Freeman Issues Statement

SNOW HILL - The following is the entire statement released by Christy Freeman at a press conference yesterday morning.

'Christy Freeman, a prominent business owner and well-known figure in Ocean City, had the misfortunate of having a miscarriage in her 25^th week of pregnancy on the 27^th of July 2007. This event resulted in her losing eight pints of blood, nearly causing her death. When the Ocean City Police Department caught wind of this, the Chief of Police, Bernadette DiPino, immediately charged her with murder one, murder two and manslaughter without any evidence to support the charges. Even after receiving the Medical Examiner's report, which stated that the fetus was stillborn, the Chief of Police continued the relentless assault on Miss Freeman.

'Forced into a corner, DiPino [Editor's Note: State's Attorney Joel Todd made this decision] dismissed the murder charges on the miscarried fetus but instead of taking a step back to assess the situation, she plunged blindly forward and placed murder charges on her again for a miscarriage that happened in 2004. In the next few years, the OCPD would completely devastate her property: stripping away bushes, landscaping, fences, a brick barbeque pit and even the grass. The OCPD vandalized the property further by busting out all the sheetrock from the walls and ceiling in the first floor laundry room.

'During the course of the next 54 days, a total of eight search and seizure warrants would be executed. Detectives were sent to Baltimore to try to dig up dirt on Miss Freeman, to no avail. Freeman's children were forced to testify against their mother at the first grand jury hearing and were repeatedly called 'liars' by State's Attorney Joel Todd. With time running out for her preliminary hearing, Joel Todd somehow convinced a District Court Judge, Danny Mumford, to postpone her preliminary hearing.

'Stripped of her constitutional rights, held without bail, murder charges thrown around like Frisbees, Miss Freeman remained strong, knowing that she had committed no crime. Freeman patiently waited for the Medical Examiner's report, knowing full well that it would set her free.

'The devastation done to her business and her reputation because of all the media hype could have been avoided if the Chief of Police, Bernadette DiPino, had not rushed to judgment and conducted a proper investigation before charging Freeman. If an investigation had been done, Miss Freeman would have never been charged with anything.

'When it's all said and done, the reality of the situation is Miss Freeman had four miscarriages over a period of five years.'