It was the 1990's in Billings, Montana. Tammy Schnitzer and her five-year-old son, Isaac, had placed a Menorah in Isaac's bedroom window. They were celebrating the Jewish holiday of Chanukah. Without warning, a large cinder block careened through their window. Glass was shattered throughout the room. The Menorah was destroyed! This is one of … [Read more...]
Trial in Absentia
A defendant in a criminal case involving misdemeanors and felonies of harassment and assault was scheduled for a trial in Bronx County before Supreme Court Justice Duffy. On the date of the trial, June 12, 2010, the defendant failed to appear. The defendant's lawyer argued that Mr. Bernandez did not receive notice of the scheduled trial … [Read more...]
DNA Evidence
Curtis Goodman was charged on September 4th, 2009, with a burglary. The criminal charges against him state that he burglarized a Brooklyn Heights movie theater. A screwdriver with DNA evidence was found near the cash box in the movie theater.This was the only evidence connecting Curtis Goodman to the felony. The burglary took place when the … [Read more...]
Gang Colors Not Enough To Search Car
A district court judge in Nassau County threw out a search of a car due to the fact that the reason the police officers gave for searching the car could not be substantiated. The occupants in the car were charged with weapons possession (which includes charges for violent crimes, both felonies and misdemeanors) At the time, the officers … [Read more...]
Not Your Average Domestic Violence Case
An unnamed woman had previously claimed in New York that her boyfriend called her more than 300 times from jail. She testified to this before a grand jury. The purpose of the phone calls were to intimidate her into refusing to testify against him at the time of trial. The case is entitled People v. Smith. It is pending in Brooklyn before … [Read more...]
The Cost of Incarceration: Missouri Tells Judges the Price of Sentencing an Individual to Prison
Crime is expensive. The cost of incarcerating individuals is an expense born by society at large. The State of Missouri is advising judges as to the cost of the prison sentences that they hand out. In Missouri, when a judge is ready to send someone to jail on a criminal charge, he or she now must take into consideration the resulting cost to … [Read more...]
Community Service For Celebrities
Do celebrities who have committed misdemeanors and/or felonies receive special treatment? Do they receive special community service? The answer to these questions in the city of New York is that everyone does the same community service. Caroline Giuliani Caroline Giuliani, age 21, is the daughter of New York's former mayor, Rudolph … [Read more...]
Police Abuse In Newark
There is a problem with the police in Newark. They are running amuck. There have been many instances of excessive force, false arrest and other abuses by police officers in Newark. It has been suggested that these abuses be investigated by the federal authorities and that a monitor be appointed by the federal government to supervise the police … [Read more...]
Non-Attorney Felon Helps Lawyer
In October of 2003, Kenneth Stevens was charged with robbing one Citibank branch and three branches of Chase Manhattan bank in New York. Mr. Stevens's modus operandi in each of the robberies was to give the teller a note demanding money. The note also stated that he had a bomb with him. The fourth robbery was his last one. Several blocks from … [Read more...]
Tougher Drunk Driving Laws in New York
Governor David A. Patterson recently signed a new statute into law that affects individuals convicted of drunk driving. The new "Driving While Intoxicated" statute requires individuals convicted of drunk driving to install interlock devices in their cars. The new law is referred to as "Leandra's law", named after Leandra Rosado, an … [Read more...]
