New York Criminal Lawyer Blog
There is no secret to the fact that the federal government has many different organizations that are created with the intent of preserving the nation’s laws and integrity. One of the groups that were tasked with taking action against subversive groups was created in 1912 under the name of the Radical Bureau. A New York DWI Lawyer said the group changed names numerous times over the following years; in 1915, it was called the Neutrality Squad; in 1923, it was the Radical Squad; In 1931, it was the Bureau of Criminal Alien Investigation. By the time that 1945 rolled around, it was the Public Relations Squad. However, in 1946 the name was changed again, and it became the Bureau of Special Services and Investigations. By 1955, the name was the Bureau of Special Services, often referred to as the BOSS agency. During the 1950’s, the focus of BOSS was to investigated communists, by the 1960’s the agency had given up most of the Communist detection had shifted to the FBI leaving BOSS with little to do.
The 1960’s saw an increase in domestic terrorism groups that served as a shot of life for the BOSS agency. However, in 1969, BOSS would be busy with many different organizations especially the domestic terrorists within the American black community. One case that BOSS was integral in putting together involved a case that was called the Panther 21 and was the longest running case in American history. In that case, one of the defendants claimed that the evidence against him was obtained by illegal actions and as such, must be excluded from the courts. A New York DWI Lawyer said the evidence contained tangible property that he contends was the proceeds of an unlawful search and seizure. He states that the search warrant which was the validity for the forcible entry into his home on July 5, 1973 and the seizure of the property that was used as evidence against him should be suppressed as fruit of the poisonous tree under the Exclusionary Rule.
The case involved the infiltration of a subversive group by several undercover police operatives and the case was in trial from May 1971 to July 1973. In April of 1969, this case was called the Panther 21. The defendant was indicted for having an overall plan to harass and destroy the elements of society that the group thought of as the power structure. This defendant was jailed for over two years until his trial where he was acquitted. Even if he had been freed, he would have not gotten credit for this time in jail pending trial. The trial of this case lasted more than two years and ended in all suspects being acquitted. The jury in this case only deliberated for two hours before reaching their decision.
The defendant in this appeal was convicted in 1965 on conspiracy charges. It was this conspiracy charge that elevated the grade of the weapons charge in the case appealed from a misdemeanor to felony charges. It also raised the grade of the conspiracy charge from class B to class A on two of the three charges. The defendant was arrested as part of a deep cover operation where an undercover police detective was sent to infiltrate subversive groups on the lower East Side of New York run by BOSS. He rented an apartment and began to acquaint himself with the criminal element in the area. A Nassau County DWI Lawyer said during the time that this investigation was in place, the laws changed with regard to government infiltration of civilian groups. When the case went to court, the agents were questioned about the investigation and the techniques that were used to conduct the operation. ince there was not a particular crime or criminal activity that was being investigated, it was determined that the operation was directed at the group rather than the illegal activity. The defendant was acquitted of all charges.
At Stephen Bilkis & Associates, their criminal lawyers can be reached in convenient offices located throughout New York and the Metropolitan area. Our handgun crime Attorneys will help you in the event that you need representation.