According to the New York Post, the state Senate candidate was charged and arraigned with menacing, reckless endangerment and stalking after the domestic incident. In this case, it looks like David Mejias will need a New York criminal defense attorney not only to defend him of the criminal charges, but also to ensure that his reputation is protected during the remainder of his campaign for senator.
]]>David Mejias is the Democratic candidate challenging the 34 year incumbent state Sen. Kemp Hannon for the senate seat in the Sixth District of New York. With the recent arrest, David Mejias' campaign might be more challenging now than ever before. The challenger chose to cancel a scheduled news conference yesterday where he was supposed to receive several endorsements.
The case of David Mejias is also a bit unusual because a special prosecutor will be handling his case instead of the District Attorney in Nassau. A spokesperson from the Nassau DA's office said that this decision was made because of a personal relationship that exists between the district attorney and the victim in the case. As stated through the New York Post, a different prosecutor is supposed to eliminate the possibility of "the mere appearance of impropriety surrounding the future handling of this case."
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The soccer star was apparently celebrating the team's 1-0 victory of Sunday's game at the Caribbean club Tropiks. It marked only the second time in 16 years that St. Lucia made it to the finals of the Digicel Caribbean Cup tournament.
]]> The identity of the gunman is still unknown and investigators are still looking into the details that led up to the incident. They suspect that Isidore Tisson may have gotten into an argument with somebody at the nightclub, yet team president Martin Daniel told New York Daily News that he could not imagine Isidore Tisson getting into a fight with anyone.Like most other U.S states, New York has very harsh consequences for convicted murderers including life in prison without the possibility of parole or even death. FindLaw states that New York does allow for capital punishment for first-degree murder crimes under certain circumstances. Under the law, murder is perhaps considered the most serious criminal offense, which is why many people see the importance of having a New York criminal defense attorney for representation when it comes to a charge like first-degree murder. More information about murder crimes can be found through our Related Resource pages.
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Alleged attacker Michael Enright, 21, was captured after attempting to flee and sent to the hospital for a psychiatric evaluation and was arraigned on Wednesday. That raises an interesting question, though: Will his New York criminal attorney attempt an insanity defense?
Many might argue that bigotry of any kind is a form of insanity, although that may not fly in a court of law. Michael Enright was charged with felony attempted murder, which will be tried as a hate crime.
]]> "Hate crimes" carry enhanced sentences one step higher than if the same crime was not motivated by hate according to the state's Hate Crimes Act of 2000. For example, a 2nd degree felony would be tried and sentenced as a 1st degree felony if prosecutors can prove it was a hate crime.Police said the accused attacker was "very, very intoxicated" when he entered Ahmed Sharif's taxi cab. The cab driver said he was friendly at first before asking him if he was Muslim, to which he replied in the affirmative. A few moments of silence were followed by the sudden attack, police claim.
Ahmed Sharif fought back and Michael Enright fled the vehicle. An officer was notified by the driver and eventually apprehended the suspect. In addition to the hate crime-enhanced attempted murder charge, he also was charged with assault with a weapon as a hate crime, harassment as a hate crime and criminal weapon possession.
In a statement, Ahmed Sharif expressed his sadness and disappointment regarding the incident:
"I have been driving a taxi more than 15 years. All four of my kids were born here... I never feel this hopeless and insecure before."
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Patty Carrion, who at first told police her name was Yesima Hernandez, was arraigned last Monday and is being held at Rikers Island. It wasn't clear whether or not she had retained the services of a New York criminal attorney.
]]> She was discovered after police responded to an assault call on Saturday afternoon and found her allegedly attacking a man with a blunt object. Her true identity was revealed after she was fingerprinted.The defendant originally was charged in the shooting and attempted murder of a 20-year-old man in Connecticut on Sept. 20, 1995. Police said she shot him point-blank in the chest and kept firing as he tried to flee, hitting him four times. He survived the attack.
Connecticut police recovered the weapon, a .32-caliber handgun, in addition to 82 packets of cocaine from the trunk of a car. Patty Carrion had eluded police ever since and lived in a brick apartment building on the Grand Concourse for the past six years with her boyfriend and twin daughters.
Neighbors said the woman they know as "Jocelyn" certainly did not keep a low profile, although they did not know about her past. The apartment's super, who did not give his name, said Patty Carrion has been "a troublemaker" ever since she moved into the apartment.
Neighbor Alex Encarnacion described her as an angry lady:
"A lot of people were afraid of her. I didn't know she tried to kill someone, but that doesn't surprise me. She had a very bad attitude."
Authorities suspect she disguised herself with wigs, makeup and costumes.
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The New York Post reports that the rapper was charged in July for driving with a suspended license, but posted on his Twitter that the charges were "bulls**t" immediately after his arrest and used other foul language to describe New York law enforcers. Ironically, Ice-T has composed rap songs about killing cops. The man had New York criminal defense attorneys Eric Franz and Timothy Parlatore prepared to represent him in court, but prosecutors decided to drop the charges yesterday.
]]> In a Manhattan courtroom, prosecutors stated that the rapper's license had never been suspended and blamed the incident on a DMV clerical error. New York criminal defense attorneys explained that he dropped his New York automobile insurance after he re-registered his vehicle in New Jersey. New York's DMV recorded the insurance cancellation, but not that he'd turned in the registration. He initially said that he would file a lawsuit to get revenge with DMV, but now the rapper is saying that he's ditched any plans for a lawsuit."Like I said from the gate, I never broke the law," the rapper told New York Post. "I never had knowledge of any suspension. That's why I got so angry when they put me in handcuffs."
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The New York Post reports that Michael Haynes, who played power forward for Ludwigsburg in Germany, was involved in a sex scandal last week in which he was accused of holding a woman down while his friend Brandyn Cooper sexually abused her during an incident at the Ritz-Carlton. The two men used to play basketball together on Fordham University's 2004 basketball team. They were reportedly at the Ritz-Carlton hotel for the Nike World Basketball Festival at Madison Square Garden.
]]> Yet the basketball player has now been entirely cleared of the allegations. Jennifer Gaffney, the assistant district attorney in Manhattan, said that prosecutors would not be able to prove the case beyond reasonable doubt.Nike executive Brandyn Cooper, on the other hand, is not getting off quite so easy. He has been charged with a felony of non-consensual oral sexual contact. However, New York Post reports that the executive has been charged with the lowest level felony and that he was released without posting any bail money.
Brandyn Cooper now has New York criminal defense attorney Michael Kalmus representing him in his case. The lawyer has denied the sexual abuse allegations and says that his client was not involved in the incident. Michael Kalmus and his client will report back to the Manhattan court on November 30 for a hearing.
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The flight attendant then grabbed a beer off of the beverage cart and made his grand exit by activating the emergency chutes and sliding off the plane.
]]> Needless to say, Steven Slater no longer works for JetBlue. In addition to the consequences of being jobless, the former flight attendant is also facing criminal consequences pending an investigation.The New York Post reports that the flight attendant was arrested at his home in Queens and now faces felony charges of criminal mischief and reckless endangerment. Steven Slater is smart and already has New York criminal defense attorney Howard Truman working on his case.
It seems that the New York criminal defense attorney is trying to create sympathy for his client, saying that Steven Slater was struck in the head with a piece of luggage by a passenger. The attorney also stated that the flight attendant's mother is dying of cancer and that he has been under a lot of stress.
Yet Steven Slater has certainly become a hero over the Internet. As of Tuesday afternoon, the man had 45,000 fans on Facebook and several internet groups voicing support over his job resignation. Some of Steven Slater's fans have even offered to help pay his legal bills.
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The New York Post reports that she was placed behind bars at the 19th Precinct station for petit larceny last week. However, the Manhattan District Attorney's Office may have some difficulties prosecuting Caroline Giuliani because Sephora stated that they declined to press charges once they learned that Caroline was the daughter of the city's former mayor.
]]> Prosecutors can still charge Caroline with the crime, but it might be challenging without Sephora's cooperation. If the young woman is charged with petit larceny, she has the right to speak with a New York criminal defense attorney so that she can be defended of the charges in court. The Manhattan DA's office has until August 31 to file a criminal court complaint against the young woman.Caroline Giuliani, 20, is currently a student at Harvard University and is studying theater. According to Associated Content, the young woman is not on speaking terms with her father due to a divorce from her mother. She voiced her support for Barack Obama as a presidential candidate back in 2007, during her father's failed attempt at the Republican nomination in the election.
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New York Daily News reports that the 34-year-old mother Devi Silvia now has a New York criminal defense attorney that is using the insanity defense so that she can avoid a conviction of attempted murder. Lawyers say that Devi Silvia was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and that the woman was legally insane at the time the crime was committed.
]]> Now it seems that Devi Silvia and her husband are on good terms, as the man reportedly posted her $10,000 bail and left the Manhattan courthouse holding her hand. Supreme Court Justice Lewis Stone says that a further investigation will determine if Devi Silvia's case is truly a criminal matter or a mental health matter.The Manhattan judge released Devi Silvia despite objections from prosecutors. However, her release from the psych ward at Elmhurst Hospital is on the condition that she attends a 5-day-a-week outpatient psychiatric program that starts this week. The couple will continue living together on the Upper West Side of New York, but their two children have moved to India to live with their father's sister, including baby Jessica who is now healthy after being rescued from being tossed in the Hudson River.
Devi Silvia and her New York criminal defense attorney may still have a great deal of work to go through when it comes to the preparation of arguments for the insanity defense, but it certainly seems like the woman is now on the right track. See our Related Resources to learn more information about how the insanity defense is used.
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After another fight broke out last week in a Manhattan apartment building, Foxy Brown could be facing even more criminal charges. It looks like a New York criminal defense attorney will have to come to her rescue if she wants to avoid jail.
]]> According to New York Daily News, it took more than 10 people to break up the most recent fight. The incident began when the rapper came down from her apartment and was supposed to have a sit down interview with WNBC reporter Tom Llamas. However, Foxy Brown was reportedly swearing and shouting at a very high volume, prompting building workers to get involved by asking the diva to keep her voice down. People in the building said that she was out of control, so the rapper's manager Bernadette Brennan was called to the scene.When Bernadette Brennan tried to calm Foxy Brown down, the manager was allegedly attacked. No arrests were made at the incident, because authorities were not able to get to the scene before Foxy Brown left the building. The celebrity has been and out of the slammer and perhaps just needs a skilled New York criminal defense attorney at this point to inform her of her rights and the legal consequences of her alleged conduct.
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In 1981, a New York judge sentenced Mark Chapman to 20 years to life in prison after he pleaded guilty to second degree murder. While the man has been denied parole five times, he may want to get a New York criminal defense attorney for representation, so that he is not denied another opportunity for release from prison.
Yet there's at least one person who is strongly opposed to Mark Chapman getting parole and that's John Lennon's widow Yoko Ono. She has sent a letter to the parole board stating an opposition to the release of her husband's killer.
New York Daily News states that Yoko Ono wrote in a letter, "I am afraid it will bring back the nightmare, the chaos and confusion once again. Myself and John's two sons would not feel safe for the rest of our lives."
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William Rapetti was the only person to face criminal charges over the incident, where prosecutors argued that the man did a recklessly inadequate job of securing the nearly 200-foot crane. Yet New York criminal defense attorneys argued that the reason for the unsteady crane was because of engineering decisions and shoddy welding; which were not his responsibilities.
]]> "[Prosecutors] wanted to portray him as reckless, Wild Bill Rapetti, and that just wasn't substantiated by the facts," New York Criminal Defense Attorney Arthur Aidala told Associated Press.William Rapetti could have faced up to 15 years in prison if he had been convicted of all the counts that he had been charged with, but skilled lawyers were able to represent the man and make sure that all evidence was properly analyzed, including his role in the construction project with the fatal accident.
Manslaughter crimes are treated very severely and people are sometimes held responsible for the death of an individual, when there was no criminal intent or if they had no role in the killing of the person. When this occurs, it's important to contact a New York criminal defense attorney so that all the legal rights of the defendant can be protected.
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The Seattle Post Intelligencer reports that the rapper was pulled over on the West Side of Manhattan by an NYPD officer after he was seen not wearing his seatbelt. Yet after the stop, the police officer says that he found Ice-T was driving with a suspended license and with expired auto insurance. Hence, the man was arrested and taken to the 10th Precinct in Chelsea.
]]> Rapper Ice-T, who used to rap about killing the cops, was released from the precinct in under 30 minutes and was obviously mad. On his Twitter page, he wrote that his arrest was "bullsh**t" and denied that he did any wrongdoing. He also stated that he currently holds a valid New Jersey license.Along with releasing the New York cop's name and badge number, Ice-T also tweeted as a response to his arrest, "Some punk b**** rookie cop made the arrest of his bullsh** career today. Arresting the Notorious Ice T for no seatbelt. He said, 'I know who you are and I don't give a f***!' That was right after I called him a punk b****!"
In a situation like this, there's really no need to get dramatic. If there's a misunderstanding and you're wrongfully arrested for driving with a suspended license, then you always have the right to speak to a New York criminal defense attorney, who can make sure that you're properly defended of the traffic violation.
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Associated Press reports that the defendant David Steeves was sentenced to 19 years to life in prison yesterday. The man agreed to plead guilty to the second degree murder charge only after he was assured that his two sons would not be present for his sentencing. His two sons are ages 17 and 15 and wrote in letters to the judge that their father deserved no mercy. Many New York criminal defense attorneys might say that the man was lucky to avoid a first degree murder charge and conviction.
]]> During the trial, New York criminal defense attorney Craig McElwee argued that his client had bought the cyanide to kill himself but "chickened out" and gave it to his wife instead. While this story may seem a bit far fetched to some New York residents, an attorney was able to convince prosecutors not to pursue a first degree murder charge.According to LawBrain, first degree murder is considered the most severe type of killing under the law, where the unlawful killing requires must have been willful, premeditated, and had malice aforethought. Because of the severity of any type of murder crime, it's important to have a New York criminal defense attorney analyze all the evidence in such a case and make sure that the defendant's legal rights are being protected.
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Reuters reports that the former New York Giants linebacker has been accused of paying a 16-year-old runaway girl $300 for sex. Lawrence Taylor reportedly admitted to engaging in sexual acts with the girl, but claims that he was told that the girl was 19 years old. But ignorance of a minor's age is not a defense to a third-degree rape charge.
]]> New York criminal defense attorneys are now looking in whether the statements that Lawrence Taylor made were voluntary and if his legal rights were violated when he was being interrogated. Third-degree rape in the state of New York is a crime where a person over the age of 21 engages in consensual sexual intercourse with another person who less than seventeen years old, according to § 130.25 of the New York Penal Code.A New York criminal defense attorney will often consider the establishment of a plea bargain in cases like this, but Lawrence Taylor's attorney Arthur Aidala stated that him and his client are not looking for a plea bargain quite yet.
"A plea bargain is possible at any time in any case," Arthur Aidala said in the National Football Post. "But in this case, "There is no plea bargain. There is no offer. Mr. Taylor is very much looking forward to going forward, putting this behind him, and going on to live his life."
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