John C Belcher's Legal Cases (3)

Criminal defense

Acquittal and mistrial in arson case with alleged confession and surveillance tape

Jan 14, 2011

OUTCOME: Acquittal on one count & hung jury on nine counts

My client, a 24 year-old man with no prior charges, was charged in a ten-count indictment with arson, attempted arson, burglary, and other charges based upon three different incidents at the home of hi ... s former girlfriend. The State contends that defendant voluntarily signed a confession and also that he was captured on a videotape created at the scene of the third incident. However, after a two-and-one-half days of trial and a day of deliberations, a jury acquitted defendant on one count and declared itself hung on the other counts. The case has been scheduled for a retrial on the nine remaining counts.

Contracts and agreements

Civil fraud and breach of contract

Jan 03, 2011

OUTCOME: Judgment for $81,800

I represented plaintiff, a Chinese sushi chef, in a lawsuit against his former boss and supposed friend, who convinced plaintiff to loan him and his wife $68,000 to invest in a supposed precious metals ... trading business in Tanzania. The defendants took not only my client's life savings but money that my client managed to borrow from friends based on defendants' promise to pay a very high rate of interest within 30 days. Defendants then repaid plaintiff only $3000 and used the rest of the money to buy a small Chinese restaurant, which defendants sold after they were sued. We sued for fraud, breach of fiduciary due, and breach of contract.

Criminal defense

Dismissal of accessory after murder charge

Dec 17, 2010

OUTCOME: Major charge dismissed--probation before judgment

Defendant, who had no priors, was charged with accessory after the fact to murder based on his alleged role in a homicide attributed to his cousin. Prior to my entry in the case, defendant entered into ... a plea agreement by which he would avoid more jail time but admitted his guilt, among other provisions. Once I was retained, I filed a motion seeking leave to withdraw from the guilty plea based upon Constitutional violations. After several court hearings, rather than risk losing on my motion, the State agreed to give my client probation before judgment ("PBJ"), with probation already completed. This means that all the charge will now be dismissed and, after a three-year waiting period, it can be expunged.

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