additionally, the prosecution emphasized that the tools were standard-issue items stored in law enforcement vehicles and accessible exclusively to on-duty officers, providing grounds to believe they were stolen.
Defense Attorney Brandon Ratledge, representing Mr. Black, challenged the State’s arguments, focusing on the burden of proof. Ratledge argued that the prosecution failed to establish how Mr. Black obtained the equipment. “The State continually has demanded that Mr. Black show evidence to the court that the equipment found on him was not stolen. Lest we forget that the Courts in the great State of San Andreas as well as the United States have held that it is the Prosecution that is required to meet the burden of proof to obtain a guilty verdict, either by jury trial or bench trial,” Ratledge stated during the hearing.
In a surprising twist, when given the opportunity to respond to the defense’s motion to dismiss, State’s Attorney James Cross informed the presiding Judge Tim Smith that the State concurred with the defense’s position. The prosecution announced it would not pursue the charges further, resulting in a dismissal with prejudice by Judge Tim Smith. As a result, Mr. Black will face no further legal challenges related to his November 29th arrest and has been authorized to retrieve his personal property from evidence storage at the Sheriff’s Office.
The case has raised broader questions about the legality of civilian possession of law enforcement tools. These items, intended for official police use, could potentially be misused to commit crimes against civilians. Concern is growing over the rise in thefts of law enforcement vehicles, with calls for stronger safeguards to prevent police equipment from falling into the wrong hands.
Weazel News reached out to Lieutenant Governor Natalie Bennett for comment. Speaking by phone, Lt. Governor Bennett stated, “The fact that we have law enforcement equipment out on the streets that can be used to commit crimes against our citizens and we are unable to effectively prosecute because we cannot accurately account for issued law enforcement equipment in the state is a great disservice to the citizens of San Andreas. I’m going to work with the Justice Department to shore up our laws to ensure we can keep police equipment with law enforcement where it belongs and accurately prosecute criminals who illegally obtain them and use them for harm against innocent people.”
