Posted on
August 30, 2011 in
Allentown, Pennsylvania prosecutor Juliet L. Dowling and criminal-defense lawyer David A. Nicholls get in an argument outside the courtroom. Dowling says that Nicholls has a conflict of interest, and tries to bar him from the courtroom. Nicholls yells, cusses, and points his finger at Dowling. Nicholls gets charged with disorderly conduct for his trouble.
Nicholls, sixty-two years old, should be better able to control himself. There's no good excuse for abusing the prosecutor. But Dowling, no spring chicken herself, should be able to take a little abuse without filing criminal charges.
Wonder how she “physically” stopped him from entering the courtroom? If she put a hand on him, she should be charged with assault. Sadly, I can see myself getting into this kind of situation if some dip$hit prosecutor decided they would physically stop me from entering a courtroom (although I would probably be quiet if a deputy asked me. I would also demand charges be filed against her if applicable.) Hmm.
You think he abused her when she stopped him from entering the courtroom? I disagree. She caused it.
Mr. B., Regarding the two dummies that can’t get it right.
Is it the Prosecutor’s or the Judge’s responsibility to decide conflict of interest claims? And since Dirty Dowling instigated the event wouldn’t the charges be retaliatory in nature & deserve to met with counter charges from Nasty Nicky? Thanks.
Of course, we don’t know the evidence and the personalities involved – and can’t quite say if this is truly an abuse of power. But has this prosecutor really thought this one through?
If this goes to trial, she’s going to be cross-examined – aggressively – by, presumably, a lawyer’s lawyer. Her character will be slated – past bloody-minded dealings cast up. All under a media spotlight.
Meanwhile, a finding that she’s not credible would be implicit in an acquittal. She’s putting her whole professional integrity on the line – in a fit of pique.
And even if a conviction is got, there will be appeal after appeal – almost as a matter of mathematical certainty. She doesn’t think this type of defence lawyer will just give up? It’s personal now.
If genuinely wronged, she would surely get satisfaction by otherwise pursuing a ‘conflict of interest’ complaint with the professional body.
But she now risks a counter-complaint for bringing the profession into disrepute, if no conviction is got, or a conviction is ultimately quashed.
An utterly avoidable high risk strategy. Only worthwhile if this guy really is bugging her that much.
Mr. Bennett,
I am very curious to know your source for this story, as you have it utterly and completely incorrect. She (Juliet Dowling) was NOT blocking him out of a courtroom, he (David A. Nicholls) was screaming vulgarities and pointing at her violently, directly outside the courthouse, most certainly attempting to intimidate her. When an officer, Andrew Gardo attempted to exit the building to intervene, David blocked the door and prevented the officer from exiting the building. After forcing the door open, the officer had to physically intervene, whereas David continued to advance, pointing and screaming. Go to http://www.mccall.com for the complete story.
With regards to why this attorney was not thrown to the ground and arrested, as any of us surely would be if we were to try such a thing; well, I’ll leave that for you to deduce.
Something you should know about David A. Nicholls, if you don’t already that is; he is both a cocaine addict and a suspected child molester who had used his position and knowledge of law to commit a most horrifically traumatic event to an entire family. Notwithstanding the devastation he caused to the young boy, the family still to this day struggles to maintain the will to go on, to find reason and hope in a world that would allow such evil to flourish. He has avoided being disbarred, despite multiple complaints from complete strangers ranging from misuse and abuse of the legal system to outright false representation, not to mention the multiple criminal acts, one of which involved an assault with a tire iron, all covered up by corruption and quashing.
May God have pity, or not, on those corrupt minds that know to what extent this man’s perversions have eroded and yet continue to bend to his will, whether by fear or greed.
I linked to my source.
Direct link to Story @ The Morning Call
https://www.mcall.com/news/breaking/mc-lawyer-charged-disorderly-conduct-20110829,0,4438109.story