2nd Wife 4-Year Nightmare

Matthew Sims said he was ready for the nightmare of a situation to end after going through dozens of court appearances that left his life in ruins. On May 20, 2024, the nightmare ended when four-year-old charges were dismissed against him in a 4th District judicial court hearing. On that day, Sims was finally going to get the opportunity to clear his name in a trial he had long pressed for; Sims had been in a four-year legal battle to clear his name, stemming from an arrest on May 24, 2020, when his ex-fiancée called the police, claiming that Sims choked her and threw her to the floor, injuring her knee. The arresting officer, acting on her interview, placed Sims under arrest without hearing both sides first, said Sims. He was released several days later, but things soon turned downhill. The prosecution brought misdemeanor charges against Sims, which he contested, and filed a motion to assign the charge to a judge. The prosecution upgraded the misdemeanor charges to a felony because of a previous charge against him. Sims lost his job, where he lived, and even spent several days in jail. From the day of his arrest to the conclusion of his case, Sims endured 33 court appearances before the charges were dropped. Sims represented himself throughout the proceedings, not accepting any plea deals offered to him. Sims said he took two things with him every time there was a court hearing, "God and the truth." There were numerous setbacks throughout the 33 court appearances because the prosecution kept coming up with reasons to delay the trial. When looking at the evidence the prosecution had, Sims believed they never considered he might be innocent of the charges and might be the actual victim. Sims had bruises on his face that appeared to be scratches, while his ex-fiancée’s claim of being choked showed no signs of it when she received medical treatment on the night of the incident. Nonetheless, Sims said the prosecution was determined to put him away for a long time (24-26 years). Sims was convinced he could prove his case based on the discovery of evidence given to him after filing numerous motions, which were objected many times by the prosecution.