People v. Anonymous (Ontario Co., 7/19)

Mr. Corletta achieved a great result for a deserving military veteran in People v. Anonymous (Ontario Co., 7/19). In a county notorious for being tough on criminal defendants, the client was arrested in a “Finders, Keepers” case in a local casino. The client picked up a sum of money that someone left lying out in the open. Captured on surveillance cameras, the client was contacted by the Sheriff's Department, and arrested for Petit Larceny. The client spent a night in jail before being released on bail.

Unfortunately, “Finders, Keepers” does not apply when someone finds something another person has lost. The finder has a duty to attempt to ascertain who lost it and to try and return it.

Mr. Corletta's client is a longtime military veteran who then spent an additional lengthy period of time working for a college and had 2 public pensions at stake, an unblemished prior record, and a history of community service.

Mr. Corletta immediately contacted the District Attorney and provided these facts. He persuaded the District Attorney to agree to an ACD, provided the client repaid the money to the person who lost it, which the client promptly did. Mr. Corletta engineered the entire process, and further guaranteed the client, who resided out of state and was visiting relatives at the time, did not have to return to Court in Ontario County. The case was resolved by Affidavit and the record immediately sealed. The client, embarrassed and remorseful, was extremely grateful with the speed and efficiency in which Mr. Corletta handled the matter, and preserved the client's unblemished record.