Seth Benowitz on Not Guilty Sandwich Verdict

Ask the Expert: Seth Benowitz on the Not Guilty Sandwich Verdict

A bizarre case that caught local attention has reached an equally surprising conclusion. A man charged with throwing a sandwich at a federal agent was found not guilty by a jury. To make sense of this verdict, we turned to legal expert Seth Benowitz of Price Benowitz for his professional take.

Benowitz didn’t mince words, stating the case “never should have been charged in the first place.” He described the federal misdemeanor charge as a “complete abuse of the system” and an example of why many people have issues with law enforcement. According to Benowitz, the fact that the grand jury—a body known to “indict a ham sandwich”—initially saw no case, yet prosecutors pursued it anyway, speaks volumes.

The jury deliberated for about seven hours before reaching their verdict. Benowitz believes the jurors likely saw that the law enforcement officers “weren’t straight shooters on the stand” and that the case was a misuse of the criminal justice system.

However, Benowitz was quick to advise listeners not to take this as a green light to start throwing things at federal agents. “Of course not,” he said when asked if people should copy the defendant’s actions. He explained that while such an act is wrong, it doesn’t necessarily warrant a federal offense. He noted that if the case had been brought in D.C. Superior Court, it might have been handled through a diversion program instead.

This case highlights the complexities of the justice system, and as Benowitz points out, it shows “the good and bad about living in D.C.” If you find yourself in legal trouble, you can reach out to the team at Price Benowitz for help.

Seth Benowitz on Not Guilty Sandwich Verdict was originally published on kysdc.com