Ex-Mpls. officer can't use character as sole defenseA judge denied a request by a former Minneapolis police officer to instruct jurors that they could find him not guilty of fraud based solely on his good character.
Michael David Roberts has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of corruption and fraud. He was accused of selling police records to a gang member and failing to report $100,000 in income from off-duty security jobs to the IRS.
Attorneys for Roberts asked the court to instruct the jury "that the character evidence, standing alone or when considered in connection with the other evidence in the case, may be sufficient to create a reasonable doubt, in which case Defendant is entitled to an acquittal."
The judge denied the request.
