Gainesville Criminal Defense Attorneys Secure Not-Guilty Verdict for Man Charged with Murder

Feb. 17, 2011 - PRLog -- Steven Thompson was charged with the murder of his friend, Nicholas Barter, after shooting him in the chest during a physical fight in 2009. His trial ended recently, and the jury determined that he was acting in self-defense when he shot Barter. He was acquitted of all charges and allowed to walk free for the first time since his arrest on July 17, 2009. He was represented by Attorney Ryan Davis, of Jansen & Davis, and by co-counsel Gainesville criminal defense attorney http://www.gainesvillecriminaldefensefirm.com/ Miles Kinsell, of the Law Firm of Kinsell, Zadel & Whitaker.

The fight began over a cell phone, and resulted in the two men physically beating each other. Both sustained bloody wounds from the fight. Thompson was able to gain the upper hand during the fight, and once he did, he left to clean himself off in the bathroom. At that point, Barter attempted to restart the fight. Thompson, exhausted and fearing for his life, found his gun and pointed it at him. His friend taunted him, then lunged at him, prompting Barter to shoot him twice in the chest. Thompson stayed with him until police arrived, but he had already died of his wounds.

Gainesville criminal defense attorneys http://www.gainesvillecriminaldefensefirm.com/ Davis and Kinsell were able to prove that Thompson acted in self defense. A large portion of the prosecution’s case rested on the allegation that Barter was too drunk to pose a real threat. Davis and Kinsell, however, produced footage that showed him walking in the parking lot before the incident, clearly proving that he was not so inebriated that he was impotent. There was also a knife found in the motel room where the fight occurred. Florida law allows the use of deadly force if it is in the prevention of a felony, which a Thompson’s fear, a fatal beating, would have been. The jury, which was composed of three men and three women, were able to come to their conclusion within about five hours.

Contact a Gainesville criminal defense lawyer http://www.gainesvillecriminaldefensefirm.com/ at the Law Firm of Kinsell, Zadel & Whitaker.

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At the Law Firm of Kinsell, Zadel & Whitaker, the Gainesville criminal defense team takes aggressive action on behalf of their clients who have been charged with offenses such as DUI, theft, fraud, drug possession, assault, murder and more. The firm has two former State Prosecutors on staff, which enables them to bolster their defense strategies with the prosecution’s tactics and approaches in mind. During their time as prosecutors, Attorney Whitaker and Attorney Kinsell handled thousands of criminal cases, so they are intimately familiar with all of the behind-the-scenes attitudes and methods of the prosecution. The high quality of this firm is due to more than just their background. They are highly attentive to each client and they listen to their client’s story, needs and questions. Additionally, they are adept at conducting meticulous investigations in order to find all of the evidence salient to the case. Visit their website at: http://www.gainesvillecriminaldefensefirm.com/