Prosecutors are used to enforcing the law. Now, for one Brooklyn prosecutor, the tables are turned, and he is the one being prosecuted for allegedly violating not only motor vehicle traffic laws, but also laws against resisting arrest, possession of marijuana, and attempted assault of a police officer.
It all started on a Saturday evening earlier this month when the prosecutor was driving at a high speed in Queens, changing lanes without signaling on the Whitestone Expressway. According to court papers, he was driving so erratically that other cars on the road had to swerve to avoid hitting him. Unfortunately for him, one of the cars he cut off was an unmarked police car with four on-duty NYPD narcotics officers inside.
Allegedly, the police officers ordered him to pull over, and he refused. When he finally did stop, he wouldn't get out of his car. An officer pulled him from the car. Then he refused to be handcuffed. Apparently not caring that he was making a very bad situation worse, he allegedly tried to punch the officer.
He's now in a world of trouble. He's been suspended without pay from his job with the Brooklyn district attorney's office, where he has worked for the past two years. Criminal charges against him include resisting arrest, marijuana possession (the police found a joint inside his car) and attempted assault of a police officer.
He spent a night in jail but was released without bail the next day. According to the Daily News, after his release, he said, "I was thinking that this can't be happening and someone will come and apologize to me."
That doesn't appear to be very likely.
Stay tuned for updates from our New York vehicle traffic law blog ...
If you have been issued a traffic citation, fight to keep your driving privileges and your insurance premiums as low as possible. Consider contacting an attorney who understands New York's confusing legal system, and who can help you evaluate your options and make the right decisions.
This post was provided for informational purposes only and is not to be construed as legal advice.
Sources:
The New York Daily News, "Nab prosecutor in scrap with police," Irving Dejohn, Barry Paddock, June 4, 2012
The New York Post, "Brooklyn Asst. DA in highway stop and 'pop'," Ikimulisa Livingston, Christina Carrega and Jose Martinez, June 5, 2012