PHOENIX, Ariz. - The charges against the alleged I-10 shooter, Leslie Merritt Jr., were formally dismissed Monday morning, according to defense attorney Jason Lamm.
Merritt had been charged with four of the cases connected to a series of shootings on I-10 last summer. Now attorneys for Merritt say they plan to ask the judge to include a stipulation so that Merritt does not face the same charges again in the future.
Lamm tweeted out a court document on Monday that said the court was "dismissing the case without prejudice."
It's official! All charges against alleged #FreewayShooter Leslie Merritt Jr have been formally DISMISSED pic.twitter.com/ty1Wqo7LZU
— Jason Lamm (@PhxCriminalAtty) April 25, 2016
I-10 freeway shootings
Charges against Leslie Merritt Jr., were formally dismissed on April 25, 2016.• Accused shooter released
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Superior Court Judge Warren Granville dismissed the charges without prejudice on Monday, according to the document. Under those conditions, The Maricopa County Attorney's Office would have the option to charge Merritt again. A spokesman for the Arizona Department of Public Safety said Monday the investigation is ongoing and that detectives are still reviewing evidence.
Attorney Ulises Ferragut, who also represents Merritt, said Monday he and Lamm plan to file a motion to dismiss the case with prejudice in order to prevent the state from having the option to re-file charges. Ferragut said Merritt has spent enough time in jail and prolonging the process would amount to a violation of Merritt's right to a speedy trial.
Merritt was released from jail on April 20 after his bond was lowered to $0. In the first days after his arrest, Merritt's bond was set at $1 million.
“I told you guys when I first got arrested, I didn’t do it," he said after his release. "I’m telling you now, I’m going home. I didn’t do it.”
He was released from jail around 6 p.m. last Tuesday.