Criminal Procedure

Published on: January 21, 2012

Accident Victims Shot

by Stephen Bilkis

Three accident victims were shot after being injured in a car accident in rural southern town, said a New York Criminal Lawyer. The accident occurred at night in the early evening. The victims included the driver and his two young daughters, ages four and seven.

Local police officers at the scene revealed that the victims’ car was rear-ended by an African American male, 21, early Tuesday evening near an intersection. Once he left his car, the African American male walked up to the car with a .22 pistol and began shooting frantically into the victims’ vehicle. The driver was shot three times. The seven year old daughter was shot four times. The youngest daughter was not injured by the gunfire.

According to authorities, the gunshot victims were treated for minor injuries at a local hospital. Their injuries were determined not to be life-threatening. The father was released the next morning, Wednesday, following treatment. No information was available concerning the status of the two daughters or when they were released.

Published on: January 21, 2012

Animal Abuse Case May Have Prevented a Serial Killer

by Stephen Bilkis

County Sheriff’s deputies have a 19-year old man in custody, and sources have told a New York Criminal Lawyer that the arrest may have prevented further development of a serial killer. The 19-year old was arrested following a report by his girlfriend’s mother who had reportedly received a call from her daughter who said that she was being held hostage by the young man. During the course of this call, the woman’s daughter reportedly told her that her boyfriend was holding her hostage, mutilating and killing dogs, and had threatened to murder her and any police who may come to arrest him.

The accused has an alleged history of torturing and killing animals, and during the course of their investigation, police discovered carcasses of at least 29 dead dogs that either had been buried in the backyard or had been tossed into the woods near the dwelling. Sources also informed the Manhattan Criminal Attorney that he had forced his girlfriend to participate in the mutilation and killing of 29 dogs or puppies. Police also discovered a rifle and a shotgun as they searched his home.

Experts who have examined this case explained to the Suffolk County Criminal Lawyer that the suspect has at least one of the characteristics of a serial killer, and from all indications, his violence was escalating. Police have stated to that they have no doubt that he would have eventually killed his girlfriend.

Published on: January 20, 2012

CHP Arrests Mom for DWI and Endangering Her Child

by Stephen Bilkis

A Benicia, CA, woman was taken into custody last Friday by California Highway Patrol (CHP) officers; sources have told a New York Criminal Lawyer. While a woman being arrested for an alleged DWI is, unfortunately, not uncommon, what brings more to this case is that the woman’s 8-year old daughter was involved.

The incident occurred as the woman was westbound on I-780 at approximately 6:18 p.m. when she apparently lost control of her vehicle which then rolled over, sources reported to a Nassau County Criminal Lawyer. As a result of this, the mother’s 8-year old daughter was seriously injured due to her being thrown from her seat into the front seat. The head trauma that the child suffered necessitated her to be airlifted from the crash site to Children’s Hospital in Oakland, CA, for treatment. The mother had only sustained minor injuries.

According to the CHP, they performed a series of field sobriety tests on the girl’s mother. Field sobriety tests are given in order for officers to determine the sobriety of individuals they suspect may be intoxicated. Based on the results of the sobriety tests, the mother was taken into custody and taken to a DWI processing center. The woman refused a breathalyzer and requested that a blood test be done instead. The results of that blood test had not been returned as of this writing. After the blood sample was taken, the woman was taken to the County Jail and booked for DWI and child endangerment charges. The woman’s bail was set at $55,000.

Published on: January 20, 2012

Army Crime-Lab Worker Blotched Tests Leaving Many DNA Cases in Doubt

by Stephen Bilkis

Over the past several years, DNA science has made extraordinary progress and its implementation in many criminal cases has both convicted the guilty and exonerated the innocent. A New York Criminal Lawyer has learned that one federal crime lab is struggling to keep its reputation afloat following reports that one of its more senior and experienced forensics examiners not only blotched, DNA tests, but also falsified records.

A worker at the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Laboratory, near Atlanta, is being investigated for alleged mistakes that may have allowed the guilty to go free and may have contributed to many to be wrongfully convicted of crimes they did not commit, sources tell.

Unfortunately, the problem appears to go much deeper than just one worker that was making mistakes and then attempting to cover them up. Sources alleged to a New York City Criminal Lawyer that the forensic examiner’s supervisors were not only slow to recognize his mistakes, but also wanted to keep any investigation of these mistakes in-house so that the facility would not lose its accreditation.

Published on: January 20, 2012

Barry Bonds on Trial for Allegedly Lying to a Federal Grand Jury

by Stephen Bilkis

The trial of former major league baseball player, Barry Bonds, is underway in U.S. District Court, a New York Criminal Lawyer has learned. The former San Francisco Giant all-star is accused of “obstructing justice and three counts of making false statements to a grand jury.”

During their opening arguments to the jury, prosecutors stated that when Bonds testified to the grand jury in 2003 that he had immunity and that all he had to do was to tell the truth, which they allege that he did not, the New York Criminal Lawyer was told. His testimony was in regards as to whether he had knowingly used anabolic steroids, which Bonds denied. Bonds baseball career was essentially over when he tested positive for “banned substances” during a team administered urine test. He has not played major league baseball since he was indicted in 2007.

One of those expected to testify against Bonds, is his former mistress who will reportedly testify that Bonds told her that he suffered from sexual dysfunction due to steroid use. His mistress was reportedly with the former ball player for more than 10-years and during two of his marriages.

Published on: January 19, 2012

Car Accident Insurance Frauds Busted

by Stephen Bilkis

It’s always fun until somebody gets busted for alleged insurance fraud. A crew of friends staged a car accident during the summer in NYC, and then attempted to collect on insurance payments. Authorities said some Bronx residents were responsible in a report picked up by a New York Criminal Lawyer. Officials got to the bottom of the caper by viewing surveillance video recorded above the crash site.

Investigators noticed the slow motion appearances the crash had. It didn’t add up for them so they became suspicious and probed further in their investigation. There was even an attempt by one of the drivers involved where they repeated a move to make it look more convincing. All of this was in the recording.

Police told a Bronx Criminal Lawyer that the participants made their cars collide at the scene. Moments later, they reappeared at the same location, following a brief spin around the block. Once they had returned the drivers pretended to back into each other, which caused further damages. The drivers called 911 and filled out false police reports. They even alleged injuries and sought medical treatment at a local Bronx medical facility. The medical facility billed over $30,000 in medical costs in less than a half days’ time.

Published on: January 19, 2012

Dead Student Mourned Following Accident

by Stephen Bilkis

A Midwestern university community is in mourning after the death of an undergraduate coed. Authorities reported that she died in a car accident near Columbus, Ohio. The situation involved one other vehicle, a van, which crossed three lanes of traffic and plowed into the young woman’s car after going over a median and the exit ramp of a major interstate highway.

The driver of the van is 19 years old. The accident the old coed who was on her way home for spring break. The female student was in her second year of college studying education. Authorities reported to an Manhattan Criminal Lawyer that the male driver had his attention from his driving while speaking on his mobile phone. The distraction caused him to lose control of his van.

The country highway patrol revealed to a New York Criminal Lawyer that the male driver was headed northbound in a company-owned cargo van. The female driver was pulling out of a rest area when the out-of-control van crossed three lanes of traffic, a median, then hit her car. The female victim was driving a Pontiac sedan. The male driver was uninjured following the collision. The female crash victim died at a nearby hospital after being transported by first responders from the scene of the accident.

Published on: January 18, 2012

County Investigation Results in Sex Arrests

by Stephen Bilkis

Following an undercover police investigation that resembled a Dateline type sting, deputies in Florida arrested 21 men and one woman, ages from 20 to 59, according to a New York Criminal Lawyer. The arrests are the fruition of a week long investigation that brought individuals from different parts of the state for the sole purpose of having sex with 14-year old boys and girls.

The sheriff’s office used undercover officers that posed as 14-year old children online and included age-regressed photographs of the undercover officers, a Brooklyn Criminal Lawyer was told. The deputies communicated with the suspects electronically via email, instant messages, and over the phone. The individuals are those who responded to ads placed by deputies on Craigslist. The Sheriff’s Office also worked closely with the State Attorney’s office, so that any legal issues that can often arise due to the nature of these types of investigations, most notably entrapment, could be avoided.

Following the arrests, the County Sheriff stated that he did hate to say that the investigation was fruitful. He also asked just how many more of these child predators are loose on the children in Florida that they are unaware. In the Sheriff’s own words, “The sheriffs of this state are tired of it.”

Published on: January 18, 2012

Crash Casualties, One Dead and One Injured

by Stephen Bilkis

Two New England motorists were involved in an automobile accident last week, authorities revealed to a New York Criminal Lawyer. The vehicle operator was killed. There was one passenger in the car, who was injured and hospitalized. Local caregivers told authorities that the passenger was in serious condition.

Authorities explained that the incident was a one vehicle accident.The vehicle operator was found dead in the car when officers arrived. Formal announcement of his passing was announced a short time later.

Friends of the deceased organized a temporary memorial. The vehicle operator’s car had struck a service pole, which killed the driver on impact according to forensics estimates of vehicle speed. Friends of the deceased placed the memorial right next to the service pole. Visitors to the memorial commented on seeing the deceased relatives lighting candles. Memorial scenes have in recent years become very popular ways for friends and relatives to convey respects to the victim and the victims’ families.

Published on: January 17, 2012

DWI Cases Suspended

by Stephen Bilkis

The police department in Seattle has launched a major internal investigation into the alleged mishandling of dozens of DWI cases by members of the department’s DWI Squad. This means some cases will have to be placed on hold while the investigation goes on.

A local attorney made a statement that his criminal division will go over recent and past driving-under-the-influence (DWI) cases to figure out if they may be affected by what might be found during the police investigation, a New York Criminal Lawyer alleges about the case.

Sources familiar with the matter and later confirmed by the department states that there were arrest warrants that weren’t properly filed and investigated.