FAIRHOPE, Ala. — Ronan McSharry was found guilty last week in Fairhope Municipal Court of assault and public intoxication and was sentenced to 180 days in jail, with credit for time served.
City Attorney Marcus McDowell, acting as public prosecutor, represented the city in the case. McSharry was represented by defense attorney John Beck.
The trial
The woman identified as the victim in the case attended court through several postponements and spent more than eight hours at Fairhope Municipal Court on the day of the trial.
During cross-examination, Beck questioned her about her connection to Paul Ripp, whose nonprofit consumer organization had been acting as an advocate for her, and about whether Mayor Karin Wilson was involved in the case or connected to Ripp. She testified that Ripp’s organization was serving as her advocate.
Neither the prosecution nor the court raised an objection to that line of questioning.
