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Judge, Defense, Prosecution Agree: That's One Good-Looking Cop
A South Florida undercover police detective has a major problem: He may be too handsome to do his job.
A state appeals court on Wednesday upheld a lower court's dismissal of a criminal charge against a gay man who'd been convicted of selling drugs to Fort Lauderdale Detective Mike Nahum, ruling that the officer's actions and appearance were "outrageous" and constituted entrapment.
Julio Blanco, 37, was at a nightclub in early 2002 when Nahum met him, bought him a few drinks and said he'd like "to party," according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
Blanco told the court that he thought Nahum meant he'd like to have sex. Nahum testified that he understood "to party" as doing drugs, but admitted asking Blanco for cocaine at least three times.
Blanco said that he refused and on the third occasion, began to leave. Nahum convinced him to stay, and after more drug requests, Blanco went into the men's room and bought methamphetamines for the undercover officer.
"The whole situation seemed very clear to me," Broward Circuit Judge Susan Lebow said during a 2002 hearing. "I mean, the detective walked in dressed in a T-shirt and jeans, and for the record he was a very attractive man and ..."
At that point in the original hearing, Blanco's defense attorney interrupted and asked the judge to make an official finding.
"I make that a finding. He's a very attractive man," Lebow said, according to the transcript.
Lebow apparently wasn't the only one to notice.
"Let's just say that all of the women in court that day were paying a lot of attention to him," defense attorney Kevin Kulik told the Sun-Sentinel Wednesday. "After he left the courtroom, they were all like, 'Wow.'"
Fort Lauderdale Detective Andy Pallen told the newspaper no photographs of Nahum were available because he was still working undercover.
A South Florida undercover police detective has a major problem: He may be too handsome to do his job.
A state appeals court on Wednesday upheld a lower court's dismissal of a criminal charge against a gay man who'd been convicted of selling drugs to Fort Lauderdale Detective Mike Nahum, ruling that the officer's actions and appearance were "outrageous" and constituted entrapment.
Julio Blanco, 37, was at a nightclub in early 2002 when Nahum met him, bought him a few drinks and said he'd like "to party," according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
Blanco told the court that he thought Nahum meant he'd like to have sex. Nahum testified that he understood "to party" as doing drugs, but admitted asking Blanco for cocaine at least three times.
Blanco said that he refused and on the third occasion, began to leave. Nahum convinced him to stay, and after more drug requests, Blanco went into the men's room and bought methamphetamines for the undercover officer.
"The whole situation seemed very clear to me," Broward Circuit Judge Susan Lebow said during a 2002 hearing. "I mean, the detective walked in dressed in a T-shirt and jeans, and for the record he was a very attractive man and ..."
At that point in the original hearing, Blanco's defense attorney interrupted and asked the judge to make an official finding.
"I make that a finding. He's a very attractive man," Lebow said, according to the transcript.
Lebow apparently wasn't the only one to notice.
"Let's just say that all of the women in court that day were paying a lot of attention to him," defense attorney Kevin Kulik told the Sun-Sentinel Wednesday. "After he left the courtroom, they were all like, 'Wow.'"
Fort Lauderdale Detective Andy Pallen told the newspaper no photographs of Nahum were available because he was still working undercover.
, but because, without my knowledge, the snitch who introduced me to the dealer had threatened the guy if he didn't sell to me. Case dismissed.
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