Case thrown out before jury decides verdict

We defended our client, a young father with no convictions, in a District Court jury trial where he was accused of possessing cannabis with intent to sell or supply it to another. The police executed a search warrant whilst he was at a house undertaking cleaning duties and alleged he was in possession of 9.5kg of cannabis in one of the rooms in the house. Our extensive pre-trial preparation and effective cross-examination of the prosecution witnesses at trial enabled us to make a submission at the close of the prosecution case that our client had no case to answer. Despite strong opposition by the State, the trial Judge agreed that there was no evidence from which the jury could infer that our client was in possession of the cannabis in the house he was cleaning. Accordingly, the trial Judge withdrew the charge from the jury’s consideration and entered a judgement of acquittal before the jury could even consider their verdict. Whilst our client was unable to recoup his legal costs in defending an indictable charge in the District Court, he walked out of the Court a free man.