POUGHKEEPSIE – After deliberating since Wednesday morning, a Dutchess County Court jury returned Friday morning with a not guilty verdict against Jalil Smith, 35, who was charged with attempted murder of a police officer after he was captured on police body camera footage of stabbing City of Poughkeepsie Police Sergeant Edward Acken in the neck with a screwdriver.
Smith, represented by Alex Rosen of the Dutchess County Public Defender’s Office, presented a case of “justification” for the attack, believing two burglars had invaded his apartment.
The jury presented their verdict of all of the charges against Smith in Dutchess County Court Judge Edward McLoughlin’s courtroom at 11:30 Friday. The 12 men and women did find Smith guilty of aggravated assault of a police officer with a deadly weapon, two counts of assault (one for each of the two officers), and criminal possession of a weapon other than a handgun for the long screwdriver he used in the attack. The jury also found Smith not guilty of criminal possession of a weapon other than a handgun for the pen that police say he also used to try and stab the officers.
In 2011 Jalil Smith was sentenced to prison for felony criminal possession of a weapon.
Sentencing before Judge McLoughlin is scheduled for a future date.
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