A former television news reporter became the news recently. The slapping incident allegedly occurred in a parking area at the United Nations (UN), when former WPIX reporter, Vince DeMentri was accused of slapping the chauffer of the Bahamian diplomat for blocking a press-only parking spot. He was charged soon after the alleged incident with misdemeanor assault and harassment charges. The charges have been vehemently denied by DeMentri from the beginning.
According to the New York Criminal Attorney’s sources, DeMentri’s best witness turned out to be the accuser himself. Court records indicate that the Bahamian diplomat’s chauffer made a statement under oath that apparently was not included in his original police report. In his testimony, he stated that DeMentri called him the n-word. Defense attorneys would then argue against the credibility of the accuser and that his motives were not for justice, rather that the charges were an attempt to collect the financial rewards of suing someone that he may have perceived to be rich and famous. The presiding judge later sided with DeMentri’s attorneys and dismissed the charges against him.
It should also be noted that an eyewitness on the scene stated that they did not see DeMentri slap the chauffer and that the vehicle’s window was barely open at that time.
New York Criminal Lawyer Blog
