FAIRHOPE, Ala. — A Baldwin County circuit judge has dismissed an assault case against Ronan McSharry, owner of McSharry’s bar in Fairhope, that stemmed from a November 2018 incident in which McSharry was accused of shoving Paula DiNardi off a bar stool.
Municipal Court Case
The Nov. 22, 2018, incident was captured on video. At the time, McSharry was on probation from a previous incident.
McSharry pleaded guilty to assault in Fairhope Municipal Court. Municipal Judge Snedeker accepted the plea and sentenced McSharry to 180 days in jail with credit for time already served.
Dismissal on Appeal
McSharry appealed to Baldwin County Circuit Court. Circuit Judge Clark Stankoski, who requested to hear the case, dismissed the assault charge because the Fairhope charging document did not include the language “did cause bodily harm.” The charging document was prepared by Fairhope municipal prosecutor Marcus McDowell and was not amended in the year after the incident.
The case had been postponed several times since the incident.
Defense Arguments and Subpoenas
McSharry’s former attorney, John Beck, argued that the case against McSharry was politically motivated, naming the mayor, local media and several attorneys. Beck later stopped representing McSharry.
McSharry’s next attorney, James Pittman, issued subpoenas to those parties. Stankoski partially granted the subpoenas, ruling that the state’s shield law “does protect the newspapers’ sources, but does not protect the information they provide.”
Pending Matters
A public intoxication charge against McSharry remains pending; he is presumed innocent of that charge unless proven guilty. DiNardi has filed a civil suit against McSharry, and Stankoski is also presiding over that case. The claims in the civil suit have not been decided.
