YAKIMA, Wash. (Yakima Herald-Republic) — A judge has ruled against reimbursing a man for his legal fees after he was acquitted of second-degree murder in January.
The Yakima Herald-Republic reported Monday that a judge ruled 19-year-old Cameron Jay Helland is not entitled to reimbursement of attorney’s fees and other expenses because he did not pay for them himself and he was reportedly selling drugs at the time of the shooting.
Authorities say Helland was charged with fatally shooting a 16-year-old boy during an alleged drug deal in 2018. Judge Kevin Naught says Helland is seeking to punish the state for charging him with a crime to which he was found not guilty.