Reports: Jury Finds Officer in McDonald’s Case Guilty of Assault

Update: Officer Moris guilty of assault. Not guilty of misconduct in office.

UPDATE: The verdict is in for Officer Kevin Moris: He was found guilty of second-degree assault, and not guilty of misconduct in office. https://t.co/DEYx6QChvV

— DC News Now (@DCNewsNow) December 12, 2019

A jury finds Montgomery County Police Officer Kevin Moris guilty of second degree assault and not guilty of misconduct in office in the arrest of Arnaldo Pesoa. @WTOP

— Megan Cloherty (@ClohertyNews5) December 12, 2019

And the Washington Post report.

Original post: The jury weighing whether a Montgomery Count police officer used excessive force in the arrest of drug suspect told a judge on Thursday they could not reach a decision.

Judge Nelson W. Rupp Jr. told the jurors to try again after lunch. The jury resumed deliberations about 1 p.m.

The case involves Officer Kevin Moris, who was recorded on cell phone video kneeing Arnaldo Pesoa, 20, outside a McDonald’s in Aspen Hill.

In the July 3 arrest, Pesoa faced three drug charges. Two were ultimately dropped and Pesoa was convicted on the third. He received a six-month jail term, according to online court records.

Moris, 32, was charged on July 9 with second-degree assault and misconduct in office.

The assault charge is a misdemeanor that carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.

The misconduct charge is common law — the judge can impose whatever sentence he sees fit.

Here is Police Chief Marcus Jones and State’s Attorney John McCarthy describing the charges against Moris from a news conference in July:

About Douglas Tallman

Reporter with 35 years experience throughout Maryland. Reach me at dtallman@mymcmedia.org or via Twitter at @MCM-Doug

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