Dear Nieces and Nephews
Last week, a local elected official, Alex Jamieson, FOS*, pled out to lesser charges and avoided “jail time”. It seems that the Chester Town Supervisor avoided a grand larceny charge and multiple counts of offering a false instrument.
“He was charged one count of third-degree grand larceny and 22 counts of first-degree offering a false instrument for filing, all felonies. However, on Tuesday he pled to a lesser charge of only two counts of the 22 false filing charges.”
He was lucky, “got off easy”.
Another public servant, also “got off easy”.
While Alex’s crime does not rise to this level, such “light” sentencing might be seen as part of a trend including the more severe crimes of Robert Nickol, a member of Senator Larkin’s staff. If so, what’s next?
Nickol, while convicted of lesser counts, was acquitted of the more severe strangulation charge, a felony which would have involved serious “Jail Time”.
He was lucky.
An Albany County jury convicted Robert Nickol on Thursday of misdemeanor charges that he slapped an ex-girlfriend and whipped her with an electrical cord on separate occasions last year. He was acquitted of a felony strangulation charge related to a 2015 incident.
There was no mention of the conviction in the local papers, even though it does concern Orange County’s NY State Senator William Larkin. It was reported in newspapers through out the country and in the AP, but not in OC. For Example:
In the strangulation charge, Nickol allegedly took a beer soaked towel, covered his girlfriend’s nose and mouth and proceeded to strangle her until she was unconscious. He was acquitted of this charge.
And no statement from Senator Larkin, denouncing such abuse on the part of his Senate Counsel.
Does #MeToo include non-sexual assault as well?
Whether the crime was a theft or an assault, why did these public servants, who violated the public’s trust, “get off easy”?
Robert Nickol, Atty at Law
*FOS=Friend of Steve
Why did they get off easy? I don't believe Mr. Nickol has been sentenced, so I'm not sure he will get off easy. If you want to know why the jury found him guilty of lesser charges, I assume the D.A. did not prove the more severe charges, but you will have to ask the jury.
ReplyDeleteAs to why Mr. Jamieson got off easy, I suppose it was because he was sentenced by Judge Peter Lynch, a Democrat. Everyone knows that Democrats are soft on crime.
Peter Lynch also presided over the Nickol trial. Yes, he is a Democrat but there are Republican judges here in Orange County who are also "soft on crime". Both Jamieson and Nickol are Republicans and so is the silent Senator Larkin. What can we make of that?
ReplyDeleteIt would seem in OC you can violate almost any law and walk away with a slap on the hand. Your political affiliation means nothing.
ReplyDeleteThis is only the tip of the iceberg with some of our prize elected officials. I bet plenty of them have skeletons hiding in their closets and am surprised with the 'me too' movement some of them are not shaking in their boots. How many more deals have been made behind closed doors. And for Jamieson, two counts out of 22, is not a bad deal if you are a member of the club.
ReplyDeletewere is ROBERTA MURPHY SURE NEED HERE ADVICE AS TO THE SO CALLED FAT POCKET O.C. REP.PARTY.
ReplyDeleteIn today's THR: Former Town of Monroe Justice, Lurlyn Winchester was sentenced yesterday to 6 months HOME CONFINEMENT for two FELONY charges.
ReplyDeleteThe prosecution wanted 10 to 16 months in prison.
Ms.Winchester was elected to a Town Justice position in Monroe but she LIED about her residency (she really lived in Rockland County)
She lied on a mortgage application, she lied to investigators and she lied to the people of Monroe.
As a lawyer and a judge she should know better.
Presenting false instruments when you attest their truthfulness is basically akin to lying under oath.
She lost her license to practice law (who would use her as an attorney after this?)but home confinement?
She "Got Off Easy"