PROSECUTOR'S SHOCKER: I THREW MURDER CASE
The New York Post by LAURA ITALIANO - June 23, 2008
A former Manhattan prosecutor threw a murder case because he was convinced the two defendants were innocent, he told The Post last night. Daniel Bibb shockingly admitted that in 2005, while he was an assistant Manhattan DA, he not only tried to lose his case against David Lemus and Olmedo Hidalgo - he actually helped their lawyers find witnesses and plot strategy. "I would hope that any lawyer faced with the dilemma that I was in would do exactly what I had done - seeking justice instead of just walking in lockstep to defend convictions that I didn't believe in," he said. The two men were convicted in 1992 of the Nov. 23, 1990, murder of bouncer Marcus Peterson outside the Palladium nightclub on East 14th Street. But in 2003, a Bronx drug dealer admitted to the slaying, and District Attorney Robert Morgenthau assigned Bibb to participate in a reinvestigation. After a 21-month probe, a judge granted a defense request for a hearing on the new evidence Bibb, now 53, said he was asked to represent the DA's office at the 2005 hearing, despite the fact that he had urged his bosses to drop the convictions.
The longtime assistant prosecutor didn't bow out of the case - explaining that he feared his replacement might actually win a second conviction. Instead, he said, he helped the defense lawyers locate witnesses, and even critiqued their cross-examination. He admitted he "did the best" he could to lose. His strategy was successful. A judge granted Lemus a new trial - at which he was acquitted - and prosecutors dropped Hidalgo's conviction. Bibb stayed with the case until just before he submitted final written arguments. Then he left the DA's office a few months later - to become a defense lawyer. Asked why he didn't walk out of the DA's office until the very end, he said, "Try quitting a job when you have three kids and a mortgage."
The Palladium case had become a political hot potato, and Morgenthau was facing a tough re-election fight in 2005. Lemus and Hidalgo originally had been convicted based on eyewitness testimony. But both men insisted crucial evidence had been withheld, and repeatedly appealed their convictions. When asked by The Post just before the 2005 election if his office was keeping innocent men in prison, Morgenthau replied, "There were four eyewitnesses to the shooting. The case was tried before a jury, and the jury convicted." But after the new evidence emerged, he said, "We thought it was appropriate to have a hearing," and added, "It was a thorough, professional job done by our office." A spokesperson for the Manhattan DA's Office could not immediately be reached for comment on Bibb's admission. Additional reporting by Ed Robinson and Lucas Alpert laura.italiano@nypost.com
MLK said: "Injustice Anywhere is a Threat to Justice Everywhere"
End Corruption in the Courts!
Court employee, judge or citizen - Report Corruption in any Court Today !! As of June 15, 2016, we've received over 142,500 tips...KEEP THEM COMING !! Email: CorruptCourts@gmail.com
Most Read Stories
- Tembeckjian's Corrupt Judicial 'Ethics' Commission Out of Control
- As NY Judges' Pay Fiasco Grows, Judicial 'Ethics' Chief Enjoys Public-Paid Perks
- New York Judges Disgraced Again
- Wall Street Journal: When our Trusted Officials Lie
- Massive Attorney Conflict in Madoff Scam
- FBI Probes Threats on Federal Witnesses in New York Ethics Scandal
- Federal Judge: "But you destroyed the faith of the people in their government."
- Attorney Gives New Meaning to Oral Argument
- Wannabe Judge Attorney Writes About Ethical Dilemmas SHE Failed to Report
- 3 Judges Covered Crony's 9/11 Donation Fraud
- Former NY State Chief Court Clerk Sues Judges in Federal Court
- Concealing the Truth at the Attorney Ethics Committee
- NY Ethics Scandal Tied to International Espionage Scheme
- Westchester Surrogate's Court's Dastardly Deeds
Monday, June 23, 2008
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Blog Archive
-
▼
2008
(545)
-
▼
June
(45)
- Lawyer's Phony Letter Could Get Her Disbarred
- Washington Post Editorial: Bias in High Places
- Federal Judge: "The justice system made you a rich...
- Federal Judge Bribery Scheme Gets Lawyer 5 Years
- Kaye Scholer Hit with Malpractice Suit
- Complaints Against New York Judges Reach a High
- Court Revives Malpractice Suit Against NY Firm
- Committee On Attorney Conduct Selects Chairman of ...
- The Wall Street Journal: Checks and Judicial Balances
- AP: Lawyers Were Greedy, Alcoholic or Simple-Minde...
- Manhattan Prosecutor's Shocker
- Probe of Manhattan DA's Prosecutorial Misconduct W...
- NY Times EDITORIAL: NY’s justice system has falle...
- Federal Judge Faces Impeachment
- The Heads Start to Role; Public Administrator and ...
- 10th Ethics Federal Lawsuit Filed
- Who Should Be NY's Next Chief Judge?
- Taste of Prison Leaves NY Pol Chatty
- Judicial Reports: Policing the Judge Police: Part II
- Ex-Milberg Partners Sue Crooked Colleagues
- For Immediate Release: Committee Formed to Review ...
- NY Sun Editorial on Judge Ordering Himself a Raise
- N.Y. Judge Orders Himself a Raise
- Order-Self-Raise Judge Known for Pooper-Scooper Law
- 1st Issue of NY Commission on Public Integrity !
- Actor Joins Abuse of Dead in New York
- More on Picking the Bones of the Dead
- Federal Judge Asks to Be Removed
- Lawyer in judicial bribery case objects to report
- Washington Post: Judge Assailed Over Sexually Expl...
- Judge orders raises for New York judges
- U.S. Attorney: "Justice Not for Sale" in Lawyer Ob...
- FBI Removes Files from Albany Office of Ex-GOP Boss
- Russia Trumps U.S. in Cleaning Up Court Corruption
- Daily News Editorial: Green light for corruption
- Update on Westchester Surrogate's Court's Dastardl...
- Federal Judge: "But you destroyed the faith of the...
- Court System, not Judge, has 'irretrievably lost' ...
- Memo to Commission on Judicial Conduct: What about...
- Too Many Lawyer Factories and More on the Way
- AG Andrew Cuomo Planning Amnesty for State Judges ...
- Attorney Weiss gets prison in kickback scheme
- Keeping dark secrets
- U.S. Supreme Court Upholds Retaliation Lawsuits
- Indicted Chicago Cop Shines Light on Corruption
-
▼
June
(45)
See Video of Senator John L. Sampson's 1st Hearing on Court 'Ethics' Corruption
The first hearing, held in Albany on June 8, 2009 hearing is on two videos:
Video of 1st Hearing on Court 'Ethics' Corruption
The June 8, 2009 hearing is on two videos:
6 comments:
I saw this story on Dateline...Wow..I really admire Detective Bobby Aldorato for saving these guys lives, and Dateline for running the story. Because without the media pressure Lord only knows if these guys would have been set free. The District Attorney Office needs to go down after hearing this story..I hope the FEDS are on this one.
Daniel Bibb did the right thing for JUSTICE! This also shows what Morgenthau is all about, he is a complete fraud and should be removed from the DA's Office.
so why didn't the police and the prosecutors do their job right the first time?
This man needs to be commended!
There are to many people that will just cover up the scandals and abuse of power!
minoritys get in comparison to non-minoritys get more jail time and are convicted more often than non-minoritys. To add to that N.Y is the only state with the Rockerfeller drog laws. Other states said they were to harsh.
When was the last time you heard some one running for office come out against the law. Yet they go into minority areas begging for votes.
P-O-L-I-T-I-C-S---SPELLS--C-O-R-R-U-P-T-I-O-N
Post a Comment