Tompkins County District Attorney Matt Van Houten responded to his handling of cases stemming from a controversial April 6 incident on the Ithaca Commons, explaining he wanted the two individuals charged to take responsibility for their actions and was disappointed neither did.
Cadji Ferguson and Rose DeGroat, who were arrested after the altercation on the Commons, were recently cleared of all charges. Ferguson was found not guilty of disorderly conduct in August, and two counts of felony second-degree assault against DeGroat were dismissed in September. DeGroat, who was accused of assaulting a police officer, also had two misdemeanor charges dismissed.
“Now that the process is over, it is unfortunate that neither of these young people ever took responsibility for his or her actions,” Van Houten said. “… My decisions in this case were intended to cause a just result. Was justice accomplished? I don’t know. That depends on who you ask.
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