David Stefankiewicz, standing, with his attorney James Leonard Jr.
A Cape May County attorney accused of witness-tampering in a case he was defending will have his record cleared once he completes a 12-month pretrial intervention.
David Stefankiewicz admits no wrongdoing as part of the deal that ends what his attorney labeled "a vendetta prosecution that originated from within the Cape May County Prosecutor's Office."
"The only thing Dave Stefankiewicz is guilty of is being a tireless advocate on behalf of his clients and being a thorn in the side to some individuals in the Cape May County Prosecutor's Office for simply doing his job," his Atlantic City-based attorney, James Leonard Jr., told Fideri News Network.
"By the way, neither of those things are going to change," he added of Stefankiewicz's work as an attorney.
The case originated with Stefankiewicz's representation of John Linnington in a domestic assault.
John Linnington, now 34, of North Cape May, was arrested April 22, 2022, and charged with attempted murder and other crimes after he punched, kicked and bit the woman who was pregnant with his child before beating her with a metal curtain rod.
The woman, identified only by her initials, escaped out a window.
He since pleaded guilty and is serving an eight-year sentence in Bayside State Prison.
But while he was in the county jail as the case was progressed through the system, Linnington's uncle, sister, mother and grandmother were accused of trying to get the victim to recant or lessen her claims
An investigation by the Attorney General's Office then implicated Stefankiewicz in the case.
He told BreakingAC at the time that it was "a load of baloney."
The outcome backs that up, his own attorney now says.
"Dave Stefankiewicz should have never been charged with a crime, not because he's a lawyer, but because he did absolutely nothing even close to committing a crime," Leonard said. "When the case saw the light of day outside of Cape May County, it was ultimately exposed for exactly what it was all along — much ado about absolutely nothing."
The case will be fully dismissed in 12 months.
"We are grateful that both the Attorney General's Office andthe court helped us right this wrong for Dave," Leonard said. "I have known and respected Dave as a colleague and a friend for ore than 25 years. It was an honor and a privilege to help him put this matter behind him."
