COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.—A judge has denied an attorney’s attempt to force prosecutors to charge TV bounty hunter Duane “Dog” Chapman with felonies for claiming that a man fired a gun at him and his crew while they were filming in Colorado Springs.
State District Judge J. Patrick Kelly ruled Monday against public defender William Schoewe (show-ee).
The attorney claimed that Chapman and others falsely accused his client, Hoang Nguyen (hwong win), of shooting at them when they were trying to apprehend him April 21. Schoewe alleged that Chapman was trying to get publicity for the A&E Television reality show “Dog The Bounty Hunter.”
Charges were dropped against Nguyen because of weak evidence and conflicting statements.
Schoewe then filed a motion seeking to compel prosecutors to charge Chapman and others with false reporting and attempting to influence a public servant.
In denying the motion, Kelly said Schoewe’s role as Nguyen’s attorney ended when the charges against his client were dismissed. He also ruled that Nguyen failed to file a statement supporting his claim.
Kelly concluded that Nguyen and his attorney failed to prove that the prosecutor’s decision not to charge Chapman, his son and bail bondsman Bobby Brown was “arbitrary and capricious.”
“The District Attorney performed his function and duty when he decided that the defendant’s case could not be successfully prosecuted in spite of the apparent attention that surrounded the allegations against the defendant,” Kelly wrote.
Schoewe said he was disappointed by the judge’s ruling.
“I think it’s a shame that these guys can come into town and play wild west cowboys and get away with that,” Schoewe said.
Brown said he has faith in the system. He called Schoewe’s allegations “simply outrageous.”
Bounty hunters, or bail enforcement agents, are hired by bail bondsmen to apprehend people who have skipped bail.
Chapman’s show is filmed mainly in Hawaii and along Colorado’s Front Range on the eastern edge of the Rockies, which includes Denver and Colorado Springs.
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Information from: The Gazette,
