It was an extinction event of sorts for one Charleston woman’s criminal charges in municipal court this morning. Disorderly conduct and charges of wearing a mask in public filed against Nicole Wells were dismissed today, stemming from a 2017 incident in which she plodded down Cumberland Street dressed as a blow-up T-Rex, spooking a pair of horses pulling a carriage from the early modern era.
City spokesman Jack O’Toole said city attorneys concluded that “while the evidence was sufficient to support the initial charges, it was unlikely to meet the higher burden of proof at trial. As a result, prosecutors moved to dismiss the case.”
Just after the incident, Palmetto Carriage Works president Tom Doyle appeared to point the finger at carriage industry critics.
Post and Courier reports that Palmetto is now considering a civil case over damages reported from the incident, which included injuries to a driver who was thrown from the carriage.