New Jersey state prosecutors have announced a new defendant in the 2014 slaying of Enrico Smalley, Jr, who was found lying on the sidewalk outside of La Guira Bar in Trenton, NJ. Smalley, Jr. was suffering from multiple gunshot wounds, including one to the head. He was rushed to Capital Health Regional Medical Center were he succumbed to his injuries. As of November 28, 2018 the state will pursue charges against 27 year old Alvie Vereen for accomplice liability murder and weapons offenses. Since the summer of 2014 the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office has been pursuing a conviction of Shaheed Brown, whom they accused of being the triggerman and sole responsible party for the murder. Since being charged, Brown has been through 3 murder trials, each ending in a hung jury. Brown originally attempted to use a third-party shooter defense that implicated Vereen in Smalley’s murder, but up until this point, prosecutors rejected his argument. Now that Brown’s murder conviction looks less and less likely, the state changed their tune. Now both men face indictments of first-degree accomplice liability murder. The new indictment accuses both Brown and Vereen of shooting and killing in Trenton on the night of July 12, 2014, outside the bar at 1:20 a.m.
What the Defense Has to Say
Brown’s defense attorney Edward Harrington Brown find the charge ridiculous. “It is a horrific abuse of the justice system, and it is a waste of taxpayers' dollars. There is no evidence Mr. Brown aided Alvie in any way.” Vereen is currently in prison on another charge, and is expected to serve time through 2020. It may be much more than that now, depending on the outcome of the Smalley murder trial. After sitting in prison for 52 months, Brown is now free on pretrial release, on the condition he stay within 100 miles of the Trenton area, wear an electronic ankle monitor, and obey a curfew. Brown’s defense attorney is not pleased with the treatment of his client, though. “They were waiting there, stopped him, told him to get out of the car,” Heyburn said of the police. “They searched him, searched his bag. They knew exactly who he was. It is continued harassment that goes from the prosecutor’s office to the Trenton Police Department.”
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Were you arrested or charged with a crime in New Jersey? The consequences of a conviction could be severe, leaving you with a permanent criminal record and possibly even sending you to jail. That is why you need to speak with a qualified criminal defense attorney as soon as possible about your case. The attorneys at the Davis Law Firm have successfully represented clients charged with criminal charges throughout NJ. Call 609-587-9100 or fill out the online contact form to schedule a consultation with a member of our legal team. We have an office conveniently located at the Five Points section of Hamilton, New Jersey, at the intersection of Quaker Bridge Road and Nottingham Way. The articles on this blog are for informative purposes only and are no substitute for legal advice or an attorney-client relationship. If you are seeking legal advice, please contact our law firm directly.
