NEWSOhio Police Chief involved in SJP Surrogate Snooping Scandal Pleads "No Contest"
Jan. 7 2010, Published 7:03 a.m. ET
Justice has still not been served in the case involving two Ohio police officers who were charged for spying on Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick's surrogate this summer. The second Ohio police chief involved in the case, Chad Dojack, pleaded no contest today to the misdemeanor, the Associated Press reports.
Dojack pleaded no contest during a pretrial hearing, and as a result, prosecutors dropped felony charges of complicity to burglary and complicity to receiving stolen property that were scheduled for a trial next week, the AP reports.
Dojack — chief of police in Bridgeport (eastern Ohio) — and Martins Ferry Police Chief Barry Carpenter allegedly planned a break-in at the home of SJP's surrogate, Michelle Ross, and were arrested in July.
Police claimed that the men were trying to get info from the surrogate’s home — including SJP voice mails — in order to sell what they gathered to a tabloid.
Carpenter was convicted in November on charges of receiving stolen property, theft in office and evidence tampering but acquitted of other counts, including burglary, the AP reports. He was sentenced last month to two years, eight months in prison.
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Dojack faces up to 90 days in jail at his sentencing next week.
The prosecutor in the case, T. Shawn Hervey, told the AP that Carpenter entered the home of Michelle Ross and removed personal items identifying her as the couple's surrogate mother.
Dojack and Carpenter then tried to sell the items to photographers, Hervey said.
SJP and Matthew became proud parents of twin girls, Marion Loretta and Tabitha Hodge, on June 23 when their surrogate gave birth.
