Author Archives: Jay Butchko
Shaky Forensic Evidence Taints Thousands Of Drug Cases
Massachusetts’ Supreme Judicial Court has already thrown out 11,000 drug convictions that a disgraced chemist handled, and that number may only be the beginning. In 2014, former state chemist Sonja Farak pleaded guilty to evidence tampering charges. She was a lead investigator in Amherst’s methamphetamine lab between 2009 and 2013. According to court documents,… Read More »
New Jersey Tightens Expert Witness Standards
The Supreme Court of New Jersey, the state which was my first admission to the bar, recently held that expert witnesses in civil trial must now pass muster under the Daubert standard as opposed to the less restrictive Frye rule. The new standard only applies to civil cases unfortunately. The underlying case involved the… Read More »
Fyre Festival Fraud Mastermind Asks For Leniency
Unless a Manhattan judge shows mercy, Billy McFarland might spend over ten years in prison for his role in orchestrating a 2017 fraud scheme. His lawyer made just such a plea, insisting that his client had bipolar disorder which caused “delusional beliefs of having special and unique talents that will lead to fame and… Read More »
Judge Arraigns Kings Plaza Arson Suspect
A judge ordered 23-year-old Evon Stephens held without bail after he allegedly confessed to one of the largest arson crimes in Brooklyn history. Earlier, a blazing inferno at the Brooklyn parking garage totaled at least 135 cars and injured at least 21 people. Eighteen of these individuals were firefighters. According to prosecutors, surveillance video… Read More »
Jets Linebacker Draws One-Game Suspension
After Kevin Pierre-Louis accepted a plea deal for marijuana possession in Kansas City, the National Football League determined that he violated the league’s substance abuse policy and suspended him without pay for the team’s season opener. Following a January traffic stop, authorities charged Mr. Pierre-Louis with several misdemeanors; the marijuana possession charge was the… Read More »
Debunking Some Common Breathalyzer Myths
“If you’ve been drinkin’ then suck on Lincoln.” Many New Yorkers have heard breathalyzer myths like this one. There is usually at least some truth in myths like this one. But as Alexander Pope once wrote, “A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.” DUI cases have some facts as well as some myths. The… Read More »
Michael Cohen Pled Guilty In NY Federal Court
Under the terms of an agreement with federal prosecutors, the former Trump attorney could spend up to five years in prison. According to court documents, Cohen concealed two payments to women who allegedly had affairs with then-candidate Donald Trump. These payments amounted to some $280,000. In total, Mr. Cohen pleaded guilty to eight counts,… Read More »
Governor Cuomo Pardons Undocumented Immigrants
New York’s governor pardoned seven undocumented immigrants so they could avoid deportation proceedings. Most of the pardons involved drug-related offenses. Two stemmed from theft convictions. The move had distinct political overtones, as Gov. Cuomo repeatedly criticized the Trump administration in a press release announcing the pardons. So far, Gov. Cuomo has pardoned thirty-four offenders… Read More »
Second Suspect In Custody For 2017 Slaying
Over a year after they arrested one suspect, NYPD officers arrested another man for his role in the 2017 death of Robert D’Onofrio. Twenty-seven year-old Abaise Brabam, of Marietta, Ga., was arrested and charged with murder and several other criminal counts. Police speculate that Mr. Brabam and his accomplice, 27-year-old Derek Simpkins, surprised Mr…. Read More »
Jets Linebacker Gets Suspended Sentence In Second DUI
Dylan Donahue will be on probation for three months after he pleaded guilty to DUI in Billings. It’s his second DUI conviction. According to prosecutors, Donahue hit an abandoned vehicle and wrecked his car. No one was injured, but according to a blood test, his alcohol level was .14. That’s almost twice the legal… Read More »
