But Govendo said former DPW Technical Services Division Director Joseph M. Inos Jr. was guilty of disturbing the peace.
“If there’s a statute on freaking out a teenager or a [Workforce Investment Agency] trainee, I will find you guilty in the third degree,” Govendo told Inos.
Govendo said Inos acted inappropriately and badly when the then-DPW official touched the victim’s hands in his vehicle and her hip inside his office.
The prosecution said Inos invited the then-17-year-old victim to buy snacks with him on Aug. 16, 2010.
Inos and the victim rode in his private vehicle from Capital Hill down to a store in Puerto Rico, and took the alternate route in Wireless Ridge.
Upon returning to his office with the victim, Inos locked the door and talked to her.
“This is not the kind of thing a boss would do,” Govendo told Inos.
Govendo said the charges filed against Inos were “not frivolous” as described by the defense.
But the prosecution failed to prove the charges beyond reasonable doubt and there was no specific statute related to the acts that Inos did, Govendo said.
Inos declined to comment after the hearing.
Govendo lauded the victim’s parents for reporting the incident to authorities.
“Things have changed but we are slow to notice. You did the right thing in coming forward,” Govendo told the victim’s parents in open court.
He expressed hope that more parents would do the same and end the “domestic violence and workplace situation that have been going on.”
Govendo at the same time said he was “completely puzzled” why the Department of Public Safety did not investigate Inos.
“That is not proper,” Govendo said.
Variety was told that the victim’s family was “not happy” with the ruling.
It was not known if administrative sanctions, or civil service proceedings, were initiated against Inos who had resigned from DPW.
The Attorney General’s Office earlier advised DPS that the AGO would serve a penal summons to Inos instead of an arrest warrant sought by the police.
The AGO declined to issue a statement about Govendo’s ruling.
According to the prosecution, Inos “encouraged” WIA trainees to relax during work hours.
The defense claimed that Inos confronted the victim, a WIA trainee, “who developed a very bad habit of sleeping at work.”
Assistant Public Defender Adam Miles said they agreed with the findings of the court that found their client not guilty but disagreed with the guilty verdict on the charge of disturbing the peace.
During oral arguments, Assistant Attorney General Shelli Neal, who prosecuted the case, said “all facts” of the case were “largely undisputed.”
The prosecutor said the victim testified that she did not consent to Inos’ touching her.
But Miles said the charges filed against his client were “built on serious compounding errors.”
Miles added that the chief of the Workforce Investment Agency, Edith Deleon Guerrero, a government witness, “overreacted.”
Govendo scheduled the sentencing hearing for March 23.
Inos is the son of former Rota Mayor Joseph S. Inos, the brother of Judge Perry Inos and the nephew of acting Gov. Eloy S. Inos.
