Miami Man Facing Serious Criminal Charges in Death of Girlfriend is Acquitted – What is an Acquittal under Florida Criminal Laws?

A Miami Gardens man received good news this Valentine’s Day when he was acquitted of the charges against him in the 2021 shooting of his ex-girlfriend in a criminal case for attempted murder. According to local news reports, Gayle Blount was acquitted by a Miami jury in the attempted murder case against him for shooting his then-girlfriend, Bridget Knighton, at least five times. Reports indicate that after initially pleading guilty to the attempted murder charges, Blount changed his plea to “not guilty,” withdrawing his earlier plea. The case went to trial, and after a Miami jury deliberated the case for a day, they acquitted Blount of all charges. At trial, Blount testified that he shot Knighton because “the couple was arguing because he turned the television on inside the bedroom.” Blount claimed that as a veteran of the armed services, “he needed to sleep with noise in the background, but Knighton supposedly got upset.” Blount told the jurors in his case that “Amid the arguing…he shoved Knighton to the sofa to try and get her out of the way because she was preventing him from leaving,” and he “claimed he wanted to leave the apartment because she had called the police.” However, Blount claims that he then “noticed Knighton reaching for her purse which he assumed might have a gun inside.” As a response, Blount stated, “I take out my gun and I shoot four or five times, pop-pop-pop.” Blount was facing a 20-year-sentence for the shooting. Lawyers for Blount say that the acquittal shows that “justice was served” in the case.

Acquittals under Florida Criminal Laws – What are They?

Under Florida criminal laws, in order for a criminal defendant, like Gayle Blount, to be convicted of a crime, the prosecution – that is, the attorneys for the State of Florida – must prove the charges against the defendant beyond a reasonable doubt. Accordingly, when the prosecution fails to prove the charges beyond a reasonable doubt, the defendant may be acquitted in the case. This means that the criminal defendant that was facing charges is cleared of the charges against them. This is an important outcome for criminal defendants in Miami, and working with an experienced Miami criminal attorney can increase a Miami criminal defendant’s chances of fighting and clearing the criminal charges that they are facing.

Legal Help for Miami Criminal Defendants – Miami Criminal Attorney

If you are facing criminal charges in Miami and you need legal help, contact the experienced Miami criminal attorneys at AsiliA Law Firm. The experienced Miami criminal attorneys at AsiliA Law Firm are here to fight for the rights of criminal defendants in Miami to get justice due in the cases against them. Do not hesitate to contact an experienced Miami criminal attorney about your case today. Contact AsiliA Law Firm and speak to a lawyer about your case now.

Source:

nbcmiami.com/news/local/miami-gardens-man-found-not-guilty-in-2021-shooting-of-ex-girlfriend/3544239/