December Jury Week Continues In Nantucket District Court
David Creed •
This Current Court Report includes arraignments, dispositions, and verdicts from the Wednesday and Thursday Nantucket District Court sessions as the island's December jury week continues.
Ana Patricia Hernandez Pineda, 35, of Nantucket was found guilty on April 1st charges of assault & battery on a police officer and resisting arrest by a Nantucket jury and found not guilty on charges of operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol and negligent operation of a motor vehicle. She was also found not responsible for speeding. She was ordered to complete one year of probation.
According to the police report, Pineda was given multiple orders by police to step out of her vehicle after being advised that she was under arrest during a vehicle stop on the suspicion of drunk driving. She proceeded to allegedly grab onto the steering wheel, pin her left leg into the floorboard, and refused to exit the vehicle.
Police say Pineda then tightened her grip, used her body weight and strength to resist officer's attempts to remove her from her car, and then while officers attempted to remove her allegedly kicked one of them with her left leg in the groin area.
Newton A. Lawrence, 33, of Nantucket pleaded guilty to a Sept. 23rd charge of assault & battery. He was ordered to complete 18 months of probation.
A charge of assault with a dangerous weapon stemming from the same incident was dismissed. Lawrence was the Essex Road man arrested in September for allegedly threatening to shoot an island barber during a physical and verbal altercation.
Scott R. Barbrack, 60, of Nantucket had a July 20th charge of assault & battery on a family/household member dismissed after the alleged victim in the case declined to cooperate with prosecutors.
Ricardo Antones Garcia De Souza, 32, of Nantucket had one Feb. 5th charge and two Feb. 6th charges of violating an abuse prevention order dismissed after the alleged victim in the case declined to cooperate with prosecutors.
Prince A. Fisher, 46, of Nantucket had an Aug. 18th charge of operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol dismissed after a motion to suppress the breath test from that night as evidence was allowed last month.
Shannon Y. Gonzalez, 32, of Nantucket will have a July 30th charge of assault & battery dismissed on the condition she complete nine months of pretrial probation. She had a June 16th charge of assault & battery dismissed.
Rafael Valle Hernandez, 38, of Nantucket had a May 12th charge of assault & battery on a family/household member dismissed after the alleged victim in the case declined to cooperate with prosecutors.
Juan J. Justiniano, 44, of Nantucket will have a Sept. 3rd charge of operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol continued without a finding for one year on the condition he forfeit his license for 45 days, complete a driver alcohol education program, and pay $600 in fees.
Charges of operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license and motor vehicle operator refusing to identify himself stemming from the same incident were dismissed.
Cedric L. Washington, 40, of Nantucket was arraigned on Dec. 3rd charges of assault, possession of a Class B drug, and disorderly conduct. He had not-guilty pleas entered on his behalf and was ordered to return to court Dec. 30th for a pretrial hearing.
Wayne Young, 55, of Nantucket will have an April 10th charge of operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol continued without a finding for one year on the condition he forfeit his license for 45 days, complete a driver alcohol education program, and pay $600 in fees.
Charges of negligent operation of a motor vehicle, possessing an open container of alcohol in a motor vehicle, and a marked lanes violation stemming from the same incident were dismissed.
*All defendants are considered innocent until proven guilty under a court of law*