Latest news with #ManhattanCriminalCourt
Hindustan Times
22-07-2025
- Hindustan Times
Who is Autumn Donna Ascencio Romero? Chilling details revealed in NYC crash that killed 2 as driver is held without bail
New details are emerging about Autumn Donna Ascencio Romero, the 23-year-old woman accused of killing two people in a high-speed crash near the Manhattan Bridge in Chinatown, according to Daily News report. Romero is charged with two counts of murder and several other felonies after police say she was behind the wheel of a stolen Chevy Malibu that slammed into 63-year-old May Kwok and 55-year-old bicyclist Kevin Cruickshank early Saturday morning. Romero is charged with two counts of murder and several other felonies after she was behind the wheel of a stolen Chevy Malibu that slammed into 63-year-old May Kwok and 55-year-old bicyclist Kevin Cruickshank.(Unspalsh) Also Read: San Antonio crash: 4 dead, 18 injured in fatal highway crash, armed suspect on the loose Who Autumn Donna Ascencio Romero and is she involved in any other case? Prosecutors say Romero admitted she had 'a few drinks' before the crash and was driving the car. She refused to take a breathalyzer or blood test at the hospital but acknowledged being the driver. Police say they found an open tequila bottle and a cup of alcohol in the car. Two loaded pistols and a box of ammunition were also discovered in a box in the trunk. Romero and 22-year-old Kennedy Lecraft, allegedly attempted to escape on foot after the crash. Witnesses reported seeing the two exit the mangled vehicle and sit mere feet away from one of the victims' bodies, before attempting to hail a cab. Witnesses stopped the pair and held them in the area until cops arrived. Lecraft, who rented the Malibu from Enterprise and did not return the vehicle, will face charges of criminal possession of a weapon, possession of stolen property, and unauthorized use of a vehicle. She was arraigned on Monday and is being held at Rikers on bail of $300,000. Romero appeared in Manhattan Criminal Court on Tuesday. Prosecutors noted she was already facing charges in Brooklyn for a separate hit-and-run incident in April, where she allegedly hit a woman exiting an Uber without a valid license. Romero's lawyer, Howard Greenberg, said she is a nursing student and blamed the crash on Lecraft. He claimed Lecraft may have grabbed the steering wheel before impact and even apologized afterward, saying she caused the crash. Judge Michelle Weber ordered Romero held without bail. She is due back in court Thursday.
New York Post
15-07-2025
- New York Post
Venezuelan migrant begged NYC judge to send him to Rikers to avoid ICE but feds got him anyway
A Venezuelan migrant who begged a judge to send him to Rikers Island to avoid being taken into custody to waiting immigration agents has been turned over to the feds. Nolveiro Vera Ordonez, 30, was arraigned in Manhattan Criminal Court June 4 on petty larceny and possession of stolen property charges for allegedly stealing a bicycle while five masked Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents waited for him outside the courtroom — prompting him to demand to be locked up. Although the judge complied and ordered him held on $100 'voluntary' bail, Ordonez couldn't outrun the feds forever — he was handed over to the Department of Homeland Security on a federal warrant less than three weeks later, authorities confirmed this week. 3 Nolveiro Vera Ordonez was arraigned on theft charges while ICE agents waited, so he asked to go to Rikers Island. AP 'This individual was released to the Department of Homeland Security on a federal arrest warrant,' a spokesperson for the city Department of Correction said in an email. 'Prior to his release, he paid bail on the local matter.' According to the department, Ordonez was turned over to the feds on June 23. While New York is a migrant-friendly 'sanctuary city,' the law dictates that an inmate may be released to another jurisdiction if corrections officials are presented with 'an immigration detainer supported by probable cause' or has a 'qualifying conviction' for a violent crime over the prior five years. 3 Federal immigration agents have been stalking Big Apple court hearings in masks to nab illegal immigrants. Getty Images Federal sources told The Post that Ordonez was being held at the Brooklyn federal lockup this week after being picked up by US Marshals and is awaiting transfer to Texas. As of late Monday, he was not in ICE custody and was not currently due for deportation, sources said. Ordonez was picked up by police for allegedly stealing a bike, and was charged with fourth-degree criminal mischief, petty larceny and fifth-degree criminal possession of stolen property. 3 Judge Rachel Salem Pauley called Nolveiro Vera Ordonez's 'voluntary' bail request 'highly unusual.' In court, his public defender attorney asked Judge Rachel Pauley that he be held on $100 bail, citing a quirk in the law that allows a defendant to request bail, although the charges are not eligible for bail under the state's controversial criminal justice reforms. Pauley granted the request despite noting it was 'highly unusual.' However, less than three weeks later Ordonez was turned over to the feds.
UPI
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- UPI
Look: Melissa Rauch mourns cancellation of 'Night Court'
June 19 (UPI) -- Melissa Rauch has shared a message on Instagram, mourning the recent cancellation of her sitcom, Night Court, after three seasons. "I have held off on posting anything about Night Court not continuing until I knew we did everything in our power to find another home for it. Perhaps it was being raised on The Goonies "Never Say Die" motto or straight up denial that I didn't want this incredibly special experience to come to an end," Rauch wrote Wednesday. "That said, after turning over all the stones there were to be turned over, we've learned that it is officially the hour to say "farewell." Or at least "Until next time." Words won't be able to properly convey my gratitude to each and every incredible individual who worked on this show and poured their hearts into it. I love them all dearly and am so thankful that I have their friendships to take with me." The show was a sequel to the classic courtroom comedy of the same name that aired 1984 to 1992. It followed Rauch as Abby Stone, an optimistic Manhattan Criminal Court judge and the daughter of the late Harry T. Stone (Harry Anderson) from the original show, John Larroquette reprised his role of attorney Dan Fielding -- Harry's best friend and Abby's colleague -- in the follow-up.
New York Post
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Son of Pulitzer-winning novelist Michael Chabon charged with rape
The son of Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Michael Chabon is facing a felony rape charge for allegedly choking and beating a woman while molesting her, Manhattan prosecutors said. Abraham Chabon, 20, was charged June 12 with second-degree strangulation and first-degree rape earlier in the alleged Jan. 25, 2024 attack, according to a felony complaint unsealed in court. The younger Chabon, a student at NYU, made his second court appearance Wednesday after being arraigned on the charges last week. Abraham Chabon, left, was charged with second-degree strangulation and first-degree rape. Steven Hirsch He is accused of grabbing the victim by the neck, making it difficult for her to breathe, then carried her to a bed where he raped her and 'struck [the victim] repeatedly in the face… causing stupor and loss of vision in one eye,' the complaint said. He arrived at the courthouse with his mother, Israeli-American novelist Ayelet Waldman. His father is a noted American writer and Pulitzer Prize winner, whose works include 'Moonglow,' 'Wonder Boys,' The Mysteries of Pittsburgh' and 'Telegraph Avenue.' The 20-year-old is the son of Pulitzer Prize-winning author, Michael Chabon (left). Instagram/ayeletw Chabon won the 2001 Pulitzer Prize for his novel, 'The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay.' Michael Chabon was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 2012. Abraham Chabon was released after his June 13 arraignment, with Manhattan Criminal Court Judge Kacie Lally setting bail at $45,000 cash or a $150,000 bond.
Sky News AU
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Sky News AU
Harvey Weinstein found guilty of sexual assault after New York retrial
Harvey Weinstein was found guilty in his sexual assault retrial in Manhattan Criminal Court following five days of heated deliberations between jurors. Seven female and five male jurors unanimously voted on Wednesday to convict the disgraced Hollywood mogul on one of three counts. He was also found not guilty of an additional sexual assault charge and the jurors have yet to reach a verdict on a rape charge. The verdict comes following reports that jurors had tension behind closed doors during deliberations. Juror No. 7, described as a 25-year-old 'computer kid,' complained to the judge on June 6 that jurors were gossiping about another member, adding, 'In good conscience, I don't think this is fair and just.' 'There's a bit of shunning happening,' he reportedly said before asking to be dismissed from the case. However, the judge reminded the juror that he 'took an oath' and the trial would 'fall apart' if he left. Weinstein's lawyers requested a mistrial over what the juror called 'playground' drama, but the judge quickly shot that down. By Monday, it was clear the jurors were still struggling, begging for coffee to help give them energy during the grueling hours-long talks. Weinstein's retrial began April 15, while the disgraced Hollywood producer has been battling cancer. The 73-year-old was initially sentenced to 23 years in a New York prison in 2020 for third-degree rape and one count of criminal sexual act. He was convicted for forcibly performing oral sex on former 'Project Runway' production assistant Miriam 'Mimi' Haleyi and for an attack on hairstylist Jessica Mann. However, in April 2024, that ruling was overturned by the New York Court of Appeals with a 4-3 vote. It was reportedly decided at the time that testimonies from 'prior bad acts' witnesses should not have been allowed because it 'was unnecessary to establish defendant's intent and served only to establish defendant's propensity to commit the crimes charged.' During Weinstein's retrial, a third accuser that did not participate in the 2020 case was presented. Kaja Sokola, a former model from Poland, alleged the former media mogul molested her at his apartment when she was just 16. She claimed that years later, in 2006, he then allegedly lured her to a Manhattan hotel room by promising her movie scripts and pinned her to a bed to forcibly perform oral sex on her. Sokola previously sued over her allegations and was paid $3.5 million in settlements and compensation. Weinstein was being charged in the retrial for the 2006 claim but not the molestation allegation. The Miramax founder pleaded not guilty to all charges and denied he raped or sexually assaulted anyone. Originally published as Harvey Weinstein found guilty of sexual assault after New York retrial
