Muzzammil "Mo" Hassan: Guilty

Muzzammil "Mo" Hassan, 45, was convicted of second degree murder, Feb. 7, 2011, in the death of his wife Asiya Zubair Hassan who had filed for divorce just one week before her untimely death. The jury deliberated for just one hour after being handed the three-week long trial. The case generated interest because of the brutality of the crime and because of who the couple were.

On February 12, 2009 Muzzammil “Mo” Hassan stabbed his wife some 40 times before decapitating her in their Bridges TV studio located in Orchard Park NY. Hassan was the chief executive officer of the network and his wife, Asiya Zubair Hassan, was the general manager. Bridges TV was started in 1994 by Hassan and his wife in hopes of dispelling the negative image of Muslims after the 9/11 attacks. It was billed as the first English-language cable channel aimed at Muslims in the United States. The irony is of course how someone who wished to promote interfaith acceptance and tolerance could be involved in such a brutal crime.

According to reports, Hassan was having marital problems and had moved out of the house he shared with his wife and children. On the day of her death, Hassan had asked his wife of nine years to bring some of his clothes over to the TV studio. He had promised her he would not be there.....but he was.

"The defendant viciously killed ... and desecrated her (Aasiya's) body because six days earlier she had dared to file for divorce. Dared to seek a better life for herself and the children," Assistant District Attorney Paul Bonanno said in the prosecution's opening statement.

On Feb. 12, 2009, after killing his wife, Hassan went to the Orchard Park Police headquarters and told police what he had done. He was arrested and has been incarcerated ever since.

During the trial, which had been posponed several times in the ensuing two years, the prosecution said that Asiya Zubair Hassan had filed for divorce because of a history of physical and psychological abuse she had suffered at the hands of her husband. She had filed numerous complaints with the police but had failed to press any charges. She accused him of causing her to have a miscarriage four years ago by dragging her and sitting on her.

She also accused him of "flaunting another woman in her face". Just two days before her death she sent an email to this woman telling her how abusive her husband had been, providing photos of her battered face and destroyed belongings.

Asiya Hassan had tried to leave her husband before, fleeing to South Africa - where she underwent surgery for injuries suffered at his hands - and her native Pakistan but eventually returned to her husband, fearing he would find her no matter where she went.

At the trial Muzzammil Hassan's two adult children, Michael and Sonia Hassan, from a previous marriage also testified for the prosecution against their father. On the day of the murder they were both outside the studio where their step mother was killed, waiting for her in a car. See the video below.

Son and daughter testify against Hassan: wivb.com

In his defense Muzzammil Hassan tried to cast himself in the role of an abused husband. After gaining permission from the judge, he acted as his own attorney. He claimed that his side of the story was never heard and he was being judged "guilty until proven innocent". In a two-hour summation he explained that he was the victim and merely killed his wife in self defense. Showing just how much he did not see himself as a defendant in a murder trial, he ended with the words: "I don't blame my wife". See a portion of his summation below. For more click here.

VIDEO: Hassan defense closing argument: wivb.com

The Prosecutor, Curtin Gable, started the summation by saying:

"Self defense? Not a chance, not even close....this is intentional murder, plain and simple. Beyond a reasonable doubt, quite frankly beyond any doubt. The evidence is crystal clear and when you focus on the credible and relevant evidence your verdict will be clear as well."

To see more click here:

VIDEO: Hassan prosecution closing argument: wivb.com

After the two sides had concluded it was the jury's time. They spoke loud and clear. The did not waste any time in coming to their decision. In less than one hour they returned a verdict of guilty.

Jury takes one hour to convict Hassan: wivb.com

12-Year-Old Arrested for Doodling

It's one thing when there are disruptive kids in class: - if a fight breaks out, someone brought drugs to school or a knife or a gun - there may be a need to call the cops. But should kids be arrested and placed in handcuffs for doodling on a school desk? Well, Yes!! say the officials at Junior High School 190 in Forest Hills, Queens, NY.

Alexa Gonzalez, a 12-year-old Queens girl, was arrested for writing with a lime green marker the words “I love my friends Abby and Faith” on her desk. She also added “Lex was here. 2/1/10” with a smiley face. She was scribbling those words on her desk while waiting for her Spanish teacher to pass out homework. That was probably the biggest mistake the 12-year-old Alexa ever made in her entire life.

She was led out of school in cuffs and walked to the precinct across the street, where she was detained for several hours, she and her mother said.

"I started crying, like, a lot," said Alexa. "I made two little doodles. ... It could be easily erased. To put handcuffs on me is unnecessary." Alexa, who had a stellar attendance record, hasn't been back to school since, adding, "I just thought I'd get a detention. I thought maybe I would have to clean [the desk]."

What Alexa got was much more than detention. Alexa was suspended from school. She and her mom, Moraima Camacho, had to go to family court, where Alexa was assigned eight hours of community service, a book report and an essay on what she learned from the experience.

City officials acknowledged Alexa's arrest was a mistake and school principal Marilyn Grant has lifted the suspension, although she says that allowing the arrest was not her fault and was something that school policy required her to do.

"Even when we're asked to make an arrest, common sense should prevail, and discretion used in deciding whether an arrest or handcuffs are really necessary," said police spokesman Paul Browne.

In this case neither common sense nor discretion prevailed. One would think that that law enforcement officials would have more important things to do than arresting and traumatizing 12-year-old girls for writing on their school desk.

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13-Year-Old "Pinky" on Trial

"Pinky" is of course not his real name, but that is what he is called on the streets of Newburgh. His real name has not been released by the police because of his age - he is only 13 years old. "Pinky" has been accused of stabbing 17-year-old Levi King Flores to death in a street fight in which three other teens were also stabbed but survived.

Read about the details of the case here and here.

"Pinky" was originally charged with murder but because of his age and other factors he now faces:

1 Count Second-Degree Manslaughter (felony) 

3 Counts of Second-Degree Assault (felonies)

1 Count of Fourth-Degree Misdemeanor Criminal Possession of a Weapon.

For his own protection "Pinky" is being held in a secure youth detention center in Erie County. He had previously been jumped by other teens while in a Westchester County youth detention center. Also because of his age and the charges against him, "Pinky" is being tried as a juvenile in Family Court. According to the Times Herald-Record:

The longest sentence the boy could face is 18 months at a stretch in secure detention, but the state Office of Children and Family Services can return to court to keep a juvenile in secure detention until age 18.

His trial began on Wednesday, Feb.3, 2010 in front of Judge Andrew P. Bivona in Orange County Family Court. Senior Assistant County Attorney Allan Drian is the prosecutor in the case. The boy's lawyer is Stuart Greenberg. The trial is expected to last about two weeks.

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On the first day of the trial, police testified that before they began to question "Pinky", his mother was advised, in Spanish, of the boy's rights. They say the boy assisted them by returning to the crime scene - at the corner of First St. and Carpenter Ave. in Newburgh - and helped them find the weapon he had used and then tossed away. Evidence against the 13-year-old includes a videotaped interview, DNA evidence and eye-witness statements.

Hinting at possible previous confrontations, the defense attorney, Stuart Greenberg, requested that the judge order the prosecution to turn over any documentation of arrests in connection with a gang assault on the 13-year-old and his sister prior to the stabbings.

The trial continues......

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Sheriff Charged in Murder-For-Hire Scheme

Sheriff Raymond Monroe Martin was the top police officer in Gallatin County, Illinois for 20 years, having been elected 4 times to that post. However it's a safe bet that there will be no 5th term in that office. On 5/17/09 an arrest warrant was signed, charging Raymond Martin with 5 counts related to the sale and distribution of marijuana. See the criminal complaint here

Sheriff Martin had an accomplice who would sell the marijuana that he provided. He would provide him with as much as 20 pounds of pot every two weeks. They would then split the profits from the sale. When the accomplice told Martin that he wanted out of the business, Martin threatened the man, telling him that he could set him up on any charge he liked. The accomplice got scared and went to the authorities.

Over a period of several weeks the accomplice allowed the feds to record his conversations and activities with Sheriff Martin, eventually leading to Martin's arrest. At the time of his arrest the authorities found $100,000 in cash in a safe in his $300,000 home that he shared with his wife and five children. The house was mortgage-free even though the reported family income was less than $80,000.

But the story doesn't end there.

When Martin's 36-year-old wife Kristina Renee Martin and 20-year-old son Cody Ray Martin came to visit him at the jail on Saturday, 1/02/10, they were both promptly arrested. All three were charged on state murder-for-hire charges. Authorities claim that, while in jail, Sheriff Martin plotted with his wife and son to have witnesses against him in his upcoming trial killed. See the criminal complaint here. All three are in jail on $1 million bail.

 Although in jail Sheriff Martin is still collecting his $40,400 a year salary and is still technically sheriff of Gallatin County. One of his deputies has been named interim sheriff and his seat is up for election this year. Gallatin County's governing board sent the jailed sheriff a letter, urging him to resign.

"Personally, I think he is just an absolute embarrassment to the county," County Board Chairman Randy Drone said.

"Is it greed? Ignorance? I don't know," Drone said Tuesday before Sheriff Raymond Martin's first court appearance with his wife and 20-year-old son, who also are charged in the murder-for-hire scheme. "Arrogance — maybe that's it. Thinking he's so above the law he could actually get away with this.

"But getting re-arrested while still in jail? That's something."

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Man Bargains with Police for Pot

Steven Alan Locasio, 48, of Coco Plum Rd, Marathon, Fl. was in the marijuana growing business. He had six plants growing in a wooded lot in Marathon. As luck would have it, the plants were discovered by Monroe County detectives who decided to see if they could catch the owner.

The detectives uprooted the plants but left a note behind with a phone number and the following message: “Thanks for the grow! You want them back? Call for the price.”

Steven Locasio took the bait. Within 10 minutes of leaving the note the detectives received a call. Steven offered them $200 for the plants and agreed to meet up with them to make the exchange.

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After meeting with the detectives things went from bad to worse for Steven. He was arrested and when the detectives searched his apartment, they really hit the jackpot. They found 20 more pot plants, four pounds of harvested weed, Oxycontin and $1,380 in cash.

Steven Locasio was charged with 4 felonies and a misdemeanor.

1 Felony Count(s) of 893.13.1a2, MARIJUANA-PRODUCING – SCHEDULE I,
1 Felony Count(s) of 893.13.2a2, MARIJUANA – PURCHASE SCHEDULE I,
1 Felony Count(s) of 893.13.6a, MARIJUANA-POSSESS – POSSESS MARIJUANA OVER 20 GRAMS,
1 Felony Count(s) of 893.13.6a, DRUGS-POSSESS – CNTRL SUB WO PRESCRIPTION,
1 Misdemeanor Count(s) of 893.147.1, DRUG EQUIP-POSSESS – AND OR USE

 

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