Jose Mesa’s trial on carrying a concealed weapon was put on hold Thursday after a judge ruled police improperly seized the gun in a search of his vehicle.
Prosecutors said they will appeal the ruling, and the Indians reliever declared he was ready to pitch immediately.
“I can pitch anywhere,” Mesa said. “My arm feels good.”
Mesa, acquitted Wednesday of rape, gross sexual imposition and theft charges, was to have gone on trial next Monday on a charge of carrying a loaded 9mm revolver in his four-wheel drive vehicle.
But Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court Judge Thomas Curran ruled during an evidence hearing that the gun was seized during an improper search of the vehicle.
“The Lakewood Police violated their own rules,” Curran said. “There was a lack of accountability.”
Without the weapon, the case cannot proceed to trial, Curran said. Assistant Prosecutor Chris Frey said the state will appeal, delaying the trial.
