New York Family Law Blog

As people gathered into the courtroom at Placerville, CA, there was an anxious anticipation that the convicted sex offender and his wife would plead guilty to the June 1991 kidnapping of an 11-year old girl. The kidnapping that had occurred on a South Lake Tahoe street as the girl was walking to a school bus stop and would capture the attention of a nation, would not conclude so unceremoniously. Once all of the participants were in the courtroom, lawyers for both of the defendants entered pleas of not guilty for their clients. The people in the courtroom were stunned since there was widespread anticipation that a plea had been struck that would send the convicted sex offender to prison for the rest of his life.

The couple had been charged with the alleged kidnapping, rape, and imprisonment of 11-year old Jaycee Dugard, who they held captive for 18 years. At 14-years of age, the young Dugard had been forced to give birth to the accused couple’s daughter and another daughter when Dugard was 17. Sources have also told a New York Family Lawyer that it was sheer luck that authorities were able to catch the couple and reunite Dugard with her family.

The couple’s arrest is a result of an alert University of California at Berkeley campus police officers who became suspicious of the man and ran a background check on him. As a result of that check, they learned that he had a prior record for kidnapping and rape in Nevada. They would then inform the man’s parole officer who had no clue that the man had a daughter and instructed him to come into his office for a meeting. The man brought everyone with him to that meeting, including the girl that he kidnapped. The now 30-year old Jaycee Dugard was reunited with her family the following day.

The current arguments that defense attorneys are making are that there were some problems with the grand jury and as a result, any indictment they submitted to their clients should be voided. No one expects any problems to derail the case, which has been set for trial on August 1.

Family law matters can be volitile. Its is important to protect your interests by availing yourself of quality legal counsel. Whether you need an order for protection, or are in a custody battle, contact our team for assistance.

Continue reading "An Unexpected Turn in the Dugard Kidnapping Case" »

A 40 year old woman has been accused of dousing her boyfriend with nail polish remover in an argument and lighting him on fire, according to reports by a New York Family Lawyer. The woman's 10 year old son and the couple’s small daughter were reportedly present in the house at the time of the incident. 

Neighbors called police when they heard an argument escalate into screams of pain. Police arrived on the scene to find the man seriously burned, and blaming his girlfriend. The 44 year old victim alleges that his girlfriend was angry about his drinking, which started the argument that led to the incident in question. 

The woman denies lighting her boyfriend on fire, claiming that it was he who doused himself with nail polish remover and set his clothes alight, accusing her of the crime, reports the N York Family Lawyer. Neighbors who live in the building expressed surprise and shock when they heard about the incident, saying that they had heard the couple argue on numerous occasions but had never expected that violence would erupt in the apartment. 

A judge ruled the woman to stand trial and has place her under arrest with $200,000 bail. The two children were taken into custody and have been placed in foster care and they are undergoing evaluation, stated the New York Family Lawyer. More information on this case will be released pending further investigation. A trial hearing had been set for January 12 and results of that hearing are as yet unavailable. 

Domestic abuse is often a precursor to legal disputes within a family unit.

Continue reading "Woman accused of setting boyfriend on fire denies charges, cites New York City Family Lawyer" »