Q: How can I find out the reason why a misdemeanor case was dismissed by the city attorney?
Background: Our neighbors keep burning outdoor fires late at night polluting the neighborhood. After the cops had come out 5 times without charging them for open burning, we finally insisted on the 6th time that they be charged, which they were. The case went to pretrial but it was dismissed by the city attorney. We called the city attorney’s office and they say they do not know why it was dismissed because it was handled by the previous city attorney 2 years ago and is not documented. What we see online is all the information there is. How can this be? Sounds like someone is covering up favoritism.
A: There would not otherwise be a reason expressed in most cases. The prosecutor (or city attorney) can dismiss cases at any time without giving a reason.
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