Some Charges Dropped In Case Of Man Being Held Against Will
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Two suspects accused of holding a man against his will were in court Wednesday morning.
Several charges were dropped against two people Wednesday morning after the prosecution, both defendants and the victim came to an agreement.
Jordan Osheroff and Rachel High had their names cleared to some degree in court.
In early September, the two were accused of holding a friend against his will and joyriding, while the victim dialed 911 for help.
An agreement between all parties Wednesday left Osheroff facing only disorderly conduct and DUI related charges from that night.
High, 20, is facing underage drinking and disorderly conduct charges.
"In my mind, it was shenanigans from the beginning. It didn't read like a criminal complaint. It didn't smell like a criminal complaint. I didn't think my client did anything wrong. And in the end, the Commonwealth agreed," defense attorney Giuseppe Rosselli said.
The story started in Ross Township. A man who was out with friends at the Perrytown Draft House was offered a ride home by High and Osheroff.
The victim, who did not want to be identified, claimed that they drove him around at high rates of speed and he was unable to get out of the car.
The victim also claimed that while trying to call police, High kept knocking the phone out of his hand.
Both were originally facing criminal conspiracy and unlawful restraint charges. High's attorney said it was a misunderstanding.
"Their initial reaction was that he was joking around. This is someone that they've been friends with for a bit of time, that's my understanding at least. So, once this all came to a head, she was very shocked as to what she was being accused of," Rosselli said.
While pleased that many of the serious charges were withdrawn, Rosselli said many of the charges against his client and Osheroff could have been avoided had the victim been drug tested.
"We have our belief that he was under the influence of something. It's unfortunate that we don't have those results and I don't know if the police did take the test. It's something that I would have wanted to see had it went to trial," Rosselli said.
As part of the deal, Osheroff agreed to enter into an alcohol treatment program and the judge also ordered that he not have any contact with the victim.
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