Philly DA drops shooting case against well-known attorney
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Prosecutors have dismissed charges against a prominent Philadelphia attorney in connection with a 2023 shooting near a Center City cigar bar.
Why it matters: The dismissal marks an unexpected turn in a nearly three-year case against Leonard Keith Hill, founder of Hill & Associates, that drew scrutiny after a judge rejected an earlier plea deal as too lenient.
Driving the news: A judge on Friday agreed to the dismissal of charges of aggravated assault, weapons offenses and tampering with evidence against Hill, per court records.
- The deal, first reported by Ralph Cipriano's Big Trial blog, came after Hill's case had been scheduled for a bench trial this month.
What they're saying: The DA didn't immediately respond to Axios' request for comment.
The other side: Hill's attorney, Fortunato Perri Jr., didn't immediately respond to Axios' request for comment.
Between the lines: Hill — the brother of professor and TV pundit Marc Lamont Hill — was charged after surveillance cameras captured him opening fire and wounding a man near a Walnut Street cigar bar, per the criminal complaint.
- Hill was identified as the shooter with the help of a bar manager who told police he was one of Hill's friends.
- Police said they had recovered .380-caliber ammunition outside the bar, and seized a gun box of the same caliber from Hill's home in Bala Cynwyd.
- Hill's attorney had argued that his client acted in self-defense after the man who was shot had brandished a knife, per the Inquirer — a detail that was nowhere in the criminal complaint.
Catch up quick: Last year, a judge rejected a deal that would've allowed Hill to have his charges expunged in exchange for completing probation, community service, relinquishing a legally owned firearm and donating $25,000 to an anti-violence group, per the Inquirer.
- The judge said he felt it wasn't the best way to resolve Hill's case since the diversion program usually deals with less serious offenses.