A Brighton man pleaded not guilty Wednesday to perjury, tampering with an official document and three other charges stemming from his alleged effort to overturn his conviction using what Suffolk prosecutors dubbed a “novel appellate strategy.’’
David Scher appeared in Suffolk Superior Court where he pleaded not guilty to all five charges and was released on personal recognizance, according to Suffolk District Attorney Daniel F. Conley’s office, which is prosecuting him.
According to prosecutors, Scher was convicted in 2014 Boston Municipal Court on a charge of larceny from a building for stealing a laptop from Suffolk University Law School where he was then a student. He was sentenced to a 90-day sentence, suspended for two years, prosecutors said.
During 2014 and 2015, Scher allegedly launched what prosecutors called his “novel appellate strategy’’ by pulling the case file from the clerk’s office, removing the court document showing the guilty verdict and replaced it with a doctored version indicating he was found not guilty.
The original verdict slip has not been located, prosecutors said. Scher allegedly used the forged verdict slip to challenge his personal criminal history with the Department of Criminal Justice Information Services and to demand a diploma from the law school, contending he was acquitted of the theft charge.
Scher is due back in court May 4.
John R. Ellement can be reached at ellement@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @JREbosglobe.
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