After a two year legal ordeal in which an Albany bar owner was accused of initiating a vicious assault on a Times Union food critic, a verdict of not guilty has been reached, states a person close to the case. The owner of the bar had been accused of setting up the assault because he was upset with the reviews that the food critic had given his establishment earlier that year. In October 2008, two men attacked and severely beat the reporter, and the incident was immediately linked with the owner of the bar.
According to the police, it was determined that even though the owner of the bar had been heard making threats and inflammatory remarks about the food critic after having had an altercation with him, the evidence was purely circumstantial and did not prove beyond a doubt that the bar owner set up the attack. The two brothers who carried out the vicious assault both avoided jail time. One of the men avoided jail time by cooperating with authorities in the case and the other man had his case thrown out after prosecutorial mistakes in the case were made.
The victim of the assault was understandably disappointed by the not guilty verdict, claims the same person, though he maintained that he had respect for the jury and for the difficult decisions that they were required to make. In an unrelated case, the bar owner recently plead guilty to failing to pay almost $200,000 in state sales tax, which could land him in prison anyway.
Tough legal issues require perseverance, knowledge and patience to navigate. A seasoned New York Criminal Attorney can make all the difference in the outcome of your trial. If you are involved in a legal situation and need support and representation, call a New York Criminal Attorney today.