Two girls claimed Gary damaged their car by throwing pennies at their car. An in-court demonstration at trial showed their stories were ridiculous. NOT GUILTY

Gary’s driving south on I-75 when he gets behind a car in the fast lane going under the speed limit. This frustrates him and he tailgates the car. The car slams on its breaks causing Gary to almost collide with it. Gary exits the expressway at fourteen mile road in order to get away from this car. The two girls in the car go to the Michigan State Police post in Oak Park and file a report alleging that Gary was throwing things at their car. Their car had several dents, scratches and nicks on the passenger side. According to the Trooper the car was too dirty that evening to take pictures so he instructed the girls to get the car washed and come back the next day. When they returned they decided that they had seen Gary throwing pennies at their car.

This borders on the ridiculous because the damage to their car could not have been caused by pennies. The problem is that the Trooper, like an automaton simply made a report and did not assess the logic of the case. The prosecutor who reviews the case before issuing a warrant typically has close to zero experience. The prosecutor who tries the case does not speak to witnesses until the day of trial and typically lacks any independent judgment.