A judge has dismissed a case against a Colorado public defense lawyer formerly assigned to the murder case against Mark Redwine after prosecutors said there is not enough evidence to proceed with charges.

Law enforcement accused John Moran, 42, of assaulting his ex-girlfriend by pushing her off a porch and spraying her with a water hose. But prosecutors said in court filings earlier this week that there is “insufficient evidence” to prosecute the case and moved to dismiss allegations, court documents show.

Police did not have all relevant information upon Moran’s arrest, at no fault of their own, said Megan Downing, Moran’s attorney with the Recht Kornfield law firm in Denver. Her client was falsely accused, she said, a fact that prosecutors discovered as they investigated the alleged wrongdoing.

“Here, he (Moran) was not only innocent, he was the victim of the very crime for which he was falsely accused,” Downing wrote in an email to The Durango Herald. “He handled this difficult situation with grace and professionalism.”

Senior Colorado Judge Raymond Satter dismissed Moran’s case Wednesday.

A spokesperson with the 7th Judicial District Attorney’s Office, which was serving as a special prosecutor in the case, did not return a call seeking comment. Moran declined to comment and directed questions to his attorney.

Moran remains employed with the Colorado Public Defender’s Office in Durango, Downing said. He worked with public defender Justin Bogan for almost two years investigating and building a defense for Redwine, a Vallecito man accused of second-degree murder in connection with the death of his 13-year-old son, Dylan.

Chief District Court Judge Jeffrey Wilson appointed alternative defense council for Redwine in August after Moran missed two scheduled hearings for his former client after his arrest. Redwine’s trial, then scheduled for September, was postponed until April to allow the new defense attorney a chance to become familiar with the case.

bhauff@durangoherald.com