For Immediate Release Media Contact: Kevin Boyd: 954-288-9509
Attorney Rhonda Hollander: Case Dropped after Court Rules Arresting Officer Darlene Harden’s Actions Were Deliberate, Reckless, And Negligent And Her Testimony “…Not Credible.”
Fort Lauderdale, Fl – Nov. 15, 2012 – Broward County prosecutor David Schulson dropped his case against Attorney Rhonda Hollander after Judge Joseph A. Murphy’s recent court ruling that Broward Sheriff’s Deputy Darlene Harden acted with “unreasonable conduct exhibiting deliberate or reckless or grossly negligent disregard for the fourth amendment.”
This decision, based on a motion filed by defense attorney Michael E. Dutko, clears Hollander of all charges stemming from her 2011 arrest at the West Regional Courthouse in Plantation. Further testimony from the case revealed that the scandalous details in the final re-write of Deputy Harden’s police report had absolutely no supporting evidence or basis in fact and were therefore proven to be completely unfounded. Judge Murphy noted from the bench that “…the officer [Deputy Harden] is not credible.” Judge Murphy went on to note that “…there are some people who believe it’s illegal to take pictures in the courthouse, but it is not.”
On the day in question, Hollander was in court suing Willie Jackson Jr. on behalf of her client, a condominium association who was alleging that he was engaging in a fraudulent real estate transaction to avoid paying monies due to her client After leaving the courtroom, Jackson, who was evading service of court papers, fabricated a story about Hollander taking his picture while urinating and then reported it to Deputy Harden.
Without any investigation, Deputy Harden arrested Hollander, resulting in her spending over four hours handcuffed in a holding cell while Deputy Harden re-wrote her arrest report several times. Judge Murphy noted the he “…would have liked to have seen the first four drafts of the report.” Hollander was finally charged and the subsequent fabricated police report containing false accusations of lude pictures, finger biting and assault, spurred widespread negative media coverage which has caused Hollander and her family a great deal of undeserved and unfair damage.
During depositions leading up to the trial, Deputy Harden retracted and contradicted key details contained in the final police report that had led to Hollander’s unjustified arrest and the humiliation she endured as the fabricated details of her arrest went viral on digital and print media.
When reached for comment Hollander said, “It is quite liberating knowing that the truth is finally out there and I am now allowed to talk about what happened. When people read and talk about me now, the truth is involved, and hopefully the media will also exonerate me as reflected by the Court ruling. More importantly, I am looking forward to knowing the stress of this ordeal has been lifted along with the cloud of false accusations that have surrounded me for the last 16 months.”