"Nicole Lopes, who also practices under the name Nicole Castronovo, was truthful when she sought a mistrial for her client, Devon Wenger, just days into his conspiracy and civil rights violations trial alongside another former colleague. But the committee found her subsequent decision to appear with Wenger on a YouTube podcast and spin the mistrial as a victory was absolutely not the right thing to do, and a serious lapse in judgment."
"In court, Wenger has accused prosecutors of targeting him for attempting to expose wrongdoing at the Antioch police department, but two juries convicted him of felonious crimes, including steroid distribution and conspiracy to violate civil rights. He was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison last December. I appreciate the Committee's careful review and its conclusion that I did not lie to the Court, Lopes said in a statement to this news organization."
A judicial committee concluded that Nicole Lopes did not lie when she sought a mistrial for client Devon Wenger, but identified a serious lapse in judgment and unfamiliarity with federal court procedures. The committee criticized her decision to appear on a YouTube podcast with Wenger and portray the mistrial as a victory. The 23-page decision arose amid the broader prosecution of 14 former East Contra Costa police officers that began in August 2023. Wenger was convicted by two juries of crimes including steroid distribution and conspiracy to violate civil rights and received a seven-and-a-half-year prison sentence. Thirteen other officers pleaded guilty or were convicted of various crimes ranging from accepting bribes to wire fraud and misconduct.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
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