Judge’s Son Admits Guilt in January 6th Case

A judge’s son accused of attacking an NYU student on the subway platform at the Fifth Avenue F-train station in Brooklyn on January 6th has admitted to his part in the crime. The 21-year-old, who is currently facing charges of robbery and assault, pleaded guilty to assault and robbery on March 22nd at the State Supreme Court in Brooklyn, New York City. The judge’s son will be sentenced on April 14th.

The man accused

In the early morning hours of January 6, 2016, Andrew Esposito (age 25) got into a heated dispute with his neighbor and choked him. The victim sustained injuries that required hospitalization. Esposito was charged with a 2nd Degree of Attempted Homicide as a result of the incident. He faces up to 5 years imprisonment if convicted and may be deported to Italy as a result.

Andrew Esposito, who hails from Italy but has been living in Brooklyn for several years, is currently free on $1 million bail. In connection with his arrest, he pleaded guilty to fourth-degree attempted assault as part of a plea deal that prevented further action against him. It was not clear whether he might have faced deportation if convicted.

Esposito had no criminal record before his arrest and did not appear intoxicated or high at the time of the incident. He also passed an NYPD breathalyzer test following his arrest. His initial testimony claimed that he acted out of self-defense, even though a surveillance video does not appear to support such claims.

The judge

Brooklyn judge Tonya Alanez who has been accused of orchestrating a pay-to-play bribery scheme involving her son and four NYPD officers plead guilty. Anthony Alanez accepted responsibility for his role in the pay-to-play scheme that benefited him and his father through preferential treatment on tickets and favors.

This news follows the December 28th arrest of Brooklyn judge ShawnDya Simpson, 43, at her home after authorities found evidence of alleged corruption. Simpson was taken into custody by members of the FBI public corruption task force and is expected to face federal charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and extortion.

The police

Early Tuesday morning, law enforcement officers arrested a judge’s son for driving drunk after he crashed into two parked cars on a residential street. 25-year-old Timothy Dowd Jr. was arrested at around 2:30 am after police found the young man with glassy eyes and slurred speech

while sitting in his car near the scene of the accident. When questioned by investigators, Dowd said that he had been drinking whiskey and beer before he wrecked his car, yet he refused to take a breathalyzer test because it is against

The lawyers involved

Steve Z. Hammer, one of Brooklyn’s most experienced Criminal Defense Attorneys, knows this case and the prosecutor intimately. He understands how some prosecutors will try to use the most damning evidence they have against a Defendant even though they know it is not credible because they don’t think that you will know that or be able to mount a strong defense against them. For a crime to happen there are at least two people-a perpetrators and a victim.

The first thing that must be done is decide which person played which role? said Steve Z. Hammer, one of Brooklyn’s most experienced criminal defense attorneys with over twenty-seven years of experience dealing with the special challenges presented by New York City criminal trials.

The bystanders

The appearance of this case might have you wondering how two families could be so intertwined. And although it may seem surprising to many, there are plenty of small-world connections between Judges and defendants. There is a clear conflict of interest when a judge hears the case, says Stephen Gillers, a professor at NYU School of Law. The proceedings will either be continued or recused to another jurist.

OCCUPY WALL STREET PROTESTERS WHO THREATEN JUDGE’S SON DURING COURT PROCEEDINGS

Yesterday, Occupy Wall Street protesters burst into the courtroom of Senior State Supreme Court Justice Leland DeGrasse during his son’s sentencing for a January 6th marijuana case. While some say that this was a mere publicity stunt,

it is the second time in three months that the judge has been targeted by protests. The group refused to leave after pleading with court officials and eventually had to be forcibly removed from the building by court officers. This was just one more sign of what lengths people will go to get their messages across, remarked Eric Garcia, a staff member at SUNY Buffalo Law School who witnessed the incident as he passed through.

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