|
|
False police report Statement of property lock/key change |
Pappas stated to police officers and a magistrate to obtain a
warrant for arrest for the "stolen" keys, On three occasions, he stated to the jury,
and judge under oath that he had to have all the locks changed on his property, that he had
receipts, and that it was about $200. Court Transcript December 3, 2001 Page 69 Line 10 Pappas never presented the alleged repair tickets. No tenants were contacted about duplicating any keys or changing any locks. In one hearing, Pappas talks about duplicating the keys (which is not very secure if a theft occurred). In the next hearing, he changes his story, and talks about replacing them. Court Transcript: January 7, 2002 Page 124 Line 16 Pappas did not have his locks changed, and upon interviewing tenants, no locks were changed, contrary to prior testimony. He still had his keys. So, no theft of 50 keys occurred. If there was no refit, the jury must acquit. Theft of any item is the only reason this case has gotten beyond being treated as a misdemeanor scuffle. Marvin Edmunds, his handy man, the one who changes his locks, testifies that no big lock changes occurred in February 2001, and that Pappas still has keys he has had for years. There were no receipts from any hardware store to support that "It was a lot of work to duplicate them." One of the first things a landlord should do, if keys are stolen is to have the locks changed, so that no one can enter a tenant's property. Key duplication is useless. Marvin says Pappas' office key had a yellow plastic cover, and that Pappas still has it. In 2002, the Commonwealth Attorney initially Nolle Prosequi'd the case - which means he chose not to prosecute because he did not have sufficient evidence to proceed. This charge was later completely expunged from Shaddock's record - an unusual step which is only granted by a judge in the case of a manifest injustice. |
Key Statements Pappas: "It was a lot of work to duplicate them"
Marvin: "Mr. Pappas did not duplicate the keys or change the locks. He would have asked me to do it. He and I still have the same keys we've had for years, and the tenants have the same locks." Pappas' Handy Man As there was no Refit and a Judge |
