Sharpton faces disorderly conduct charge at trial
Criminal Law
The Rev. Al Sharpton rejected a plea offer Monday and will go to trial in September on a disorderly conduct charge related to demonstrations over the fatal shooting of an unarmed man on his wedding day.
Sharpton declined to plead guilty in exchange for time served. He was held for 5 1/2 hours on May 7 after he and scores of others were arrested for blocking intersections to protest the acquittals of three officers in the Sean Bell shooting.
He said outside court Monday that the plea offer was unfair and that the charges against him and others should be dropped.
A judge offered to drop charges against Trent Benefield and Joseph Guzman, friends of Bell who were wounded in the Nov. 25, 2006, shooting, provided they stay out of trouble for six months. Bell was killed in a hail of 50 police bullets as he left his bachelor party at a Queens topless bar.
Sharpton said his decision to go to trial was "a matter of law, not just a matter of principle."
He said that although all the defendants were arrested for doing the same thing, those who had records of civil rights activism were "singled out" and weren't given the opportunity to have their cases adjourned.
Barbara Thompson, spokeswoman for the Manhattan district attorney, said officials in her office "looked at each case individually."
Manhattan Criminal Court Judge Neil Ross scheduled a trial for Sharpton and about 10 others on Sept. 10.
Related listings
-
Alleged SF computer saboteur's bail request denied
Criminal Law 07/24/2008A judge on Wednesday refused to reduce the $5 million bail of a San Francisco technology expert accused of rigging the city's computer system to malfunction during routine maintenance.Terry Childs has been jailed since July 13 on four felony counts o...
-
Louisiana asks court to reopen child rape case
Criminal Law 07/22/2008Louisiana prosecutors asked the Supreme Court on Monday to revisit its recent decision outlawing the death penalty for people convicted of raping children.The unusual request is based on the failure of anyone involved in the case — lawyers on both si...
-
2 Marines charged in nurse's slaying due in court
Criminal Law 07/15/2008Authorities in North Carolina say a Marine charged in the death of his wife, an Army nurse, will appear in court along with a fellow serviceman. The hearing is scheduled for 2 p.m. Tuesday in Fayetteville, near Fort Bragg.Marine Cpl. John Wimunc was ...
New Rochelle, New York Personal Injury Lawyers
If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident, contact Kommer, Bave & Ollman, LLP, in New Rochelle, New York, immediately. We can answer all your questions and work with you to determine if you have the grounds for a personal injury lawsuit. The attorneys at our firm are determined to resolve even the most difficult of cases. We will work closely with you to determine the best course of action to get your claim or case resolved in the most efficient way possible. We will fight for your right to compensation! No one should have to suffer a financial burden from the result of another person’s carelessness. The attorneys at Kommer, Bave & Ollman, LLP will aggressively fight to ensure that justice is served on your behalf.