New York

Published on: October 3, 2012

Defendant Claims Insufficient Evidence for Drug Charges

by Stephen Bilkis

The defendant’s convictions arose from a series of drug transactions which began when a certain person contacted another person and informed the latter that he had heroin for sale. A New York Criminal Lawyer said the former was unaware that the latter was a confidential informant for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The parties and co-defendant agreed that the former would sell the informant 25 ounces of heroin for $6,000 per ounce. While the co-defendant was in Mexico he ran into the defendant who offered to drive him to Texas. He agreed and the two men drove to the border. As they approached the border the co-defendant told the defendant that he wished to walk across the border and would meet the defendant on the United States side. The defendant drove the vehicle across the border while co-defendant walked across carrying the one gram sample of heroin.

A Heroin Possession Lawyer said that, the defendant and his co-defendant drove to the informant’s apartment where they met the informant and an Agent outside the apartment. The defendant and the Agent remained outside in their respective vehicles while co-defendant and the informant went inside. When the two men left the apartment the Agent saw co-defendant hand informant a piece of paper later found to contain .12 grams of heroin. The informant gave the paper to the Agent. Co-defendant, the informant and the Agent then discussed the purchase of a test ounce and the full 25 ounce shipment. The defendant drove the co-defendant to another apartment where he met with the certain John doe while the defendant remained outside in the vehicle.

Later that evening co-defendant and the informant took one ounce of heroin to the Agent’s motel room and sold it to him for $5,000 cash. Co-defendant returned to Mexico where he processed the remaining ounces of heroin. The defendant came into the apartment while this processing was being done. A Bronx Criminal Lawyer said the next morning co-defendant secreted heroin in the stereo speaker of his vehicle. After doing so he asked the defendant for help in replacing the screws. The two men then drove to the informant’s apartment in the United States. While en route into town co-defendant advised the defendant that what he was doing was not honest and that he should not get involved in similar “deals”. When co-defendant and the defendant arrived at the informant’s apartment the defendant carried the heroin into the apartment. Later the three men left for the Agent’s motel with the defendant driving. Co-defendant, believing they were being followed, directed the defendant to return to the informant’s apartment. Co-defendant and the informant then drove to the Agent’s motel to deliver the heroin and the defendant left. Co-defendant was arrested as he delivered the heroin to the Agent. Defendant was arrested near Hidalgo, Texas.

Published on: October 2, 2012

Court Discusses Crime of Possession of a Controlled Substance

by Stephen Bilkis

On this proceeding, the state presented evidence about a pharmacologist who was a member of a conspiracy to procure heroin. The pharmacologist and his accomplices were guilty of attempted criminal possession of a controlled substance based on a series of events that commenced in the state. Even if the jury found him guilty of both the crime, on appeal, he challenges the state’s exercise of territorial jurisdiction over the second offense only.

A New York Criminal Lawyer said the evidence revealed that the leader of the conspiracy was a man. Through a wiretap surveillance of the telephone line to the leader’s residence, the law enforcement authorities discovered that the leader was raising $120,000 to pay a courier fee to obtain a large quantity of heroin to the state. The intercepted conversations cryptically identified the various players in the proposed drug exchange. The state theorized that the pharmacologist’s role in the project was to test the purity of the heroin.

The leader and another individual discussed the pharmacologist’s availability for the project. Upon receiving a telephone call advising that the pharmacologist had been located. Thereafter, a woman used the leader’s telephone to make airline reservations for three men to fly at 8:00 p.m. that evening and all of them were under the same surnames. A New York Criminal Lawyer said the law enforcement authorities observed the pharmacologist together with two other men aboard the flight. At the request of an investigator, a state’s troop followed the activities of the three men. After registering at the airport’s hotel under aliases, they were seen entering and leaving each other’s rooms during the next 24 hours.

Published on: October 1, 2012

Defendant Claims Insufficiency of Evidence

by Stephen Bilkis

In this case, the appellant was tried before the court without a jury and found guilty of the crime of breaking and entering a dwelling with intent to commit a felony, to-wit, grand larceny, and of the crime of grand larceny. A New York Criminal Lawyer said that separate sentences were imposed thereon for imprisonment for a period of three years, with provision for the sentences to be served concurrently.

On appeal therefrom, it was contended that the court erred in denying appellant’s motion for acquittal on the ground of insufficiency of the evidence, and further that it was error to impose more than one sentence.

Upon review of the case, the court found no reversible error therein.

Published on: September 30, 2012

Appellant Contends Summary Judgment was in Error

by Stephen Bilkis

In her complaint the appellant averred that she was maliciously prosecuted when the appellees, acting in concert, caused her arrest and induced the County Solicitor of Dade County to file information in which she was charged with grand larceny, a charge the appellees knew was false. The pleader detailed the procedure following the filing of the information, related the embarrassment she endured and the damage she suffered, and she repeated the charge that the prosecution was instigated through malice without probable cause. A Dade Grand Larceny Lawyer said that, it was stated in the complaint that appellant pleaded not guilty upon arraignment, waived a jury and was found not guilty by the Judge of the Criminal Court of Record.

A New York Criminal Lawyer said that, summary judgment in favor of the appellees, who were defendants in the circuit court, was entered by the judge when he concluded that no genuine issue of fact was presented and that the movants should prevail as a matter of law.

The issue in this case is whether the Circuit Court Judge erred in granting summary judgment in favor of the appellees.

Published on: September 27, 2012

Court Decides if Prior Convictions Can Be Used to Impeach Defendant

by Stephen Bilkis

This case is about an appellant who was adjudicated guilty, after a jury trial, for inciting a riot under Section 870.01(2), Florida Statutes (1981). A New York Criminal Lawyer said the appellant argued that the evidence presented by the prosecution was insufficient to support his conviction. Although the sufficiency of the proof presented a close question, after thorough review, the court held that the State did present a prima facie case and that a judgment of acquittal was not required.

The case however was reversed on the ground of evidentiary rulings as to prior convictions. The question concerns the impeachment of appellant under Section 90.610, Florida Statutes (1981), on the basis of two prior petit larceny convictions. The trial court ruled that these prior petit larceny convictions could be used for impeachment purposes and threatened to hold appellant in contempt if he took the stand and testified that he had not been convicted of a crime. Appellant did testify and on direct examination stated he had been convicted of a crime twice.

The old rules on Evidence provide that a witness was subject to being impeached with evidence of a prior conviction of any crime, excluding violations of a municipal ordinance. Jurisprudence prior to the amendment of the rules established that “a crime is a crime”. A New York Criminal Lawyer said the argument that discrediting crimes must involve moral turpitude was expressly rejected.

Published on: September 16, 2012

Defendant Questions Probable Cause in Arrest

by Stephen Bilkis

Two known low-level drug dealers who sold marijuana were found shot in the apartment they shared. The police were investigating the murders. The police then questioned their known associates. A New York Criminal Lawyer said one of the murder victims’ known associates the police talked to admitted that he was in the apartment on the day before the murders and saw a man from the Caribbean buy half a pound of marijuana from the victims.

The known associate also told the police that the man from the Caribbean agreed to buy at least thirty kilos of a new shipment of marijuana from the murder victims. They agreed to meet the next day so that the man from the Caribbean can finally buy the marijuana. The police detective showed the known associate of the murder victims and he identified a picture of the man from the Caribbean.

The police detectives went in search of the man from the Caribbean and found him in an apartment. When the police were near the apartment door, they could smell the odor of marijuana. So the police detectives pounded on the door of the apartment. The man from the Caribbean came to th door. A New York Criminal Lawyer said the police detectives could smell the marijuana odor emanating from the open doorway of the apartment. They then asked the man from the Caribbean to step out of the apartment. They frisked him and handcuffed him. The officers asked him if there were any other occupants or residents in the apartment and the man from the Caribbean said that his brothers and his girlfriend were in there.

Published on: September 15, 2012

Court Looks at Illegal Contraband Case

by Stephen Bilkis

In this case, two police officers were on routine motor patrol in Bronx County when they observed a car with its trunk lock “popped out.” They directed the driver of the car to stop. As the officers approached the car, a single passenger in the rear appeared to be fumbling with something. That passenger opened the rear door and attempted to flee. One of the officers grabbed him, and, after a struggle, succeeded in removing defendant’s hand from his left front outer jacket pocket. The officer recovered a brown paper bag which, upon later discovery, contained cocaine of an aggregate weight of 8 7/8 ounces. A New York Criminal Lawyer said the motion court concluded that the evidence, before the Grand Jury, of defendant’s knowledge of weight was legally insufficient to sustain the charge of criminal cocaine possession of a controlled substance in the first degree. It, therefore, reduced count one of the indictments from criminal possession of a controlled substance in the first degree to criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree. The Appellate Division affirmed.

The police stopped defendant for a traffic infraction while he was driving in Bronx County. A plastic bag containing 3 1/4 ounces and 3 grains of cocaine was recovered from the automobile. The motion court found no evidence of defendant’s knowledge of the weight was presented to the Grand Jury. It reduced count one of the indictments from cocaine possession of a controlled substance in the second degree to criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree. It also dismissed count two of the indictment which charged criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree. The Appellate Division modified in the case by reinstating count two, and otherwise affirmed.

A New York Criminal Lawyer said that, in a joint memorandum which determined both Sanchez and Garcia, the Appellate Division noted that the trial court properly concluded that the evidence before the Grand Jury was insufficient to establish that defendants possessed the requisite knowledge of the weight of the substance they possessed. Regarding the defendant, the Appellate Division determined that the trial court erred by dismissing count two of the indictment charging defendant with criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree. The Court reasoned that intent to sell may be established by proof that a defendant possessed a significant quantity of drugs. Thus, as to the present case, the Appellate Division reinstated count two of the indictment. A Judge of this Court granted the People leave to appeal in both cases, and, in the present case, granted defendant leave to cross-appeal.

Published on: September 14, 2012

Court Decides Whether to Disbar a Lawyer

by Stephen Bilkis

In October 1993, a lawyer, a member of the New York Bar was arrested at 9pm on a street corner in the Bronx. He was arrested and charged with criminal crack cocaine possession.

In June 1998, the same lawyer was apprehended by police officers at a street corner after he purchased crack cocaine. A New York Criminal Lawyer said he was charged with criminal crack cocaine possession. He was later sentenced to three years’ probation. Also in June 1998, the lawyer was arrested and charged with obstructing governmental administration. He was sentenced to three years’ probation as well. At that time, the lawyer offered a New York police officer a sum of money in exchange for the dropping of the drug crime charged against him.

He was also charged under the Code of Professional Responsibility, a law that regulates the conduct of members of the Bar. He was charged with engaging in conduct detrimental to the administration of justice. He was also charged with engaging in conduct adversely reflecting on his fitness to practice law. Aside from his criminal conviction, being a member of the Bar, he also faced other civil consequences of his arrest and conviction by way of an administrative hearing to determine his fitness to continued membership in the New York Bar.

Published on: September 13, 2012

Court Discusses Plea Bargain

by Stephen Bilkis

An undercover police officer posed as a buyer of cocaine which was clandestinely sold at a fast food joint. The undercover police officer was able to buy six small bags of cocaine on six separate occasions. With the cocaine bought from the fast food joint, the police officers had probable cause to apply for a search warrant and to arrest the employees of the fast food joint.

A New York Criminal Lawyer said the police officers arrested the workers of the fast food joint and they searched the fast food joint and found seventy-eight bags re-sealable bags filled with white powdery substance which was later tested and found to be cocaine. The seventy-eight bags of cocaine were located in various areas of the fast food joint and some were found in the pockets of the employees of the fast food joint.

The Grand Jury handed down an indictment of twenty-one counts of criminal cocaine possession (drug possession) and sale. After the arraignment, the manager of the fast food joint was told by his lawyer that under the laws in effect at that time, the sentence he would most likely be given if proven guilty would be one to three years for every count which would amount to an indeterminate sentence of about eight to twenty-five years.

Published on: September 12, 2012

Defendant Brings Motion to Surppress Motion for Incriminating Statements

by Stephen Bilkis

Defendant was indicted for second degree murder, second degree assault, and second degree weapon possession in connection with a shooting in Brooklyn. One man was shot to death and another was wounded. Thereafter, the Defendant was arrested for a drug crime in Manhattan where he was represented by counsel for the drug charge.

A New York Criminal Lawyer said the Detective from Brooklyn traveled to Manhattan to “pick up” Defendant and bring him to the precinct in Brooklyn for a lineup. Before these lineups, at about 9:00 P.M., Miranda warnings were issued to defendant, who claimed that he knew nothing about the shooting; after the lineups, the Brooklyn Detective advised defendant that he was “charged with homicide.”

Thereafter, they escorted defendant back to Manhattan for his arraignment for the drug crime. After defendant was arraigned and released on his own recognizance, the Brooklyn Detective arrested him for homicide to be brought back later on to the Brooklyn Precinct. The Detectives then took Defendant back to where he had been sitting in the courtroom because “the attorney . . . wanted to speak to him.” They also testified that he overheard the counsel tell defendant that he was “not going across the bridge into Brooklyn to represent him,” and that he didn’t “represent him in the other case. He represents him in the drug case. He’ll have an attorney for his new case in Brooklyn. He also said, I advise you not to speak to the police because I can’t tell you that you cannot speak to the police but I’m advising you not to.”