On Tuesday, July 25, Santa Clara County Correctional Officer Tim Tri was vindicated when a jury voted 11-1 to acquit him in a use of force case. Because the jury deadlocked, the judge declared a mistrial. Tri’s attorney, Erin Dervin from Mastagni Holstedt, told ABC7 that “the eleven jurors are very adamant with us that they saw the case for what it was, that truly Mr. Tri was doing his job, what he’s expected to do and saving his partner.”
Santa Clara Correctional Peace Officers’ Association President Amy Le said, “With this particular case, to me, it seems like a witch hunt.” She noted Tri should never have been arrested and that Tri was charged three years after the incident, only after a high-profile inmate death.
Erin M. Dervin is an experienced criminal trial lawyer with over 15 years experience as a deputy district attorney where she handled litigation and trials including complex financial crimes, sexual assaults, narcotics, domestic violence and general felony practice and tried over 60 jury trials. She is a Senior Associate at Mastagni Holstedt.