New York Criminal Lawyer Blog

Published on: August 3, 2011

A Mesa man arrested for charges of DUI and child endangerment

by Stephen Bilkis

A man was recently taken into custody in Mesa, AZ on charges of drunk driving and child endangerment. On February 21, the 23-year-old Mesa native had allegedly been drinking on and off throughout the day; when police apprehended him he was found to have a blood-alcohol content (BAC) of .16, which is twice the legal limit in the state of Arizona. New York Criminal Lawyers have seen similar circumstances on frequent occasions, where a person makes unwise decisions under the influence of alcohol.

Besides the obvious irresponsibility of driving under the influence of alcohol, this rather youthful man was also charged for an odd situation within the vehicle itself: not only had he endangered four children by having them in the car along with him, but a further three children were discovered in the trunk of the car. Upon questioning, the man responded that he had taken the children to a birthday party and could only fit all seven of them by placing the three in the trunk. Though circumstantial evidence and child endangerment were charged to the man, New York Criminal Lawyers recognize the right of a fair trial by jury for every individual facing such charges, in keeping with our Constitution and democratic governmental policies.

DWI is a serious crime in Long Island and The Bronx. MADD is very active on the Island and demands serious penalties for infractions.

Published on: August 2, 2011

Abused Toddler Suffers Brain Damage

by Stephen Bilkis

The mother and aunt of a baby girl from Colorado Springs are accused of taping the child’s wrists, ankles, eyes and mouth with tape and then leaving her in a running shower. They are charged with attempted murder, and their trial is set to proceed.

The 19-year-old mother and 50-year-old aunt were in court last Friday for the preliminary hearing. It was there decided that enough evidence is available to proceed with a trial. In addition to the attempted first degree murder charge and child abuse, the mother has also been charged with two counts of crime of violence, each of which carry a sentence of up to 48 years in prison. A New York Criminal Attorney says that if found guilty, the young mother could spend the rest of her life in jail.

The 20-month-old victim is still in the hospital. She suffered brain damage from the abuse.

Published on: August 2, 2011

A member of a Major League Baseball team arrested on DUI charges

by Stephen Bilkis

A current team member of the Cleveland Indians was recently arrested on charges of drunk driving.

Austin Kearns of the Cleveland Indians, age 30, was taken into custody by a Lexington patrol unit after the officer observed the man “flashing his headlights and weaving on U.S. 68” on the evening of Feb. 12 in the county of Jessamine. A New York Criminal Lawyer stated that the defendant was driving a 2007 Cadillac Escalade at the time, and was requested to submit to roadside sobriety tests following his sporadic stop-and-go driving while on the road. Though the Lexington officer was out of his jurisdiction, he requested and received permission from Jessamine county authorities to pursue Mr. Kearns.

Upon apprehension, sources say that Mr. Kearns refused roadside sobriety tests, was “very unsteady on his feet” according to an officer. Additionally, the official police report of the Jessamine County Police Department states that Mr. Kearns had admitted to a sheriff’s deputy that during the course of the night just prior to the apprehension, he had consumed “a couple bourbon and cokes” , and was thus taken into custody. However, he was later released upon posting $100, which was 10% of his $1,000 bond. Mr. Kearns has an upcoming court appointment on March 10, which his attorney will attend on his behalf. In Manhattan and Queens, DWI is a serious crime and treated as such by Law Enforcement.

Published on: July 28, 2011

Alleged Brooklyn Killer Caught Upstate

by Stephen Bilkis

The suspect in a Brooklyn murder may already have his case decided for him – the slaying was caught on video surveillance. He was caught in all the way up in Albany, after weeks of searching.

The 20-year-old suspect was identified as the primary subject of interest shortly after an 18-year-old man was shot to death on April 17. A camera showed the suspect riding the elevator with the unsuspecting victim in a building in Brownsville at around 7:30 p.m. that evening.

The victim exited the elevator and the suspect, who had previous brushes with the law regarding weapons, drew a silver pistol and followed him into the lobby, police sources informed New York Criminal Defense Teams.

Published on: July 24, 2011

Hate Charges Filed in Rutgers Suicide Case

by Stephen Bilkis

A freshman student, formerly of Rutgers College, is already in trouble for using a webcam to spy on his roommate’s encounter with another man. Now New York Criminal Lawyers have learned he has been formally charged with a hate crime, along with deleting tweets and texts so as to avoid further implication.

The 19-year-old was indicted in Middlesex County on a total of 15 counts, including bias intimidation and invasion of privacy in the series of events that ended with the suicide of an 18-year-old student in a case that began a national discussion on bullies and the treatment of people of differing sexual orientation.

The 19-year-old student was already dealing with invasion of privacy charges, along with another student at Rutgers. It was a process of months for prosecutors to present the case that the defendant was in fact targeting another student due to his sexual orientation and that this was the basic reason that he broadcast his roommate’s sexual encounter over the internet.

Published on: July 22, 2011

More Crimes from the Blotter

by Stephen Bilkis

A pair of Brooklyn bandits held up a pizzeria in Williamsburg.

The perpetrators, wearing masks and armed with guns, entered a Papa John’s on Grand Street near Leonard Street at 10 p.m. One of the robbers drew a silver pistol and forced the 18-year-old working the counter to open the register, cops told New York Criminal Lawyers.

The thieves took an undisclosed amount of cash, then ordered the worker to give them what he had, taking his cash and his iPhone, police added.

Published on: July 19, 2011

Fairfield, Connecticut Reacts to Murder Verdict

by Stephen Bilkis

Many Connecticut residents don’t know what to make of the decision of a jury to give the murderer of a Fairfield couple life in prison without parole, rather than the death penalty.

“It’s such a weighty decision.” This comment was made by the owner of the store next to the one where the murders took place. The killer shot both victims several times as he robbed their jewelry store on February 2, 2005.

“I know them very well,” the store owner next door told New York Criminal Lawyers. “They were genteel, sweet, family people. They had an unbelievable graciousness with loving, kind hearts.”

Published on: July 13, 2011

Woman Survived Attack in Miami—Mystery Solved

by Stephen Bilkis

Although this story began in 2005, a N York Criminal Lawyer has learned from sources that the case was solved. It was solved due to the dogged determination of a private investigator, who by following his gut instincts tracked the woman’s assailant across the country.

The story began in February 2005 when a Dade County, FL, utility worker found a woman in the grass at an undeveloped cul-de-sac just outside of Miami, FL. The woman had been dumped and left for dead. Sources said that the utility notified the authorities who determined the woman was still alive and immediately transported her to the nearest medical facility where she would remain unconscious until the next day. Investigators attempted to gain information from the woman so as to ascertain who committed the crimes against her, but due to her inability to speak were able to collect some vague information as she could write it.

The woman was a Ukrainian who was employed with one of the cruise lines out of Miami who had been injured on the job and had been placed in a local hotel room by her employer as she recovered. Since the woman had filed suit against her employer, these details explained to investigators why the only person she could direct investigators that she knew was her attorney. In Westchester and Suffolk Counties this crime could easily result in a murder charge and criminal procedure would ensue.

Published on: July 10, 2011

Underage Driver Charged with DUI Manslaughter

by Stephen Bilkis

A woman was just charged with DUI manslaughter charges for a wreck that happened recently, according to a New York Criminal Lawyer. The woman, who was only 20 at the time of the accident, was driving while under the influence of alcohol. Her breathalyzer tested .154, which is almost twice the legal limit allowed. Other criminal charges might be pending due to the level of her intoxication and underage status. She was not injured in the accident but the passenger in the car was killed. Cases like this are handled by local lawyers when they occur in Manhattan and Long Island.

The passenger in the car was a 22 year old male. It is not known what his blood alcohol level was or why he was not driving the car. The accident occurred when the driver of the vehicle left a bar and was traveling down a highway. She thought she was being followed by a car and claims she ran off the road when she took her eyes away from the road to look behind her. She veered and struck the pole on the passenger side of the car. No other car matching her description was found in the area.

A blood test also showed the woman had amphetamines in her system, but the exact drug was not listed. If there were illegal drugs in her system, there may be more criminal charges filed against her, according to a New York City Criminal Lawyer. She is currently awaiting a court date to determine her sentence. It is not known if this is her first offense on a DUI charge. If so, she might pay fines and a jail sentence.

Published on: July 7, 2011

Boyzone Singer Hits Possible Intruder and Causes a Brain Injury

by Stephen Bilkis

Mikey Graham, of Boyzone fame, confronted a man being a nuisance at his home, and allegedly hit him so hard that other man was left with swelling in the brain.

The 22-year-old victim was “extremely lucky” doctors told him. Worse injuries could have easily been sustained in the incident that left him with “very intense” trauma.

Graham, according to his closest friends, said he was going to be leaving his home in Spain to return to Ireland to see what was needed from him in conjunction with the fallout from the altercation that took place at Graham’s €1m mansion ‘Avalon,’ located at Courtlough, Balrothery, north Co Dublin. Even though this happened at the singer’s home it is not considered domestic violence.