Recently in Rape / Sexual Assault Category

It looks like European pro basketball player Michael Haynes won't even be needing help from a New York criminal defense attorney, since prosecutors have declined to officially file charges against the man.

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.

Three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year Lawrence Taylor pleaded not guilty yesterday to several criminal charges, including charges of third-degree rape, engaging in oral sex with a minor and third-degree criminal sexual act. The former football player was arraigned in Rockland County Court yesterday and is due back in court on August 24 to set a trial date.

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.

Former New York Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor was indicted on a number of sexual assault charges on Wednesday and has been accused of having sex with a 16-year-old girl for money in a New York hotel. The rape charges may aggravate some football fans, but the Montreal Gazette reports that the Pro Football Hall of Famer has a New York criminal defense attorney that vows that the man is innocent.

A grand jury of Rockland County formally charged Lawrence Taylor with rape, criminal sexual act, two counts of sexual abuse, and patronizing a prostitute, all of which are in the third degree. If convicted of these charges, the Gazette reports that the former Giant will face a maximum of four years in prison.

This just in: The press conference is over and former NFL MVP Lawrence Taylor has been charged with raping a teenage Bronx girl.

We covered the story yesterday in our blog, but now, new details are emerging.

Taylor's New York criminal defense attorney appeared at his arraignment, making the argument that Taylor posed no flight risk.

One time NFL Most Valuable Player Lawrence Taylor, 51, has been arrested on suspicion of rape.

There is no word yet as to whether Lawrence Taylor has retained a New York criminal defense attorney and a news conference has been scheduled for Thursday afternoon.

Nine Massachusetts students are facing charges in the suicide of Phoebe Prince. New York criminal defense attorneys are taking note, as the Massachusettes teens are preparing for a host of charges related to the suicide, ranging from statutory rape to criminal harassment and stalking.  Indeed, bullying is not just a Massachusetts problem-- it's a huge problem in New York, as well.  A 17 year old West Islip teen was found dead on March 21, and police are investigating the harrassing messages she received, prior to her death. 

Unfortunately for the Massachusetts teen, Phoebe Prince, the charges come too late. Prince committed suicide on January 14, when she walked into her apartment building and hung herself in a stairwell leading up to her second floor apartment.  

And even in death, she was tormented. Her haters wrote nasty comments on her Facebook memorial page.

Represented by his New York criminal defense attorney, New York City police officer Richard Kern was cleared of all charges in the subway sodomy trial according to the AFP.

Officer Kern, who was accused of using his police baton to sodomize Michael Mineo when he was pinned down and handcuffed was acquitted; along with two other police officers. The Washington Post reports that Officer Kern was facing up to 25 years in prison for his aggravated sexual abuse charge. Officers Andrew Morales and Alex Cruz could have faced four years in prison for allegedly covering up the incident.

DNA evidence has revived two cold cases in New York City.

The New York Times reports that Mauricio Rosales, 32, was arrested last week because his DNA matched DNA that was found at two rape crime scenes. In November of 2009, Mr. Rosales had to give a sample of his DNA after he pleaded guilty to petit larceny. In New York, if you are convicted of a felony or one of 35 different types of misdemeanors, you are required to give the officials a DNA sample.

The New York Daily News reports that the first rape Mr. Rosales is accused of occurred in 2000. The 11-year-old victim was in her room when a man broke in, robbed her, rapped her, and threatened to kill her if she told anyone what happened.

Former fashion designer Anand Jon Alexander claims that he cannot afford New York criminal defense lawyers for his criminal trial.  

The New York Daily News reports that Mr. Alexander, who once sold painted jeans for $700 each, has two court appointed, state paid New York criminal defense lawyers. 

The prosecutors for his criminal trial moved to have Mr. Alexander's two defense lawyers removed from his case. Assistant District Attorney Maxine Rosenthal argued that, "the taxpayers of New York should not be paying for not only one but two lawyers."

Mr. Alexander claims that he has no funds because he has been in jail since 2007 and not working. 

A New York man and his New York criminal defense attorney will have their case heard by a grand jury.

The Associated Press reports that Michael J. Abdallah, 26, was arrested two weeks ago on charges of "second-degree rape, unlawful imprisonment and custodial interference." Allegedly, he kept a 13-year-old girl in his home from July to December. The girl (a runaway) told police that Mr. Abdallah had sexual intercourse with her over a hundred times. She also alleged that Mr. Abdallah forced her to babysit his 1-year-old son.

His New York criminal defense attorney, Frank Bogulski claimed that the girl invented the story of sexual abuse because she did not want to be blamed for the baby's injury. The police were questioning her about burn on the infant's hand when she told them about how Mr. Abdallah was treating her.