New York, NY Attorneys, Lawyers and Law Firms

A plea deal had Richard Aquilone pleading to lesser charges and getting just a probation for the death of Jijo Puthuvamkunnath.

Puthuvamkunnath was to be married in a few weeks but he never got to tie the knot as he got killed when a drunk Aquilone rammed his boat with his yacht.

The impact was so great that Puthuvamkunnath's boat was split in two.

Aside from the probation, Aquilone will also be made to serve the community for 250 hours.

Marc Agnifilo, New York criminal attorney defending for Aquilone, said his client has expressed regret for the loss that he has caused the Puthuvamkunnaths.

Instead of nine years, William Boyland Jr., the assemblyman in Brooklyn, is now faced with up to 30 years in prison for several charges including extortion.

This after Boyland decided not to go ahead with a plea deal and instead face trial.

Aside from extortion, Boyland, whose family has been part of Brooklyn governance for the longest time, is also being accused of theft and fraud.

Boyland's New York lawyers, Peter Quijano and Nency Ennis, confirmed that the plea deal was off when they arrived in court for their client's appearance.

Quijano said Boyland is hoping to be vindicated as he stands firm with his not guilty plea.

The lawyer added that although there has been several negotiations, no agreement was made for the plea deal.

Paula Bartolo, the driver who hit and killed Jeffrey Javier, a special education student in 2005 and did not even stop to help the victim, was meted a 10-year sentence for manslaughter.

Bartolo had ran over 15-year-old Javier just a few minutes after dropping his own 16-year-old son in school.

The driver then tried to avoid the repercussions of his act by escaping to the Dominican Republic. He was eventually arrested in Spain.

In a letter read by New York criminal defense attorney Michael Siff, Bartolo also did not express remorse for the accident.

After the 10-year jail term, Bartolo will also be under supervision for five years.

Javier's family, however, is not happy with the sentence that was handed as they were expecting a longer jail term.

Brian Patrick O'Callaghan is facing murder charges after it has been alleged that he had beaten his adopted son which resulted to the 3-year-old's death.

O'Callaghan is a former marine and a war veteran who now works for the NSA.

The suspicion against O'Callaghan started when police were called to the hospital where the boy was confined.

The boy was suffering from brain hemorrhage and fractures in the skull, injuries consistent with beating.

O'Callaghan had told police investigators that his wife had gone out of town thus he had been caring for the boy.

While under his care, O'Callaghan said the child had hit his shoulder in the shower after falling backwards. The next day, when he went to check on the boy who was napping, he said he noticed mucus coming out of the boy's nose and when he picked him up, the boy started vomiting so he brought him to the hospital.

Steven McCool, a defense lawyer in Washington representing O'Callaghan, is insisting on his client's innocence.

He said the allegations have no basis and that O'Callaghan is disputing that the child suffered several injuries in the head.

A jury has exonerated Amanda Davis, a retired anchor of FOX 5, from charges of driving under the influence and reckless driving.

Instead, she was held liable for not being able to maintain driving on one lane which resulted to an accident in 2012.

For her sentence, Davis will be serving the community for 20 hours.

She will also be made to pay $200 as fine.

Defending for Davis was Atlanta DUI lawyer William "Bubba" Head.

Melinda Muniz has been arrested and charged with the death of Grace Ford, the two-year-old daughter of her fiance, who reportedly broke up with her.

Aside from being the fiancee of the victim's father, Muniz was also the caregiver of the little girl.

Muniz's arrest has generated widespread anger with hundreds expressing their disgust for the suspect online.

Robbie McClung, a Dallas criminal attorney who will be defending for Muniz, urged the public to wait for all the facts before judging Muniz.

The police have also stated that Muniz is not considered guilty until proven otherwise.

Neither the prosecution nor the defense got what they wanted when the judge ordered Mitchell Munro Taylor to remain in jail and set the bail at $600,000.

Eric Lindell, the Seattle criminal lawyer defending for Taylor, had asked for a $10,000 bail saying that his client has not been taking his medicines for Asperger's Syndrome.

This was countered by the prosecution, who sought a $1 million bail.

Lindell was jailed when he posted several threatening messages on Seattle Mayor Ed Murray's Facebook page.

He also posted a threat which authorities believed targeted Kshama Sawant, the first socialist to have become a member of the City Council.

J. Kevin Kelley was handed a six-year prison sentence for his involvement in the Cuyahoga corruption case, considered as one of the biggest in the county.

Kelley was the first defendant to offer his cooperation to the FBI who was investigating the corruption issue.

He admitted to being the one who collects and pays off the bribes to county officials.

During his sentencing, Kelley issued an apology to his family as well as the taxpayers of Cuyahoga County.

Kelley has also been ordered to pay restitution of about $700,000.

Kelley's cooperation ensured the cooperation of other defendants in the case and the conviction of several people involved in the corruption.

Cleveland defense attorney John Gibbons said there is no excuse for Kelley's involvement in the corruption, however, his cooperation is the best way for him to make amends.