** Case dropped against Colorado paramedic accused of physically abusing 4-month-old son
** Pennsylvania EMT charged with sexually assaulting female co-worker
UNITED STATES NEWS
** A Fort Collins, Colorado paramedic has had all charges dropped against him in a case accusing him of causing his 4-month-old son to suffer serious head injuries. That is the word from The Coloradoan (Jason Pohl/January 25) which said Jason Schneider was given the all clear January 18th after a decision made by the District Attorney’s office. In a motion to dismiss, the DA said he could not ethically take the matter back to court without a reasonable possibility of conviction. A retrial had been scheduled for February 18th. The decision comes after the jury foreman in Schneider’s December 2016 trial indicated the group was very close to acquitting the defendant. Schneider has maintained his innocence throughout, saying the child choked while being fed formula in February of last year. He did CPR and back blows. He told dispatchers during the 911 call he also shook the boy. Schneider’s attorneys said the case should never have gone to trial in the first place. If he had been convicted, he could have faced up to 12 years in prison.
** A West York, Pennsylvania EMT has been charged with sexually assaulting a female co-worker. The York Daily Record (Gordon Rago/January 25) said Earl Don Stonebraker Jr., 34, has been tagged with involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, sexual assault, and aggravated indecent assault. According to the newspaper, Stonebraker allegedly attacked the woman on August 24th of last year. He said the woman initiated the approach and that the two were mutually flirtatious. The police investigation found the woman acknowledged the flirtation but said she had no interest in Stonebraker. Further evidence showed he had previously sent her a photo of his genitals and a video of him touching himself. Because Stonebraker moved out of state, charges were only filed Wednesday after extradition proceedings were filed. He has since been released from jail after posting a $25,000 bond. A preliminary hearing in the matter is set for February 27.
