Spokane7
65°
April 2, 2011 in City
Topik acquitted in road rage trial
Ukrainian had faced robbery, assault charges
When news circulated of Yakov Topik’s arrest in 2009 for robbery, assault and unlawful imprisonment, his mother received calls from friends and relatives from Ukraine questioning whether he and his brother were criminals.
But Topik got his day in court last week and a jury exonerated him on all charges stemming from a road rage incident on Halloween 2009 that resulted in a Spokane County Jail employee suffering a broken hand.
“They are good people,” Topik said of the jury that exonerated him. “They saw the truth for what it was. They gave me my life back.”
Topik had been facing several years in prison after Spokane County Deputy Prosecutor Larry Steinmetz charged him with first-degree robbery, second-degree assault and four counts of unlawful imprisonment.
Deborah Logsdon, a longtime jail employee, told Spokane police that she, her husband and two grandchildren were out looking at Halloween decorations when they were confronted by two men and a woman near the intersection of Bridgeport Avenue and Ralph Street in northeast Spokane.
“She was forced to pull over by a suspect vehicle containing three occupants who were angry at her slow pace of driving,” Spokane police Detective Chet Gilmore wrote in his police report. “The second time she asked them to leave, she told them she would call police. Logsdon reached for her cell phone and flipped open to call 911 and Yakov ripped the phone from her hand, breaking her hand during the struggle.”
But Topik took the witness stand and testified that he was simply trying to get home when he encountered Logsdon’s car parked in the middle of the street. He honked, she flipped him off and he returned the gesture. Logsdon got out of her car and began screaming at him, Topik said. Her husband remained in the car.
“She yelled ‘citizen’s arrest’ after words were exchanged,” Topik said. “Her hands were wrapped around my neck and collar of my shirt, pulling me away from the car. She tried to pull me down. That’s when she broke her finger.”
At one point prior to trial, Steinmetz offered Topik a plea agreement that included five years in prison for the 26-year-old who has no previous criminal record. Instead, he chose to take the case to trial with defense attorney Frank Cikutovich.
“On paper, it looks miserable,” Cikutovich said of the case. “When the clients first came to me, it seemed like everybody was against them.”
But the jury saw it differently. As a result of the exoneration, the prosecutor’s office will be on the hook to pay for Topik’s defense, which Cikutovich estimated between $20,000 and $35,000.
“In over 15 years, I’ve never seen anyone charged so high, ever,” Cikutovich said. “I don’t know the reason. It seemed very extreme to charge him with all that.”
Steinmetz did not return messages left at his office Thursday and Friday.
Despite his victory, Topik is upset that his brother, 23-year-old Sergey A. Topik — who does have a criminal history — previously accepted an agreement to plead guilty to rendering criminal assistance in connection with the road rage case.
“They gave him a year” in prison, Topik said. “They also ordered him to pay $36,000 in restitution for the medical bills from Logsdon. He shouldn’t be paying for medical bills … that she caused herself.”
1992 murder trial begins against sex offender 
Mick_S on April 02 at 7:38 a.m.
Tsk tsk tsk Shame on you Deborah Logsdon, its not nice to make up stories for attention..
Gomez on April 02 at 7:45 a.m.
I agree Mick. Its pitiful and shameful. Better try next time on some other immigrants….Huh Deborah???
bszottlinger on April 02 at 7:50 a.m.
I enjoy Mr. Cikutovich’s comments in this piece, and wonder whether or not he may have a background in the diplomatic corps. In other places after obtaining an acquittal like this on charges the prosecutor has brought of Robbery, Assault, and Unlawful Imprisonment where the alleged victim is a criminal justice employee working for the same county as the prosecutor the defense lawyer would have been screaming to the press that this entire matter was an overcharged travesty of justice brought about by the prosecutor trying to protect his own. My compliments to you Mr. Cikutovich not only for the acquittal but also for your calculated restraint. Then again perhaps you are just waiting for the check your client will receive from the county to clear.
Scipios on April 02 at 8:02 a.m.
Who does this lady think she is? Because she works for the county jail house she has the right to make a citizens arrest by pulling the guy out of the car? She needs to be slapped with a lawsuit for wasting the states and taxpayer time and money.
Elkay on April 02 at 8:09 a.m.
It was gratifying to read that Mr. Cikutovich’s expertise and the jury’s intelligence won the exoneration of Topik.
Logsdon’s version to the police sounds like she outright lied to them. Isn’t that a no-no?
bszottlinger on April 02 at 8:32 a.m.
Elkay:
It’s a “no-no” but sometimes very hard to prove, even if the jury doesn’t believe the story.
marie_Romano on April 02 at 8:33 a.m.
I bet the people who left the outrageous racist comments on the first article feel real stupid now. Reads like a bad movie script. Looked like Logsdon and the reporter of the first article sat down together for a cup of coffee to write a load of BS just to make her look like a victim.
Divotlady on April 02 at 12:42 p.m.
The one who lied was Topik. He pleaded guilty 3 times but changed his mind. If he was so innocent why did he run, why did the woman with them apologize to Debbie for their actions, why would his brother plead guilty if they were both so innocent? Not sure why the jury believed this low life. He broke her finger when he grabbed her cell phone to keep her from calling the police. It would have been good journalism to have interviewed Deborah for her side of this story. Don’t believe everything that the paper writes.
marie_Romano on April 02 at 1:33 p.m.
@Divotlady Oh really? Were you there? Did you see what happened? If the jury found him innocent that means that there was some crucial evidence against Deborah, common sense. As a Hispanic woman i would of ran to if a old bag attacked me. We all know who the police will arrest first, a white woman who has anger issues that also has connections with her police buddies or some immigrant? Case closed get on with your life.
Divotlady on April 02 at 2:06 p.m.
Were you there? I know for a fact he lied. I know Deborah personally and her story is the truth. These scum bags attacked her with her husband, who is on oxygen, and her two young grandchildren in the car. All she was doing was stopping to show the Halloween decorations to her young grand children.
marie_Romano on April 02 at 2:43 p.m.
Where was I? How am i supposed to remember where i was during that time? Not there thats for sure. You make it sound like you were there and witnessed everything. Lets be honest, the fact is you don’t know anything so please lets not make any accusations you were not there. Deborah lost the trial. What does that tell you? Reread the article, She stopped in the middle of the street. Topik Honked, she gave him the birdie, Gee real classy lady to do that in front of her grand kids. Why did she get out to confront him and leave the kids and her husband who is on oxygen as you say. Not very responsible. She should of drove off and should of thought abouts her passengers instead of being a hero..
davasatoth on April 03 at 2:42 p.m.
Marie. The truth is what it is. I hope you can understand this. Because you have no idea what really happened, so you should stop arguing about this matter. The jury made a decision, and the jury is made up of people, and People can be led to believe anything. AND…People are generally stupid and shouldn’t believe everything they hear. Innocent people go to jail all the time, while guilty one go free. It’s an imperfect system rulled by “opinions”. A system that doesn’t always get things right.
marie_Romano on April 08 at 8:26 a.m.
Your right the truth is what it is, and the system doesn’t always get things right. But for once the system worked and a innocent person walked free. So what your saying is the jury is stupid for making a right decision? Nice….I’m pretty sure you don’t know what your talking. If you people want to know what really happened then read this article …
http://www.inlander.com/spokane/article-16386-road-rage-revision.html
marie_Romano on April 08 at 8:32 a.m.
“It was Deborah Logsdon’s left middle finger that started it. And it was her right middle finger that finished it.”
Could of not said it better than that!
davasatoth on April 11 at 10:52 a.m.
@ marie, I never said the decision was right. I just said that the jury made it. I also said “People can be led to believe anything.” Right now I think you fall into this catigory of people, because you seem to believe everything you read. Have a nice day.