Thursday, April 30, 2009

Tyra Banks and Brady Green

The New York Post reports, "The man on trial for stalking former supermodel-turned-TV talk show queen Tyra Banks was found guilty today. But he won't get any jail time and instead will get psychiatric help, a Manhattan judge ruled.

Bradley Green, 38, was arrested in March 2008 for harassing Banks at her Chelsea studios following the taping of her show.

Manhattan Criminal Court Judge James Burke decided this morning that Green's actions were "knowingly and inherently invalid and the behavior was hounding."

The judge, however, opted not to sentence Green to 90 days in jail and instead ordered that the Georgia man get mental treatment.

In his bench-trial verdict, Burke said Green will have to return to court on June 18, where a place and length of treatment will be made known to him.

Burke said treatment -- not jail -- is "something that can help Green in the future."

Monday, April 27, 2009

Anthony and Charlene Marshall

Brooke Astor's son, Anthony Marshall and his wife Charlene leave 100 Centre Street after opening statements. The Brooke Astor swindle trial began Monday with Manhattan prosecutors promising jurors they'll hear testimony by some of the beloved philanthropist's most luminous friends, including Henry Kissinger, Barbara Walters and Annette de la Renta.

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Shawn Kovell

Laura Italiano writes, for the NY Post, "After 22 years of sharing kisses through prison glass, countless bags of heroin and an indictment on felony cocaine sales, Shawn Kovell still loves her Preppy Killer.

Now, she can visit the notorious strangler, Robert Chambers, at an upstate maximum-security facility, a Manhattan judge ruled yesterday.

"She can go visit whoever she wishes," Justice Charles Solomon said as he sentenced Kovell to five years' probation for helping Chambers sell a half-pound of coke to undercover cops out of her East 57th Street apartment two years ago."

Monday, April 06, 2009

Bernie and Ruth Madoff

Bruce Golding of the NY Post writes, "Ruth Madoff today paid her first visit to her imprisoned hubby, Bernie.

The mega-swindler's wife arrived at 4:40 p.m. for a scheduled 5 p.m. visit at the Metropolitan Correction Center in lower Manhattan.
Ruth Madoff, 67, said nothing.

She wore a long black coat with the hood pulled up against a light rain.
Bernie, the admitted $65 billion Ponzi scheme kingpin, is being held there until his sentencing on June 16."


Madoff is seen entering the court for the last time on March 2nd. He will be in court again on June 16th. when he will most certainly be sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison.

Friday, April 03, 2009

Santo Petrocelli Sr.

The NY Times reports, "A prominent city electrical contractor with close ties to an indicted former assemblyman and labor union executive from Queens was himself indicted Friday on federal conspiracy and bribery charges.

The contractor, Santo Petrocelli Sr., whose company had long held street-lighting maintenance contracts worth several million dollars a year, is accused of bribing the former assemblyman and union leader, Brian M. McLaughlin, who until his indictment in October 2006 was the president of the New York City Central Labor Council. The indictment against Mr. McLaughlin, a seven-term assemblyman, accused him of illegally obtaining $2.2 million over a decade by misappropriating campaign contributions, embezzling union funds and taking bribes from businessmen, including Mr. Petrocelli, 74, who is known as Sandy."

Thursday, April 02, 2009

Dan Wions

The NY Post reports, "A lucky musician is tooting his own $15,000 French horn again, thanks to some folks who were instrumental in getting it back after it was stolen from his car in the West Village.

"It's like a child to me," Dan Wions said yesterday.

Wions' precious instrument was slung in its case over his back as he came to Manhattan Criminal Court to testify before a grand jury against an alleged horn heister named -- no kidding -- Gabriel.

"I'd rather he stole the car instead of my horn," Wions said of the suspect, Gabriel Lee.

Wions, 29, of Hillsborough, NJ, left the custom instrument in the back seat of his car when he parked it on a West Village street two months ago -- and a thief tossed a brick through his window.

Cops said Lee quickly sold the distinctive horn to a Midtown music store for a measly $100, using his own name and address."

Anthony Marshall

Laura Italiano writes for the NY Post, "With his cane, unsteady gait, nice suits and cortege of lawyers and news photographers, Anthony Marshall -- the accused thieving son of philanthropist Brooke Astor -- turned a few heads this week as he hobbled in and out of Manhattan Criminal Court each day for jury selection.

The trouble for his defense is that a lot of casual onlookers seem to know who he is. And more than two weeks before opening arguments, some have already made up their minds about his guilt.

"Hey, that was his mother's money! That was his mother's money!" a guy in a baseball cap heckled from the courthouse steps yesterday morning as Marshall, 84, slowly shuffled past.

"Oh, Ken, did you hear that?" said Marshall's wife, Charlene, turning worriedly to one of her husband's defense lawyers, Kenneth Warner. "Can we get a fair trial?"

Wednesday, April 01, 2009

Ja Rule

Ja Rule was in court for another pretrial for his arrest in 07. He had expired tags on a Maybach and when police searched the vehicle what did they find? A .40-caliber pistol.

Anthony and Charlene Marshall

Joanna Molly of the New York Daily News reports, "It was Brooks Brothers meets Old Navy Monday in Courtroom 1526 in Manhattan's Criminal Courts building.

Anthony Marshall, the poor-little-rich-boy son of Brooke Astor wore a gray suit, light blue shirt, tasseled loafers and his U.S. Marines tie for the first day of his trial on charges of looting his late mother's $200 million estate.

His wife, Charlene, wore an understated outfit accented with Belgian slippers and a jacquard scarf and pearl earrings.
They were in stark contrast to the 100 prospective jurors paraded into Supreme Court Justice Kirke Bartley's courtroom wearing jeans and Kangol caps, hoodies and sneakers the size of bread loaves.

Call it Old Money meets New Money. Or No Money."

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Kelly Bensimon

The NY Post reports, "In a plot twist worthy of reality TV, the "Real Housewives" star accused of assaulting her former boyfriend said yesterday that he was the one who started it.

Kelly Bensimon went on the offensive following a pretrial hearing in Manhattan court, saying her 30-year-old former beau shoved her after refusing to leave her SoHo apartment.

Bensimon stars on the Bravo show "Real Housewives of New York City," where she has earned a reputation as a hissing, claws-out socialite."

Ja Rule

The New York Times reports, "A rare alignment of stars occurred outside the Manhattan courthouse on Tuesday, as three celebrities, some perhaps better known than others, made appearances, attracting a throng of reporters and photographers.

The hubbub at 100 Centre Street in Manhattan started with an orderly buzz. Metal barricades starting at the door and extending all the way down the steps and onto the sidewalk kept a cluster of photographers and reporters at bay, like schoolchildren awaiting the bell."

Monday, March 30, 2009

Aleksander Vacaj and Artenida Gjeli























The NY Daily News reports, "An Albanian national accused of hiring two thugs to slash his ex-girlfriend's face will be cleared of all criminal charges after the woman Monday refused to testify against him.
Aleksander Vacaj hugged friends and family members as he walked out of a Manhattan courtroom when his ex, Artenida Gjeli, clammed up on the witness stand.
"I'm very happy that this is over," Vacaj said. "I never had anything to do with anything, and justice was done."
Felony coercion and attempted coercion charges against Vacaj were dismissed, and a remaining charge of aggravated harassment will be tossed next month as prosecutors said they had no case without Gjeli's cooperation.
"I am doing this on my own," Gjeli said after taking the Fifth Amendment.
Gjeli's face was slashed with a razor and a broken bottle at a Chinatown condo last May by two men who authorities said were hired by her spurned ex-boyfriend in search of payback.
An off-duty detective shot the attackers, killing one of them."

Friday, February 27, 2009

George Anderson

George Anderson, 48, was hauled away in handcuffs after his appearance in Manhattan criminal court to serve his 15-day jail sentence after he ran over Florence Cioffi, 59, last year on Water Street in the Financial District. He is seen entering court just before his sentencing.

 
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