Policeman cleared of misconduct charges

WESTMINSTER-Even through Sgt. Dean Brewer of the Westminster Police Department has been cleared of misconduct in office charges, a stigma from the case will follow him for a long time, says defense attorney Anton J.S. Keating.

Keating, in a prepared statement issued Friday after the charge against his client was dismissed in Carroll County Circuit Court, said Brewer and his family "have suffered and will continue to suffer humiliation and embarrassment as a result of the unwarranted accusations made against him."

"In this instance, the judicial process was used vindictively," Keating said, adding that prosecutors knew or should have known their key witness, Dawn D. Bragg, was not credible.

Brewer was indicted by a county grand jury Nov. 17, 1983, and charged with making improper advances toward Bragg, 19, whom he had arrested July 15, 1983.

Gerald Ruter, a special prosecutor assigned to the case after a judge removed the state's attorney's office from investigation, said Friday he dropped the charge because he could not vouch for the credibility of Bragg, the only witness against Brewer...!

Ruter sited a case in which Bragg pleaded guilty to making a false statement to police in an unrelated case during the time Brewer was being investigated on the misconduct charges.

"I'm making these statements to warn (State's Attorney) Mr. Thomas E. Hickman of his future actions," Keating said, adding, "We are researching any civil liability in the case."

The Carroll County State's Attorney's office was removed from the investigation last fall after Hickman and attorneys for the city of Westminister agreed to let an outside agency conduct the investigation into the charges.

City attorneys first requested that the state's attorney's office be removed from the case because the city police and the state's attorney's office work closely together and have had prior conflicts. Several lawyers, including Keating, have said the investigation of Brewer was the result of personality conflicts between the members of the two agencies.

Keating said he hopes the conflict is put to rest by the dismissal of the charges.

Judge Luke K. Burns, who presided over the dismissal of charges Friday, said about $27,000 has been spent by the city and county, including $7,800 for pay for grand jurists.

Burns said Bragg faced 19 charges, including felonies and misdemeanors, in court Monday, but the case was postponed because Bragg could not arrange transportation from Hanover Pa., to Westminister. He said Bragg had worked out a plea bargain with the state that if she pleads guilty to five of the charges, the state would drop the rest of the charges and recommend no jail time.

If Bragg were to be convicted of all 19 charges and given maximum prison terms, she would face 123 years in prison.

Also "for the record," Burns noted no one from the state's attorney's office attended the hearing Friday. "Why they're not here is their problem," he said.

After the hearing Brewer said, "I'm just glad it's over with, as far as today is concerned."

Westminster Police Chief Sam Leppo said, "I feel great. It's nothing I hadn't expected." Leppo said Judge Burns "pretty well said it for time and money involved. What has it accomplished?" He asked. In the end, he said, the community loses.

Hickman contacted after the hearing, said, "I don't think any comment should come from me. We (the state's attorney's office) didn't charge him. It would be better to get a comment from the grand jury."

Hickman added that anyone who has questions about the case should look through the criminal file in circuit court.

Reprinted from The Evening Sun, Saturday, March 24, 1984.