Queens

Published on: March 21, 2013

Defendant Appealing Order that Revoked his Probation

by Stephen Bilkis

The appellant is appealing an order that revoked his probation after a trial court determined that he had violated the terms of his probation by being in possession of marijuana and cocaine.

Case Background

The appellant was placed on probation. It was not long afterwards that the appellant was arrested for possessing both marijuana and cocaine. His arrest on these charges led to an affidavit being filed stating he violated his probation. A New York Criminal Lawyer said the affidavit alleged that the defendant had committed the offenses of possessing marijuana and cocaine, which violated his probation conditions that stated he was to live without violating the law.

Published on: February 10, 2013

Defendant Appeals Conviction for Trafficking Cocaine

by Stephen Bilkis

The defendant/appellant in this case is appealing convictions for trafficking in cocaine and marijuana possession.

Case Background

Evidence showed that the girlfriend of the defendant rented a car through her aunt. The defendant borrowed this car and was driving on the turnpike when he was pulled over by a state trooper for a traffic violation. A New York Criminal Lawyer said one of the friends of the defendant was a passenger in the car. The state trooper requested the rental agreement and the defendant removed it from the glove box.

Published on: February 3, 2013

Student Suspended for Marijuana Possession

by Stephen Bilkis

Outside of the guidance counselor’s office at the high school, a student was found sleeping. His skin was gray and he appeared to be extremely sick. The student was transported to the hospital and it was determined that he had consumed marijuana while on his lunch break. The student claimed that he had received the marijuana from the appellant right before lunch at her locker.

A New York Criminal Lawyer said the appellant was questioned and admitted that she gave him the marijuana. She did not say where the exchange took place. The school contacted her parents and told both the appellant and her parents that an extended suspension would be recommended.

The student who took the marijuana dropped out of school. During the suspension hearing the appellant stated that she gave the other student marijuana, but the exchange did not take place on campus, although she did state that she had taken the marijuana from her locker. The school board found her guilty of possession and she was suspended.

Published on: January 22, 2013

Plaintiff Requests Anonymity in Sex Crimes Case

by Stephen Bilkis

Plaintiff alleges that on October 10, 2007 at the nightclub “Tenjune,” in the Meatpacking District of New York City, defendant, an NBA basketball player “grabbed the plaintiff’s buttocks and `crotch’ area on multiple occasions without her permission and consent.” A New York Criminal Lawyer said that, plaintiff, now moves by order to show cause to proceed anonymously to avoid the possibility of unwanted publicity and the exacerbation of the emotional distress suffered from the alleged incident.

According to the complaint, plaintiff and defendant were within the premises known as Tenjune, located on Little West 12th Street, New York, New York. Plaintiff alleges that defendant “willfully and intentionally verbally threatened her after grabbing her buttocks and `crotch’ area.” It is claimed that the “battery and assault which was committed upon the plaintiff, was not in any way brought on by nor provoked by the plaintiff.” A Bronx Sex Crime Lawyer said that, plaintiff alleges that defendant’s actions amounted to a series of harmful or offensive contacts to the plaintiff’s person, all of which were done intentionally by the defendant, without her consent. Plaintiff also alleges that defendant’s actions were reckless, extreme and outrageous, and created a reasonable apprehension in plaintiff of immediate harmful or offensive contact. As a proximate result of defendant’s actions, plaintiff has allegedly sustained “physical injury, serious psychological and emotional distress, mental anguish, embarrassment and humiliation.” Plaintiff also has allegedly incurred medical expenses and other economic damages, continues to be “sick, sore, lame and disabled” and is unable to pursue her usual activities and employment.

In support of her application to proceed anonymously, plaintiff argues that Civil Rights Law § 50-b was enacted to provide a limited right of privacy to a specific class of individuals, namely, victims of alleged sex crimes. Plaintiff further argues that, based upon the allegations set out in the complaint, it is clear that she is an intended beneficiary of this statute. Plaintiff contends that this is potentially going to be a high-profile case due to defendant’s status as a professional athlete. Therefore, plaintiff should be allowed to proceed anonymously.

Published on: January 10, 2013

Defendant Claims He Was Not Given Adequate Notice of Grand Larceny Charges

by Stephen Bilkis

In this criminal case, the proof established that in the five-year period from 1984 to 1989, the defendant represented himself as a spiritual healer, generally charging people $20 per consultation. During the consultations, the defendant purported to transform himself into various spirits who would offer advice and claim that they could cure illnesses. A New York Criminal Lawyer said the defendant, acting through these spirits, induced victims to lend him sums of money, sometimes in the thousands of dollars, which “loans” he never repaid. The defendant also told some of his victims that he was an agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, using this false claim as a further means of obtaining money from them.

A Queens Grand Larceny Lawyer said that, defendant was convicted of grand larceny in the second degree, grand larceny in the third degree (four counts), scheme to defraud in the first degree, criminal impersonation in the second degree (four counts) and fortune telling (five counts), upon a jury verdict, and sentencing him to an indeterminate term of 3 to 9 years imprisonment for grand larceny in the second degree, four indeterminate terms of 1 1/2 to 4 1/2 years imprisonment for grand larceny in the third degree, an indeterminate term of 1 to 3 years imprisonment for scheme to defraud in the first degree, four definite terms of one year imprisonment for criminal impersonation in the second degree, and five definite terms of 60 days imprisonment for fortune telling, with all terms of imprisonment to run consecutive to each other.

A Queens Grand Larceny Lawyer said that, the defendant claims that he was not given fair notice of the grand larceny charges against him to enable him to prepare an adequate defense to those charges. He contends, in essence, that proper notification of the charges should not be reduced to a matter of guess work, and that a conviction on any count for which the defendant has not been given proper notification of the nature of the charge should not be countenanced. Specifically, neither the indictment, the bill of particulars, the Jury minutes supplied to the defendant which were redacted as to the victims’ names, the People’s opening statement, nor much of the trial, served to fully inform the defendant as to which individual complainants corresponded to the various counts of larceny.

Published on: December 20, 2012

Court Discusses Intent in Criminal Possession of Controlled Substance Charges

by Stephen Bilkis

In this drug crime case, defendant was convicted after a jury trial of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree and unlawful possession of marijuana. A New York Criminal Lawyer said on this appeal, defendant contends that his conviction for criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree should be reversed because the People failed to present legally sufficient evidence showing his intent to sell four small packets of heroin found in his pocket.

A Washington Heroin Possession Lawyer said that, viewed in the light most favorable to the prosecution, the evidence presented at trial established that at approximately 1:00 A.M. on July 21, 2007 the clerk at the store located on Main Street in the Village of Hudson Falls, Washington County called the police to report that someone was outside the store selling drugs. She placed that call after two separate patrons of the store so informed her. One of those patrons displayed to her what appeared to be a bag of marihuana.

The Patrolman responded to the call. On several occasions earlier that night between 11:00 P.M. and 1:00 A.M. the Patrolman had observed defendant, with whom he was already familiar, standing outside the store. When he arrived at the store in response to the clerk’s call, the Patrolman observed defendant coming out of the store with a six-pack of beer. The Patrolman approached defendant and accused him of selling drugs. At Patrolman’s urging, defendant produced a sock containing seven small bags of marihuana. The Patrolman then searched defendant, discovering four individual packets of heroin in his pocket (drug possession).

Published on: December 8, 2012

Court Hears Institutional Reform Case

by Stephen Bilkis

This is the latest appeal growing out of the nearly two-decade old, racial discrimination in employment lawsuit involving the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) and the State Personnel Department (SPD). Those two state agencies were sued in 1985 by what became two plaintiff classes of black employees and prospective employees. A partial settlement was reached and a consent decree was entered in 1994, but instead of ending the case the decree became a platform for additional litigation.

A New York Criminal Lawyer said the consent decree, aimed at ending racial discrimination in ALDOT’s employment practices, has twenty-one articles. This appeal is about Article Two, which governs the development and use of “minimum qualifications” (MQs), which are part of the selection procedure for hiring and promoting employees in ALDOT jobs. A job seeker wanting to sit for an employment examination must meet the MQs first. MQs are designed to screen for skills needed at entry into a new position, and can screen for, among other things, “knowledge, skills and abilities” (KSAs) relevant to a position. The job examinations themselves measure KSAs.

The provision of Article Two that was modified by the district court is ¶ 1, which is called “the no-overlap provision.” This is what the paragraph says:

Published on: November 20, 2012

Key Witness Recants Testimony

by Stephen Bilkis

Defendant is currently serving a prison term of twenty-five years to life, having been convicted of Murder in the Second Degree for shooting and killing Cesar Vasquez on the evening of July 16, 1991. Defendant and his co-defendant were convicted after a jury trial based on identifications made by a single eye witness, P.D. D., a woman with a lengthy psychiatric history, the details of which were largely unknown to defendant at the time of trial, testified that she looked out her fourth floor window at midnight and saw defendant and two other men with guns approach her building. As she ran downstairs she heard five gunshots and saw the back of the men as they left the scene. Although her fourteen year old son, G, was out on the street and witnessed the shooting, he was never called as a witness at trial.A New York Drug Crime Lawyer said the People did not present any physical evidence, motive evidence or any other evidence to corroborate Denor’s identification of defendant as one of the shooters.

D, a complete stranger to both defendants, has now recanted her trial testimony, claiming that she lied when she testified that she saw the faces of the shooters and identified them. A Nassau Criminal Lawyer said that, she now claims that she did not actually see and could not have seen the faces of the shooters and that she identified defendant based only on her observation of a photograph of him that she saw in the investigating detective’s car. Denor states that she falsely identified defendant out of a strong desire to protect her son, whom she believed was being threatened by detective Pezullo and whom she did not want to testify.

A Queens Criminal Lawyer said that, defendant moves to vacate his conviction pursuant to CPL §440.10 based primarily on Denor’s recantation. He argues that her recantation is newly discovered evidence that is credible and reliable and that if known at trial would have created the probability of a more favorable verdict to defendant.

Published on: November 8, 2012

Defendant Raises Issues Regarding 6th and 14th Amendments

by Stephen Bilkis

Under Massachusetts procedure, a ‘two-tier’ system is utilized for trial of a variety of criminal charges. The initial trial under this system is in a county district court or the Municipal Court of the City of Boston. No jury is available in these courts, but persons who are convicted in them may obtain a de novo trial, with a jury, in the appropriate superior court by lodging an ‘appeal’ with that court. At the de novo trial, all issues of law and fact must be determined anew and are not affected by the initial disposition. In effect, the taking of the appeal vacates the district court or Municipal Court judgment, leaving the defendant in the position of defendants in other States which require the prosecution to present its proof before a jury.

A New York Criminal Lawyer said in January 1974, appellant was charged with knowing unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, an offense under Mass.Gen.Laws, c. 90 § 24(2)(a). The offense is subject to the two-tier system described above. Prior to trial in the Municipal Court, appellant moved for a jury trial. The motion was denied and the trial before the court resulted in a judgment of guilty. A one-year prison sentence was imposed. Appellant thereupon lodged an appeal in the Superior Court for SuffolkCounty.

Without awaiting proceedings in Superior Court, appellant appealed to the Supreme Judicial Court, seeking to establish that the Sixth and Fourteenth Amendments require that a jury be available in his first trial, whether it be in the Municipal Court or the Superior Court. He also raised speedy trial and double jeopardy contentions as bars to his retrial before a jury.

Published on: November 3, 2012

Defendant Claims he was Subjected to Custodial Interrogation

by Stephen Bilkis

The respondent of this case is the People of the State of New York. The appellant in the case is M.T. This case is being heard in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, Appellate Division, Second Department. M.T. is appealing a decision that denied his motion to vacate two judgments from the same court that convicted him of murder in the second degree.

Case Facts

On the 7th of September, 1988, S.T. and A.T. were attacked fatally (murder) in their home located in Belle Terre, New York. When the police arrived at the scene of the crime, the defendant, who is the son of the victims and was 17 years old at the time, repeatedly told the police that his father’s business partner, J.S. committed the murders.