GREENSBURG, Pa.-
A man accused of theft arrived for a preliminary hearing Thursday wearing a cardboard box on his head in an effort to conceal his identity.
Justin Michael Kalich, 26, wore the blue-and-white box at the suggestion of his lawyer, Jeff Leonard, while he waited outside the office of District Judge James Albert for a 10:45 a.m. appointment.
“I’m trying to think outside of the box, so to speak,” Leonard said.
The attorney said the move was prompted by concerns over whether a witness would be able to identify his client in connection with a July theft of reel wire.
The witness might see a photo lineup before his client went into the courtroom for a hearing, Leonard added.
“This was kind of a simple way to force the commonwealth to meet its burden without the defendant having to reveal his identity,” Leonard said.
At the hearing, charges were dropped when Kalich reached an agreement to pay for the wire, valued at less than $600, according to Leonard and Southwest Greensburg police Lt. Chris Kent, Kalich’s arresting officer.
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Information from: Tribune-Review,
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