Former N.C. Highway Patrol Trooper Monty Poarch was acquitted of assault charges earlier this month. Poarch is a deputy with the Caldwell County Sheriff’s Department who is trying to get his job back as a trooper.
He was fired from that job back in 2003 for having sex with a woman in his cruiser. Now he’s battling in court to get the job back after what he says was unfair treatment.
Crack Asheville defense attorney Sean Devereux got Poarch off the hook here in Buncombe County. Here’s an interesting comment I received from Devereux:
This matter was appealed to Buncombe County Superior Court. On Wednesday, July 22, a jury of twelve Buncombe County residents needed only 25 minutes to find Captain Monty Poarch “not guilty” of assaulting Caroline Paul. That jury heard the testimony of both Poarch and Ms. Paul. With severe cutbacks in North Carolina’s criminal justice budget, it seems odd to spend three days of court time on a dispute over a parking space. Especially when a very capable Asheville Police Officer, Greg Latcham, investigated the matter within 10 minutes of its occurrence and declined to bring charges.
More background here.