Practice Area: Criminal Defense
Location: Johnson County, Indiana
Attorney: Mark Nicholson
Result: Charge Dismissed

Meta Description: Attorney Mark Nicholson secured the dismissal of a criminal conversion charge in Johnson County after showing the case involved mistaken identity.

The Situation

Our client was charged with criminal conversion in Johnson County, Indiana. However, she maintained that she had been mistakenly identified and was not the person responsible for the alleged offense.

Even when an accusation results from an identification error, a criminal charge can threaten a person's freedom, employment, reputation, and future.

Our Strategy

Attorney Mark Nicholson reviewed the allegations and focused the defense on the mistaken identification. He challenged the State's attempt to connect the client to the alleged conversion and presented the circumstances demonstrating that the wrong person had been charged.

The defense made clear that the available evidence did not establish that our client committed the alleged offense.

The Result

After the mistaken-identity problem was brought to the State's attention, the prosecution dismissed the conversion charge. Our client avoided a criminal conviction and the penalties that could have resulted from the accusation.

Why This Case Matters

Mistaken identification can cause an innocent person to become the target of a criminal prosecution. A name, description, assumption, or incomplete investigation is not proof beyond a reasonable doubt.

This dismissal demonstrates the importance of investigating the identity of the alleged offender and confronting identification problems before an unsupported accusation becomes a wrongful conviction.

Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Every case depends on its particular facts and circumstances.