On December 13, 2011, Jerry Sandusky, the 67 year old former Penn State assistant football coach accused of 52 counts of sexual assault of 11 victims, made the decision to waive a preliminary hearing in the case. There was tremendous anticipation and drama attached to this hearing, as Sandusky’s attorney…
In the aftermath of the Conrad Murray guilty verdict of involuntary manslaughter and his sentencing on November 29, 2011, there is no question that the prosecution was handed some enormous breaks which do not normally occur in a criminal case. Further, in my opinion, the prosecution of Dr. Murray, while…
The sexual abuse allegations against former Penn State defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky has led to an upheaval at the renowned university and the firing of legendary coach Joe Paterno. The bigger issue presented by this scandal is the fact that in a majority of the larger colleges and universities, law…
Dr. Conrad Murray, the 58 year old cardiologist who was convicted by a Los Angeles County jury this week of involuntary manslaughter in the June 25, 2009 death of Michael Jackson, will now face two additional cases in civil court. In September of 2010, Jackson’s mother Katherine Jackson filed a…
A Los Angeles jury found Dr. Conrad Murray guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the death of Michael Jackson on November 7, 2011. There were 22 days of testimony and 49 witnesses presented to the seven man and five woman jury. The jury deliberated for approximately 2 days before reaching their…
Last week, a 26 year old East Naples, Florida man was sentenced to life imprisonment for possession of child pornography. This has set off a debate among prosecutors, defense attorneys, law school professors, former judges and commentators: namely, does the punishment fit the crime? The background is that Daniel Enrique…
The United States Attorney for the Southern District, Preet Bharara, has had a busy few months, with successful large scale prosecutions against health insurance officials, New York State lawmakers, and inside trading investment bankers. On October 27, 2011, the latest bombshell was dropped: Several former L.I.R.R. workers, including a former…
On October 12, 2011, Barbara Sheehan, the 50 year old Queens mother charged in the shooting death of her husband Raymond Sheehan, was acquitted by a Queens County jury of 2nd degree murder but convicted on a gun possession charge. The case achieved both national and international notoriety as a…
Former Town of Eastchester Police Officer James Pileggi was convicted of second degree manslaughter by a Westchester County jury on October 5, 2011. Pileggi, 30, was charged in the November 3, 2009 killing of his friend Andre Everett in the driveway of Everett’s residence in New Rochelle, New York. Pileggi,…
The criminal trial of Houston, Texas cardiologist Dr. Conrad Murray, 58, began this week in Los Angeles Superior Court. Murray is charged with involuntary manslaughter in the June 25, 2009 death of the famed pop singer Michael Jackson, who died of cardiac arrest at the age of 50 after Dr.…