Friday, October 21, 2016

Report: Lawyer for driver in fatal 2nd Avenue collision wants charges dropped

Queens resident Shaun Martin, who prosecutors said was drunk and high on PCP when he plowed his car going 90 MPH into East Village Farm and Grocery on Second Avenue on June 19, 2013, which led to the death of florist Mohammed Akkas Ali, was found guilty of murder in July.

During a sentence hearing today, his lawyer, Arthur Aidala, tried to have the charges dismissed.

However, as the Daily News reported, Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Melissa Jackson denied the request, stating that there was sufficient evidence to support the crime.

Per the Daily News:

Aidala argued that Martin was so intoxicated he couldn't be held accountable for murder by displaying a "depraved indifference to life.”

"You can't say someone who doesn't know what the heck they are doing is depraved — because your brain isn't working with enough synapses to make that judgement," he said.

“Because he was so intoxicated on this cocktail of drugs, he couldn't make decisions the law says he has to be able to make. If he was sober, he would be 100% guilty.”

Sentencing is now schedule for Nov. 4. Martin, 35, faces up to life in prison.

Previously on EV Grieve:
[Updated] Car smashes into East Village Farm & Grocery on Second Avenue; 6 reported injured

Crowdsourcing campaign for injured East Village Farm and Grocery worker raises nearly $19,000

Report: Injured East Village Farm and Grocery florist has lost his memory, use of his voice

[Updated] RIP Akkas Ali

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

see you in hell, counselor

Anonymous said...

We live in a legal system where we require the attorney of a defendant to advocate for his client's interest to the utmost. So grow up, 3:44PM.

Anonymous said...

4:07...Anon #1 was correct. You wouldnt be saying this if the Scum defendant had plowed into you or someone you loved.

Gojira said...

Agree with Anons. 3.44 and 5.10.Some crimes are beyond reprehensible, and in my book this was one of them. Trying to bargain the sentence down, that I can understand. But to try and get complete dismissal on the grounds that your client was too fucked up to know what he was doing so can't be held responsible? Show me the gun that was held to his head in order to force him to ingest the cornucopia of substances he was high on, then, maybe. Until then, he should have the book thrown straight at his ugly mug, and you should be disbarred.

Anonymous said...

@7:54 and others . . .

There is another way to look at it: by bringing up the "too drunk to be held accountable" issue now, then the defense can't use that argument in an appeal. In a way the defendant's attorney is doing you a favor by making sure this guy doesn't get heard by an appellate court and stays in jail for life.

Anonymous said...

He will be heard in an appellate court. His lawyer is correct.

Anonymous said...

I remember this very well. This man, the driver, who seemed to display no remorse for his actions, should accept responsibility for his reprehensible actions, which as a result, cost the life of a beloved man, who had a family and life of his own, who unfortunately was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Having the charges dismissed or diminished negates the quest for justice for this scumbag who had little regard for other fellow human beings. This was an unspeakable accident, which shook so many who witnessed it, and those of us who live in this community. I certainly hope, for the welfare of others, and the peace that the victim's family deserves, that this convicted felon will be handed the ultimate sentence.

JQ LLC said...

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Anonymous said...

He is especially responsible. No one starts out drunk or high. Hope it gets tossed.

Anonymous said...

I am sorry, but this awful man is a scumbag. He is complicit, responsible and should deeply ponder the consequences of his behavior. A human being died senselessly. Someone has to pay the price. While drugs and alcohol contributed to this accident, no one made him he drink or get high. So, be a man, and accept what is, and do your time like all the rest of hardened criminals.

Anonymous said...

Gojira? Dis barred? A lawyer has to make every available argument. If he doesn't he isn't doing his job. It's a basic tenet of criminal defense, like it or not. It aligns with due process.

Anonymous said...

Again, the attorney did not cause the death, had nothing to do with it. He has the duty to give the best defense for his client in court. He would be disbarred if he did not. He made his argument to the judge/jury, now the judge/jury must make a ruling.

Anonymous said...

Please everyone, don't reflexively attack the attorney. This is a complicated issue that the Court of Appeals has considered more tha once. If you are so drunk or high that you don't know what you are doing, can you have the mens rea (mental state) for the crime of depraved indifference homicide? Depraved indifference means you don't care whether others live or die, even if you are not specifically intending to kill anyone. Shooting a gun into a crowd is a classic example. You have to have some knowledge that you what you are doing is dangerous. If you are driving on the wrong side of the road, but are so drunk that you don't know that you are on the wrong side of the road, is that depraved indifference homicide if you kill someone? Or is it a lesser crime of reckless homicide? I don't think the lawyer here was arguing that his client should go completely free. It sounds to me like he was doing his job in raising the issue. It sounds to me like he would be incompetent for NOT raising the issue.

Anonymous said...

Riddle me this:

What's to stop someone with intent to murder from loading up on alcohol and/or drugs, getting in a car, hitting the intended target, then claiming "I was drunk and/or high"? I'm not saying this guy did this, 'just asking somewhat rhetorically.

This lowlife showed depraved indifference to life by being drunk and high while operating a vehicle. He knew he was drunk and high, got into a car anyway, and knew that could mean death for him and/or whoever he hits in the case of an accident, so he was depraved and indifferent. You don't do that, especially when you're a lawyer who knows full well the penalties for doing that.

Anonymous said...

I am drunk and high right now, and am indifferent to this discussion.