America's Criminal Defense Group - Our Legal Blog

Reporter: Michael Paluska Web Producer: Devon Armijo

http://www.krqe.com/dpp/news/crime/crime_krqe_albuquerque_
police_girl_raped_after_ditching_class_200902221934

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) – Two teenage boys are in jail after deputies said they kidnapped and raped a 14-year-old school girl.

Deputies said the victim knew one of her attackers, and had been text messaging him for a few days.

Both men appeared before a Metropolitan Court Judge Sunday. They are Travis Bainbridge, 19, and Fabian Fierro, 18.

Both men are charged with seven felony counts that include rape and kidnapping.

Investigators said the victim ditched school to meet up with Fierro at Polk Middle School early Friday morning.

Detectives said she thought only Fierro was picking her up, and didn’t want to get in the car when she saw Bainbridge.

Deputies said Bainbridge and Fierro forced the girl into their car and drove to Fierro’s house.

There the victim said she was introduced to Fierro’s mother, then taken to an upstairs bedroom where she was raped—first by Fierro and then by Bainbridge.

“In sexual assault cases there’s always a little bit of question, but we do have some physical evidence that corroborates her story exactly,” Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Department Lt. Scott Baird said.

The victim told police she escaped while the two men were arguing in another room.

She ran to a local store and called for help.

Deputies said no one noticed the girl was missing, until her mother came to pick her up from school and she wasn’t there.

APS Officials attempted to notify the victim’s parents that she had left class, but they never could because of outdated phone records.

America’s Criminal Defense Group, www.americascriminaldefense.com, led by Senior Criminal Defense Attorney, Anthony Partipilo, with over 35 years of experience believes, that the key evidence to this case is that the defendant knew the attacker, which was found out because she had been texting messaging one of the alleged defendants for several days. Mr. Partipilo also believes that the statement made by Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Department Lt. Scott Baird, “In sexual assault cases there’s always a little bit of question, but we do have some physical evidence that corroborates her story exactly.”, tells us that the physical evidence is minimal, and the police are trying to try to match the testimony of the defendant with the alleged victim.

Mr. Partipilo believes that it is crucial for the defendants to hire a seasoned criminal defense attorney as soon as possible so that they can show the relationship between the defendant and the alleged victim and how they were friendly via text-messaging, which is contributing evidence to prove the possible innocence of the defendant.  

Anyone who is accused of rape or sexual assault, should call Senior Case Manager, Todd Terry (non-attorney) as soon as possible before speaking to law enforcement. Mr. Terry can be reached at 818- 225-2468 or at www.americascriminaldefense.com

-Ryan Sacks, Senior Blogger

(CNN)– Los Angeles police have launched an internal investigation to determine who leaked a picture that appears to show a bruised and battered Rihanna.

The close-up photo — showing a woman with contusions on her forehead and below her eyes, and cuts on her lip — was published on the entertainment Web site TMZ Thursday. TMZ said it was a photo of Rihanna.

Twenty-one-year-old Rihanna was allegedly attacked by her boyfriend, singer Chris Brown, on a Los Angeles street before the two were to perform at the Grammys on February 8.

“The unauthorized release of a domestic violence photograph immediately generated an internal investigation,” an L.A. police spokesman said in a statement. “The Los Angeles Police Department takes seriously its duty to maintain the confidentiality of victims of domestic violence. A violation of this type is considered serious misconduct, with penalties up to and including termination.”

A spokeswoman for Rihanna declined to comment.

The chief investigator in the case had told CNN earlier that authorities had tried to guard against leaks. Detective Deshon Andrews said he had kept the case file closely guarded and that no copies had been made of the original photos and documents.

Brown was arrested on February 8 in connection with the case and and booked on suspicion of making criminal threats.

Authorities are trying to determine whether Brown should face domestic violence-related charges.

Brown apologized for the incident this week.

“Words cannot begin to express how sorry and saddened I am over what transpired,” the 19-year-old said in a statement released by his spokesman. “I am seeking the counseling of my pastor, my mother and other loved ones and I am committed, with God’s help, to emerging a better person.”

America’s Criminal Defense Group, www.americascriminaldefense.com, led by Senior Criminal Defense Attorney, with over 35 years of experience, believes that the photo of Rihanna was leaked because there was not enough evidence to convict Chris Brown. It is the opinion of Mr. Partipilo that the district attorney was not coming up with enough evidence to convict, and due to the celebrity stature of this case, the district attorney feels enormous pressure from the media to make a conviction. Therefore, it comes as no surprise to Mr. Partipilo that this photo was leaked as a tactic of emotional appeal to help quickly come up with a conviction. 

Anyone who is accused of assault, battery, or any domestic crime is encouraged to call Senior Case Manager, Todd Terry (non-attorney) as soon as possible at 818-225-2468 or visit www.americascriminaldefense.com before speaking with law enforcement.   

By Steve Chawkins
February 20, 2009
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/crime/la-me-nursing-home-deaths20-2009feb20,0,4185218.story

In an elder abuse case described by one investigator as the most outrageous he has ever seen, three former top managers at a Kern County nursing home have been arrested in the deaths of three residents who allegedly were given needless doses of psychotropic medications.

The state attorney general’s office contended in a criminal complaint that more than 20 residents at a skilled nursing center run by the Kern Valley Healthcare District were drugged “for staff convenience.” Many of them experienced side effects that included dramatic weight loss, slurred speech, tremors, loss of cognition and even psychosis, according to the complaint.

Arraignment is scheduled this morning for the center’s one-time medical director, Dr. Hoshang M. Pormir, former nursing director Gwen D. Hughes and former chief pharmacist Debbi C. Hayes. They were jailed in Bakersfield on Wednesday.

“These people maliciously violated the trust of their patients by holding them down and forcibly administering psychotropic medications if they dared to question their care,” state Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown said.

All three have been charged with elder abuse. Hughes and Hayes, who are accused of administering shots by force and without consent, also face charges of assault with a deadly weapon.

The complaint paints a bleak picture of a facility dominated by nursing director Hughes, 55, who is accused of seeking to drug all but the most docile residents. Medical director Pormir, 48, allegedly rubber-stamped Hughes’ orders for medication, failed to examine patients and was “either willfully or naively ignorant” of his proper role, according to the complaint. Pharmacist Hayes, 51, told investigators that she went along because Hughes had wide experience in psychiatric hospitals, the complaint says.

Hughes had been fired from a convalescent home in Fresno in 1999 for allegedly overmedicating patients there, according to state officials.

At the Kern Valley facility in Lake Isabella, she ordered medications when the elderly residents — most of whom had dementia or Alzheimer’s — glared at her or spoke disrespectfully, according to Samuel Obair, a pharmacist who helped in the state’s investigation.

“It is beyond appalling to me,” he told state officials. “I have never gone into a facility and seen psychotropic medications and mood stabilizers . . . being used on so many patients, and so blatantly” without a legitimate diagnosis or careful documentation.

Among the drugs used for “chemical restraint” were Zyprexa, Depakote and Risperdal, according to the complaint. All may have benefits for certain elderly patients but carry a higher risk of damaging side effects for the frail than for the population as a whole.

Fannie May Brinkley, a woman in her 90s, might have lived another year or two had she not been given the anti-seizure drug Depakote, according to Kathryn Locatell, a physician who consulted for the state. But the drug “triggered a series of events, compounded by nursing neglect” that led to her death on Dec. 23, 2006, according to Locatell’s account.

An attorney for Brinkley’s family said the family didn’t know how she died until a nurse who used to work at the care center tipped them off.

Phyllis Peters, Brinkley’s daughter, ran into the nurse at a grocery store about a year after her mother died, said Daniel Rodriguez, an attorney representing the family in a lawsuit. The drug was allegedly administered because Brinkley wanted to go to the dining room when she wasn’t supposed to be there, he said.

“The way they put a stop to that was to dope her up,” he said. “She became dehydrated and lethargic and didn’t want to eat. That’s what did her in.”

After being given Depakote and two other drugs, Joseph Shepter lost 20% of his weight in three months, became severely dehydrated, developed an infected heel ulcer and came down with pneumonia, the complaint says. The drugs “played a major role in this downhill course,” Locatell said.

Shepter died Jan. 4, 2007, at 76 — only hours after the staff realized how ill he was, according to the complaint.

Alexander Zaiko, 85, arrived at the care center Sept. 12, 2006, and died eight days later. His dosage of Zyprexa had been increased and he was given Depakote for his dementia, the complaint says.

Other residents were placed on medication for behavior Hughes deemed inappropriate, according to the complaint. It says that one woman’s food was sprinkled with Depakote because she refused to eat outside her bedroom, and that another was injected with Zyprexa after throwing her milk in the dining room.

In giving such medications, nursing homes are governed by strict Medicare guidelines and protocols from professional organizations, said Freddi Segal-Gidan, a gerontologist who teaches at USC.

“You have to have a targeted symptom,” she said. “You have to document what the behavior is and that you’ve tried alternatives to medication.”

Dr. Martin Schwartz, president of the American Geriatrics Society’s California chapter, said “there’s been a great movement afoot to get away” from psychotropic drugs

“For people trained in geriatrics, medicine like that is a last resort, generally speaking,” he said.

The charges came after an investigation that started in January 2007, when an ombudsman complained to the state Department of Public Health. The district fired Hughes after a tenure of only five months. Hayes later left, but Pormir still works as a district physician.

The district would not comment on specific allegations but issued a statement indicating that it “will not tolerate any behavior by employees that jeopardizes the safety of our patients.” It said that state inspections since January 2007 have found no major problems.

America’s Criminal Defense Group, www.americascriminaldefense.com, is saddened to hear about the deaths of the patients at Kern County Nursing Home. It is the opinion of our Senior Criminal Defense Attorney, Anthony Partipilo, with over 35 years of experience, that the evidence does not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that these psychotropic medications were not the cause of the 3 deaths.

Mr. Partipilo understands that the elderly, being fragile to begin with, are on a variety of medications that can all have a synergistic affect that can ultimately be fatal. It seems a bit pre-mature to determine that the psychotropic drugs were the cause of death in these 3 patients. There has been no autopsy to confirm the cause of death, however, law enforcement is quick to accuse the medical staff at the nursing home of using psychotropic drugs to kill the 3 vitims. However, it is important to  take into account that the 3 victims could have died from a variety of reasons due to their age and condition.  

Mr. Partipilo believes that these aforementioned nursing practitioners should hire an experienced criminal defense attorney who can get them expert testimony from geriatric physicians who can show how the 3 deaths were not related to psychotropic drugs. This will be beneficial to the defendants because the jury will have new evidence in this criminal investigation.

Anyone accused of assault, battery, or any other crime, should immediately contact Senior Case Manager, Todd Terry (non-attorney) at 818-225-2468 or visit www.americascriminaldefense.com for a free consultation.

-Ryan Sacks, Senior Blogger

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/crime/la-me-irvine-hostage22-2009feb22,0,2242122.story
By Paloma Esquivel and Christopher Goffard
February 22, 2009

A former prison guard, apparently upset over a failed romantic relationship, stormed an Irvine home, fatally shot a 60-year-old man and wounded two others before surrendering to police early Saturday morning, police said.

Responding to a report of a residential robbery about 9 p.m. Friday, police arrived at the quiet Woodbridge neighborhood to discover that 24-year-old Alwyn Gibson II of Fairfield, Texas, had barricaded himself inside the home of his ex-girlfriend’s family, police said.

After holding the family hostage all night, Gibson surrendered to police about 2:10 a.m. He is being held on suspicion of murder, police said.

When police entered the home, they discovered the body of De Ngoc Le, the father of Gibson’s ex-girlfriend. Le’s wife and son were hospitalized with gunshot wounds. The wife, who was shot in the arm, was able to walk out of the house. The son was in serious condition, police said.

No information was available on the whereabouts of the ex-girlfriend at the time.

Irvine Police Lt. Rick Handfield said investigators found a small-caliber gun inside the house in the 100 block of Rainstar. Police did not hear gunfire from inside the house during the five-hour standoff. A witness told police that Gibson had used a makeshift silencer.

As officers arrived, one of Le’s sons escaped and said the gunman was his sister’s ex-boyfriend and had taken the family hostage, Handfield said.

Neighbors were told to turn off their lights and remain indoors while police negotiated with Gibson through the night. Hours later, residents were told to evacuate. Most took refuge at a nearby clubhouse.

“It’s very tragic for this family, and our hearts go out to them, and we wish them the best through this troubled time,” Handfield said.

Jerry Packer, 49, who lives four houses down from the home, said the Le family took good care of their home but kept mostly to themselves.

Gibson’s father, Alwyn Gibson of Fairfield, Texas, said his son had been living in California about six months ago when he broke up with his girlfriend of about three years.

“She asked him to leave,” he said. He said his son tried to rebuild his life, moving to Texas, renting a house near his father and taking a job at a minimum-security prison. He resigned after two months, his father said.

Gibson said his son had been hospitalized last year in Southern California for psychiatric evaluation. Last week, Gibson spent time with his son in Fairfield and found him “a little bit distant.”

“I knew there was something troubling him,” he said, but “nobody had any idea that anything was going on with him like this. Nobody could see this thing coming.”

On Saturday morning, neighbors of the Le family talked about the difficult night, punctuated by the deep roar of helicopters and policeofficers standing watch with drawn guns.

Asha Knott, 66, was attending a spiritual study group along with a dozen others Friday night when police ordered them to turn off the lights and stay inside. Helicopters were flying overhead, and the group could see police officers with their guns drawn from an upstairs window, she said.

“I’ve lived in this area for 20 years and never seen anything like this happen,” Knott said. “This is a nice quiet neighborhood. I don’t even lock my car doors when I come here.”

In September, for the fourth year in a row, FBI crime statistics deemed Irvine as the safest city with more than 100,000 residents in the country.

America’s Criminal Defense Group, www.americascriminaldefense.com, led by Senior Criminal Defense Attorney, Anthony Partipilo, with over 35 years of experience, is saddened to hear about the death of  De Ngoc Le. It is the opinion of Mr. Partipilo that the defendant, Alwyn Gibson II, accused of murder, was not willing to give up his life with his ex-girlfriend and thus chaos ensued.

Mr. Partipilo believes that this chaos may be a result of post-traumatic stress disorder, which is a disorder that can affect one’s brain chemistry, which causes alterations in a person’s mood and behavior. Mr. Partipilo believes that it is crucial for the defendant in this case to get a full psychological evaluation. This evaluation can lead to critical evidence that can be vital in a jury trial. However, Mr. Partipilo urges the defendant to hire a seasoned criminal defense attorney who can help use the results of the evaluation properly in a court of law and help the outcome of the case.

Anyone who is charged with murder, manslaughter, or any other crime should contact Senior Case Manager, Todd Terry (non-attorney) at 818-225-2468 or visit www.americascriminaldefense.com as soon as possible before speaking with law enforcement.

-Ryan Sacks, Senior Blogger

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,493365,00.html?sPage=fnc/us/crime

Sunday, February 15, 2009

BROCKPORT, N.Y. —  A man was charged with murder after two people were shot dead outside a hospital and a couple were killed in their home hours later, authorities said.

Frank Garcia, 34, of Hamlin, was charged Saturday with two counts of first-degree murder and attempted second-degree murder in the shootings outside Lakeside Memorial Hospital in Brockport, Monroe County Sheriff Patrick O’Flynn said.

He has not been charged in the deaths of the couple in a Canandaigua home, but prosecutors were seeking first-degree murder charges in those slayings.

Brockport police said Garcia shot three people there Saturday morning, killing 41-year-old Randall Norman, of Holley, and 23-year-old Mary Sillman, of Albion. Police have not identified the third victim, a woman who was wounded but able to drive to a police station.

Authorities said Garcia also killed Christopher Glatz, 45, and Kimberly Glatz, 38, inside their home hours after the hospital shootings. Ontario County Sheriff Phil Povero said Garcia had gone door to door in Canandaigua looking for the couple.

The couple’s two teenage children, who were also at home, were not injured.

Officials did not disclose a motive for the shootings, but said Garcia had recently been fired from a job at the hospital in Brockport, about 17 miles west of Rochester. They said the couple from Canandaigua, about 26 miles southeast of Rochester, did not work there.

Rochester police arrested Garcia, who had a loaded .40-caliber Glock pistol, after negotiating a surrender by cell phone, O’Flynn said.

Garcia was being held at Monroe County Jail. A judge on Saturday night entered a not guilty plea on his behalf after Garcia told the judge he had left a message for a lawyer.

District Attorney Michael Tantillo said he would seek first-degree murder charges in the couple’s death.

America’s Criminal Defense Group, www.americascriminaldefense.com, led by Senior Criminal Defense Attorney, Anthony Partipilo, with over 35 years of experience, believes that in murder cases with no clear motive, a full psychological evaluation should be conducted to measure the psyche of the defendant. In order for a defendant to have the proper psychological evaluation and have its records be shown in a favorable light, it is vital for the defendant to hire a seasoned attorney who knows how to navigate the results of the psychological evaluation in front of a jury. The work of a seasoned criminal defense attorney in such a case will surely produce a more favorable outcome for the defendant.

Anyone who is accused of murder should contact Senior Case Manager, Todd Terry (non-attorney)  as soon as possible at 818-225-2468 or visit www.americascriminaldefense.com

-Ryan Sacks, Senior Blogger

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,494945,00.html?sPage=fnc/us/crimePeschl told The Associated Press on Saturday evening he did fire the gun, but it was only “horseplay” and “a dumb mistake.”

“It was not out of violence or anger or hatred. It was not a disciplinary action,” he said. “It was horseplay. That’s all I can say. It was not with any evil intent.”

The shooting left a welt about the size of a dime, the complaint quoted a 17-year-old brother as saying.

The 9-year-old “yelped and yelled ouch or ‘aagh’ and began running around holding his butt,” the teen said.

Peschl told AP he felt instant regret.

“I knew right away it was a stupid thing I did,” he said. “I told my kids the only way I’m going to touch them is to kiss them, hug them, tickle them. I was very, I was not under the influence of anything. It was a very stupid decision.”

He was released Friday on a signature bond and ordered not to threaten or engage in any acts of violence against his son. He was also ordered not to engage in physical discipline of any child.

He also has a 6-year-old son.

Peschl said he hadn’t seen the essay his 9-year-old wrote, but from what police told him he suspected it might have included embellishments.

“It doesn’t really seem like the terminology my son would use unless he was being helped write an essay,” he said. “I don’t know if a teacher was helping him and being, you know, elaborate in the storytelling.”

Peschl was previously charged with child abuse in 2005. He was placed into the Deferred Prosecution program, which he successfully completed.

He declined to discuss the previous charge except to say that he underwent anger-management and family counseling that helped him settle down.

“I love these boys more than anything in the world. My wife, my family are the most important thing in the world,” he said. “This, it was a very dumb mistake.”

OREGON, Wis.  —  A father allegedly shot his 9-year-old son in the buttocks with a BB gun, a revelation that came to light after the boy wrote a school essay about the incident.

The essay referred to the “painful afternoon my Dad shot me with a BB gun.” The boy wrote that his mother could hear him scream from the road, and called the experience “the most painful thing I ever felt in my life.”

The elementary-school teacher turned the essay over to Dane County investigators.

David J. Peschl, 36, was charged Friday with one felony count of child abuse. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 6 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

Peschl admitted to investigators that he shot the boy, the criminal complaint said. Peschl said he was trying to watch TV in his home in the southern Wisconsin town of Oregon but the boy was blocking his view and didn’t move out of the way when asked to do so.

Peschl said he happened to be holding a BB gun, and he aimed at his son’s left rear pocket because he thought that would be more padded, the complaint said.

“The defendant stated that the round hit (the 9-year-old) in the buttocks and he jumped somewhat and moved away from the TV,” the complaint said.

America’s Criminal Defense Group, www.americascriminaldefense.com, led by Senior Criminal Defense Attorney, Anthony Partipilo, with over 35 years of experience, believes that the essay is an integral piece of evidence that should be investigated. An essay written by a 9 year old boy may have been embellished by his imagination, teacher, tutor, or anyone else working at the school. Maybe one of these school staff members felt there was more to the story than what was written in this essay, and he or she needed the essay to take action against the father.

Therefore, Mr. Partipilo believes that if the father hired an experienced criminal defense attorny, he or she can show how the essay may have been manipulated by the school faculty and can help defend his rights in front of a jury. 

Anyone facing charges of assault, battery, or any other crime should contact Senior Case Manager, Todd Terry (non-attorney) as soon as possible at 818-225-2468 or visit www.americascriminaldefense.com before speaking with law enforcement to schedule a free consultation.

-Ryan Sacks, Senior Blogger

http://www.wtov9.com/news/18739709/detail.html

CALDWELL, Ohio — Police said financial reasons were the motive in a double-murder-suicide in Noble County.

Investigators said a 39-year-old Caldwell man killed his wife and their 11-year-old son before killing himself.

The Noble County Sheriff’s Department received a call around 2 a.m. Wednesday from a man who said he killed his wife and son and was about to kill himself.

The man told police where to find the bodies and said the reason he did it was over financial reasons, Sheriff Landon Smith said.

When police arrived at the home at 49121 Hunters Cut Road, the sheriff said officers found the man dead on an embankment outside of the family’s home. The wife was found dead inside the home, and the child was found dead inside of a car parked outside the home.

All of the bodies were where the husband said they would be, Smith said.

Police said the husband died of a gunshot wound, but it was not immediately clear how the wife and child died. Investigators said they did not find any gunshot wounds on the woman or boy.

Smith said the child attended Shenandoah Elementary in Noble County and would have celebrated a birthday later this month.

The names of the victims were not released as of 10:30 a.m., pending notification of all family members.

America’s Criminal Defense Group is saddened to learn about the deaths of these victims in this double-murder-suicide. Our Senior Criminal Defense Attorney, Anthony Partipilo, with over 35 years of experience, understands that murder-suicides are common during an economic crisis.

During our recent recession, there have been numerous cases of murder-suicides, due to the financial burdens facing such families. It is the opinion of Mr. Partipilo, that husbands and fathers feel a tremendous burden when it comes to providing for their family, and many of them have beein involved in murder-suicides because they feel that it is their only escape from their financial burden. Mr. Partipilo believes, that it is crucial for such men to hire seasoned criminal attorneys to try alternative ways to cope with their distress, such as financial counseling, bankruptcy, or family mediation.

Anyone who is charged with murder, homocide, or any other crime should contact Senior Case Manager, Todd Terry (non-attorney) as soon as possible at 818-225-2468 or please visit www.americascriminaldefense.com to set up a free consultation.

-Ryan Sacks, Senior Blogger

http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2009/02/naperville-sexual-assault-boy-gregory.html

An 11-year-old Naperville boy charged with sexually assaulting a schoolmate also has been charged with misdemeanor battery, officials said.

Charles Pelkie, spokesman for the Will County state’s attorney’s office, would not comment on specifics of the new charge, saying only that it stemmed from an incident that unfolded on Nov. 12, a day after the alleged sex assault.

The 11-year-old and a 12-year-old friend were charged in December with criminal sexual assault, criminal sexual battery and misdemeanor battery in an attack on an 11-year-old peer.

All three boys attend Gregory Middle School.

The attack allegedly happened off campus at a private house in Naperville, police said.

Officials at Indian Prairie School District 204 declined to say whether  the new charge will lead to any disciplinary action against the  charged boy.

The father of the alleged victim has spoken out against the school board for its failure to remove the alleged offenders from the school.

–Staff report

America’s Criminal Defense Group, www.americascriminaldefense.com, led by Senior Criminal Defense Attorney, Anthony Partipilo, with over 35 years of experience, believes that a boy of 11 years of age who commits a sexual assault is likely to be a victim of sexual assault from a parent or someone close to him.

Mr. Partipilo believes that it is vital for the family of this 11 year old boy to hire an experienced criminal defense attorney who can initiate the proper steps to get expert testimony, such as a full psychological evaluation, that will play a crucial role in the outcome of this case. For instance, this psychological evaluation may show that this boy had been sexually molested growing up.

However, it is the opinion of Anthony Partipilo that tying the results of a psychological evaluation, as well as other expert opinions, to the defense of the boy can only be accomplished efficiently through hiring a seasoned criminal defense attorney who can map out a defense strategy for this particular type of case.

Anyone charged with a sexual assault crime should contact Senior Case Manager, Todd Terry (non-attorney) as soon as possible at 818-225-2468 or visit www.americascriminaldefense.com to schedule a free consultation.

-Ryan Sacks, Senior Blogger

http://www.dailynews.com/breakingnews/ci_11730658
Daily News Wire Services

Updated: 02/18/2009 09:30:09 AM PST
 A 6-year-old girl was hospitalized Wednesday in serious but stable condition after she was hit by bullets that crashed through her home in an apparent gang attack, police said.

She was expected to survive.

The shooting occurred Tuesday after two men exited a minivan in South Los Angeles and one of them fired a handgun at the home.

Bullets tore through a window and hit the girl in the arm and chest, police said.

No arrests have been made.

America’s Criminal Defense Group, www.americascriminaldefense.com, led by Senior Criminal Defense Attorney, Anthony Partipilo, with over 35 years of experience is saddened to learn about the 6 year old girl who was shot in the arm and chest. Mr. Partipilo believes that this is a case that law enforcement will work tirelessly on to find the suspects. Because this case is going to be played on television, written in newspapers, and blogged on-line endlessly, it will putting heavy pressure on law enforcement to make an arrest.  

Mr. Partipilo believes that it is in the best interest of the suspects to hire an experienced criminal defense attorney who can help these suspects make a peaceful surrender and who can speak for them so they do not get baggered or tricked into testimony against themselves.

Anyone who is charged or accused of a drive-by-shooting should contact Senior Case Manager, Todd Terry (non-attorney) as soon as possible at 818-225-2468 or visit www.americascriminaldefense.com to schedule a free consultation.

-Ryan Sacks, Senior Blogger

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,494785,00.html?sPage=fnc/us/crimeAsked if the murder is being probed as an honor killing, Benz replied, “We’ve been told that there’s no place for that kind of action in their faith, but I wouldn’t say that there’s anything that’s being completely ruled out at this point.”

But psychologists and some American Muslims said the slaying has all the markings of an honor killing.

“The fierce and gruesome nature of this murder signals it’s an honor killing,” said Dr. Phyllis Chesler, an author and professor of psychology at the Richmond College of the City University of New York. “What she did was worthy of capital punishment in his eyes.”

Following multiple episodes of domestic violence, Aasiya Hassan filed for divorce on Feb. 6 and obtained an order of protection that barred her husband from their home, according to attorney Elizabeth DiPirro, whose law firm, Hogan Willig, represented Aasiya Hassan in the divorce proceeding.

Chesler, who wrote “Are Honor Killings Simply Domestic Violence?” for Middle East Quarterly, said some Muslim men consider divorce a dishonor on their family.

“This is not permitted in their culture,” said Chesler, whose study analyzed more than 50 reports of honor killings in North America and Europe. “This is, from a cultural point of view, an honor killing.”

Chesler said honor killings typically are Muslim-on-Muslim crimes and largely involve teenage daughters, young women and, to a lesser extent, wives.

But Chesler said the “extremely gruesome nature” of the crime closely matches the characteristics of an honor killing.

“Leaving the body parts displayed the way he did, like a terrorist would do, that’s very peculiar, it’s very public,” Chesler said. “He wanted to show that even though his business venture may have been failing, that he was in control of his wife.”

Chesler called on U.S. and Canadian immigration authorities to inform potential Muslim immigrants and new Muslim citizens that it’s illegal to abuse women in the two countries.

“As long as Islamist advocacy groups continue to obfuscate the problem, and government and police officials accept their inaccurate versions of reality, women will continue to be killed for honor in the West, such murder may even accelerate,” Chesler wrote. “Unchecked by Western law, their blood will be on society’s hands.”

M. Zuhdi Jasser, founder and chairman of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy, agreed with Chesler.

“It certainly has all the markings of [an honor killing],” Jasser told FOXNews.com. “She expressed through the legal system that she was being abused, and at the moment she asked for divorce, she’s not only murdered — she’s decapitated.”

Muzzammil and Aasiya Hassan founded Bridges TV in November 2004 to counter anti-Islam stereotypes, touting the network as the “first-ever full-time home for American Muslims,” according to a 2004 press release.

Jasser said he was concerned that Aasiya Hassan suffered such a barbaric death after she and her husband were seen as a couple focused on bettering the “Islamic image” in the United States.

“The most dangerous aspect of this case is to simply say it’s domestic violence,” Jasser told FOXNews.com.

In a 1,300-word statement, Islamic Society of North America Vice President Imam Mohammed Hagmagid Ali said the organization was “shocked and saddened” by the killing.

“This is a wake up call to all of us, that violence against women is real and can not be ignored,” the statement read. “It must be addressed collectively by every member of our community.”

Ali called on imams and community leaders to take a “strong stand” against domestic violence, and he denounced the link of shame and divorce among Muslims.

“Women who seek divorce from their spouses because of physical abuse should get full support from the community and should not be viewed as someone who has brought shame to herself or her family,” the statement continued. “The shame is on the person who committed the act of violence or abuse. Our community needs to take a strong stand against abusive spouses.”

Meanwhile, Rabbi Brad Hirschfield, a producer and host for Bridges TV who worked alongside the Hassans, said “now is not the time” to debate the cultural and religious context of the murder that appears to be an honor killing inspired by Aasiya Hassan’s desire to divorce her husband.

“There will be time for that later,” Hirschfield said in a statement obtained by FOXNews.com. “I will only say to those who leap to the conclusion that this kind of thing is intrinsic to Islam, ask yourselves if you think that drunkenness is intrinsic to Irish Catholics, or cheating in business is to Jews?”

The beheading of 37-year-old Aasiya Hassan has all the markings of an honor killing, psychologists and Islamic experts tell FOXNews.com, as the upstate New York woman’s husband awaits a preliminary hearing on murder charges.

Muzzammil Hassan, 44, remains jailed after being charged with the second-degree murder of his wife, whose body was found Thursday at the office of Bridges TV, their television station in Orchard Park, near Buffalo.

Orchard Park Police Chief Andrew Benz said Hassan has not confessed to the crime, despite media reports to the contrary.

“He came in and said his wife was dead,” said Benz, who declined to elaborate on the particulars of his conversation with the suspect.

But Erie County District Attorney Frank Sedita III left no doubt that he believes Muzzammil Hassan killed his wife. Hassan will appear for a preliminary hearing Wednesday in Orchard Park. If convicted of second-degree murder, he faces up to life in prison.

“He’s a pretty vicious and remorseless bastard,” Sedita told FOXNews.com Tuesday. “Whether he was motivated by some kind of interpretation of his religious or cultural views, we don’t know. We’ll look into everything in the case.”

America’s Criminal Defense Group, www.americascriminaldefense.com, is saddened to learn about the death of Aasiya Hassan, who was decapitated by her husband Muzzammil Hassan. Our Senior Criminal Defense Attorney, Anthony Partipilo, with over 35 years of experience, views this “honorable killing” as something that has been going on in the Muslim community for many generations. It is the opinion of Mr. Partipilo that Muzzammil Hassan was disgraced by the request for divorce, which in the Muslim community brings shame to a family, and that he decided to participate in an “honorable killing” in order to do what he believed was right.

Mr. Partipilo believes that although Hassan’s actions may be in line with what his religious beliefs preach, he would be best served to hire a seasoned criminal defense attorney who knows the intricacies of the law in the western world.

Anyone who is facing charges of a crime of which they committed due to religious belief should contact Senior Case Manager, Todd Terry (non-attorney) as soon as possible at 818-225-2468 or please visit www.americascriminaldefense.com for a free consultation.

-Ryan Sacks, Senior Blogger