Latest news with #PublicDefender'sOffice
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Yahoo
Alleged gang shooting at Boynton Beach anti-violence rally leads to arrest of man, 19
A 19-year-old Boynton Beach man is facing criminal charges after police alleged he was involved in a July 5 shooting that wounded three people during an anti-violence rally at Sara Sims Park. Jamarion Petty is facing one count each of attempted second-degree murder, aggravated battery and discharging a firearm in public. During a hearing on July 13 at the Palm Beach County Jail, Circuit Judge Gregory Keyser assigned Petty a public defender and ordered that he be held without bail. As a policy, the county Public Defender's Office does not comment on open cases. Investigators say Petty fired shots from a small handgun during an apparent exchange of gunfire between rival gang members after hundreds had gathered for a "Peace in the Hood" rally at the park, off Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard west of North Seacrest Boulevard. About 500 people attended the rally, including three women who sustained gunshot wounds when they were caught in crossfire, police said. Records show the event was not sanctioned and that city officials had denied the organizer's request for a permit in June. In court: Therapist sues PBSO, says she was left for dead as deputies debated entering rapist's home During a news conference at the park on July 11, an attorney for one of the shooting victims criticized the city's handling of the event, saying it had a duty to protect attendees even if the event was unsanctioned. The attorney, Richard Ryles of West Palm Beach, announced a pending lawsuit on behalf on Diamond Delk, who reportedly was shot in her left hip and suffered a fractured leg during the incident. "The city of Boynton has an ultimate responsibility for maintaining its property in a safe condition and they failed to do that," Ryles said during the news conference. In a statement provided by a police spokesperson, Boynton Beach disputed whether the shooting occurred on city-owned property. "The gathering that preceded the shooting was not organized, or sanctioned by the City of Boynton Beach or the City of Boynton Beach Police Department," the statement read. "While individuals may have been in the vicinity of Sara Sims Park, the initial investigation shows the shooting occurred outside the boundaries of City-owned property, not within the park itself." Measles in Florida: Doctors urge vaccinations, saying South Florida's two cases could grow According to Petty's arrest report, surveillance-camera video captured members of two groups — the "16th Ave Boys" and the "Cherry Hill Boyz" — in the vicinity of the park moments before the shooting. One group stood next the fence on the south side of the park, while the other was across the street near a church. The two group's acknowledged each other's presence before parties on both sides retrieved firearms from their waistbands and began shooting at each other, the report said. One man could reportedly be seen running north through the park as he fired shots to the south, in the direction of the church. Using investigative leads, police tentatively identified the man as Petty, the report said. On July 12, Petty voluntarily went to the police station after seeing himself in a "Be on the Lookout" alert. He told investigators he attended the rally by himself and drew his weapon after hearing gunfire. However, he was adamant that he did not fire the weapon, police said. Investigators then showed surveillance video that purportedly Petty discharging a firearm as he ran with another person. Petty disputed the clarity of the video and stated that he did not believe the person in the video was him, police said. He then requested an attorney, according to his arrest report. Julius Whigham II is a criminal justice and public safety reporter for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at jwhigham@ and follow him on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, at @JuliusWhigham. Help support our work: Subscribe today. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Man, 19, faces charges after shooting at Boynton anti-violence rally
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Yahoo
Police: Star chef defied no-contact order in domestic battery case, asked woman for bail
The renowned chef accused of assaulting a female relative in his West Palm Beach home is facing new criminal charges after authorities alleged he violated a court order by attempting to contact his accuser. Investigators said Jacob Bickelhaupt — the owner of Konro, Palm Beach County's first Michelin-starred restaurant — made two phone calls from the county jail on June 5 seeking help from the woman he is accused of assaulting. According to a new arrest report, Bickelhaupt left voicemail messages on a business line in which he asked the woman to contact the Public Defender's Office and request that a no-contact order against him be rescinded. Circuit Judge Daliah Weiss declared him indigent after his first arrest. He also asked the woman to help him find someone to pay a percentage of his $90,000 bail. "I love you so much," the arrest report quotes Bickelhaupt as saying on one of the messages. Police had arrested Bickelhaupt, 41, on June 2 on aggravated battery and domestic battery charges after alleging he repeatedly punched and kicked a woman in his home, leaving her with two black eyes, and swelling and bruising on her face. Investigators said the woman attempted to leave the state after the attack by taking a flight from Palm Beach International Airport, but ended up in a West Palm Beach hospital after she suffered a seizure while waiting at the airport's ticket counter. A business partner of the accuser called police and informed them of phone messages, on which Bickelhaupt also reminded the woman that "I can't do the restaurant" while in jail and that he might be in custody "for a very long time … maybe a year" if she did not help him. Bickelhaupt, 41, remains in the Palm Beach County Jail. Bail in his two arrests totals $99,000. As a policy, the public defender's office does not comment on open cases. Bickelhaupt opened Konro in 2023 In April 2024, the Michelin Guide awarded Konro its star. Set off South Dixie Highway near the Norton Museum of Art, it is a menu-free restaurant with 10 counter seats and a three-figure-per-person price tag for admission. It does not appear to have opened since Bickelhaupt's arrest. Bickelhaupt previously ran 42 Grams, a popular restaurant in Chicago, where he also faced an allegation of domestic violence involving a different woman. In June 2017, Chicago police arrested him on charges that he threw the woman to the ground and struck her in the head with a bottle, according to multiple published reports. He pleaded guilty to a charge of simple battery and was ordered to undergo mandatory drug and alcohol testing, complete a domestic violence program and pay fines. Shortly after the Chicago arrest, Bickelhaupt closed 42 Grams, which at one time also earned Michelin-star status. Julius Whigham II is a criminal justice and public safety reporter for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at jwhigham@ and follow him on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, at @JuliusWhigham. Help support our work: Subscribe today. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Michelin-starred Konro chef faces new charges in domestic battery case
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Michelin-rated chef arrested on domestic violence charges at West Palm Beach home
A renowned chef and the owner of the lone Michelin-starred restaurant in West Palm Beach is facing domestic battery charges after police alleged he assaulted a woman during an incident at his home. Jacob Bickelhaupt, the chef and owner of Konro restaurant, is facing one count each of domestic battery causing bodily harm and domestic battery following his arrest June 2 by West Palm Beach police. According to his arrest report, Bickelhaupt repeatedly punched and kicked the woman, leaving her with two black eyes, and with swelling and bruising on her face. The woman reportedly went to Palm Beach International Airport after the attack to try to buy a flight to her family's home but suffered a seizure at the ticket counter. She received emergency care at St. Mary's Medical Center. During a hearing June 3 at the Palm Beach County Jail, Circuit Judge Daliah Weiss ruled that Bickelhaupt, 41, is indigent and assigned a public defender to represent him. She set his bail at $90,000 and ordered that he be placed on in-house arrest with an ankle monitor if he is released. As a matter of policy, the county Public Defender's Office does not comment on active cases. After his arrest, Bickelhaupt requested to speak to an attorney and did not make other statements to investigators, his arrest report said. More: Dwyer student accused of torching classmate's car faces 2 more 'retaliation' arson charges The arrest marks the second time within the past decade Bickelhaupt has faced an allegation of domestic violence. In June 2017, Chicago police arrested him on charges that he assaulted a woman, throwing her to the ground and striking her in the head with a bottle, according to multiple published reports. He pleaded guilty to a charge of simple battery and was ordered to undergo mandatory drug and alcohol testing, complete a domestic violence program and pay fines. Shortly after the Chicago arrest, Bickelhaupt closed 42 Grams, his popular restaurant on Chicago's north side that at one time also earned Michelin-star status. In 2023, he opened Konro in West Palm Beach, on Park Place off South Dixie Highway near the Norton Museum of Art. It is a menu-free tasting restaurant with 10 counter seats and a steep, three-figure per person price tag for admission. In 2024, the Michelin Guide announced it would be rating Palm Beach County's restaurants, and in April, Konro was awarded a single Michelin star, making it the county's first and only restaurant to carry a star from the vaunted guide. According to Bickelhaupt's arrest report, his current accuser told investigators that he repeatedly attacked her over the span of two hours, even as she tried to leave the home. Once the attack stopped, the woman packed a bag and called for a ride to PBIA, where she collapsed, the arrest report said. Officers detained Bickelhaupt that night and took him to police headquarters for questioning. Julius Whigham II is a criminal justice and public safety reporter for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at jwhigham@ and follow him on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, at @JuliusWhigham. Help support our work: Subscribe today. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Michelin-star chef arrested on domestic violence charges in West Palm
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Roseland now home to first-of-its-kind community law office
CHICAGO — Chicago's Roseland neighborhood is now home to a first-of-its-kind community law office designed to help people with re-entry services. The new office was opened as part of an initiative from Cook County and the Cook County Public Defender's Office to provide wrap-around support for people looking to take the next step in their lives. Read more: Latest Chicago news and headlines A ribbon cutting was held on Tuesday morning for the official opening of the Freedom Defense Center of Roseland, located near the intersection of East 114th Place and South Michigan Avenue on the South Side. Members of Cook County's Public Defender's Office say through partnerships with four local organizations, the law office will not only be able to provide support with re-entry services but also support with housing, health care and violence prevention. Officials said they hope the new office will be able to provide services to a part of the community that is often left in the dark. 'Unfortunately, there are some communities in our county that are disproportionately impacted by the criminal justice system. This is one of them and we're hoping we can do something about that trajectory in so many young people's lives,' Cook County Board President Prckwinkle said. LATEST CASES: Missing people in Chicagoland 'As you look around, Roseland is an area that sort of, you know, it is a legal desert, it's a resources desert in so many ways. So when you look at it geographically, it is one of the furthest southern Chicago neighborhoods, but when you have to go get access to attorneys that are far away and this is one way we can help direct that and impact that,' Emmanuel Andre, the Deputy of Policy and Strategic Litigation at the Cook County Public Defender's Office. Funding for the law office is coming from the Federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). Officials said the goal is to get off the ground and prove how successful the concept can be to further expand community law offices in Cook County and secure additional funding. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Yahoo
4-year vandalism case ends in acquittal after 20-minute deliberation
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — The vandalism case filed against Gary Hatler dragged on more than four years. It ended minutes after the jury received it. Hatler was found not guilty Tuesday after jurors deliberated for about 20 minutes, according to a release from the Kern County Public Defender's Office. 'The jury's quick verdict reflects what we've known all along — the evidence didn't support the charges,' said Deputy Public Defender Elvia Zepeda. 'A four-year wait for a 20-minute verdict speaks volumes.' The case has its origin in July 2020, when Hatler's ex-girlfriend reported he showed up to retrieve personal belongings then hit her Dodge Ram with a flashlight and kicked it, causing hundreds of dollars in damage. The case was filed as a felony on Sept. 15, 2020, and a warrant was issued the same day, according to the release. But this was during the pandemic, when most cases were given lengthy postponements. It wasn't until May 1, 2024, that Hatler was arraigned. The Public Defender's Office got the vandalism charge reduced to a misdemeanor. A second charge of violating a restraining order was dismissed over insufficient evidence that the order had been properly served, according to the release. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
