Assault charges dropped against man who allegedly crashed outside pub - lehighvalleylive.com
Niman Gjevukaj, 39, of the 700 block of Sassafras Street, had been accused of trying to strike Nicole Diana and Loni Locascio, who were standing outside of Porters' Pub, 700 Northampton St. , at 1:44 a. m. June 26. Gjevukaj, driving a 1994... Gjevukaj on Wednesday pleaded not guilty to the charges through his attorney, Tim Prendergast, during a preliminary hearing before District Judge Antonia Grifo in Easton. Gjevukaj is of Albanian descent, speaks limited English and cannot read English, and had needed an interpreter in court. In the end, Grifo ruled Easton Police Officer Kevin Vanhorn, who was prosecuting the case, failed to present enough evidence to support the assault charges. However, Grifo ruled there was enough evidence to support the other charges against Gjevukaj, which include eluding, driving under the influence of alcohol and criminal mischief. The remaining charges go to Northampton County Court with a formal arraignment for Gjevukaj tentatively scheduled for Oct. Gjevukaj's blood-alcohol content following the crash was 0. 09. penalties start at 0. 08. Following the crash, police said, Gjevuka fled from Vanhorn, who initiated lights and sirens on the patrol car. Source: www.lehighvalleylive.com
