Criminal defense attorney frustrated Pct. 4 keeps posting client’s photos on social media despite DWI case being dismissed

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Criminal defense attorney frustrated Pct. 4 keeps posting client's photos on social media despite DWI case being dismissed

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) — A criminal defense lawyer says his client’s DWI case was dismissed by a judge, but Harris County Constable Precinct 4 keeps posting photos of him on social media.

The posts seem to show his client being cuffed and being walked through a field sobriety test.

If you follow local law enforcement social media pages, you may have seen the Facebook posts for the Harris County Constables’ Precinct 4 office. The page is active, with more than 20 posts made on Friday alone.

“There is no disclaimer that it’s just accusations, that everyone is innocent until proven guilty,” criminal defense attorney Michael Stoll said.

Stoll said he took particular issue with two posts that featured his client. The first is from December 6th, Stoll said, when his client was pulled over and accused of driving under the influence.

“There was no language that he was charged for DWI for allegedly violating the law. It was just here’s a drunk driver we pulled off the road,” Stoll said.

Stoll said a judge dismissed his client’s case before he bonded out. Court records show the judge found no probable cause.

According to Stoll, he commented under the Pct. 4 post, asking that it be removed, but it was not.

Stoll then said, to his surprise, his client’s photos were posted again, naming him as one of 28 suspected drunk drivers Pct. 4 arrested in the past few days.

“These posts will live on forever, and when you have a client whose case has been dismissed. Two years later, he might get googled, and it will pop up, and there is no explanation our clients can give other than the fact that it was dismissed,” Stoll said.

Johnathan White is a fellow criminal defense attorney who works with Stoll. He said he understands law enforcement wanting to inform the public about their work, but said he takes issue with Pct. 4’s approach.

“I don’t like the public shaming aspect of it. When we’re putting faces and identifiable information, it changes things,” White said.

ABC13 reached out to Pct. 4 and was told it can’t monitor all social comments and was unaware of the request to remove the post. Stoll spoke to Pct. 4 today, but the office here tells ABC13 they don’t know if the post will come down and that the case has been refiled.

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