New York Criminal Attorney Blog
Tilem & Campbell senior partner, Peter H. Tilem won a huge Court victory after his client was found not-guilty of all charges in connection with an Attempted Rape in the First Degree case stemming from a 2008 incident in Queens. The client had been facing up to 15 years in prison if convicted of Attempted Rape and up to one year in jail if convicted of Endangering the Welfare of a Child. The victim was less than 10 years old at the time of the alleged incident. The incident was not reported to the police until January of 2009.
An investigation by Tilem & Campbell during the pendency of the case revealed numerous inconsistencies in the statements made by the alleged victim to police officers, prosecutors and doctors. A Queens County Assistant District Attorney became an important defense witness in the case.
Mr. Tilem represented the client at trial, but Managing Partner Peter Tilem handled all pre-trial litigation, and Associate Jean Melino successfully handled motion practice which directly resulted in the preclusion of key prosecution evidence.
Although the client was originally charged with Rape in the First degree, the prosecutor only sought an indictment for two counts of Attempted Rape in the First Degree and Endangering the Welfare of a Child. “The prosecution seemed to change their theory”, according to Tilem. The defense strategy relied heavily on the many inconsistencies in the alleged victim’s story.
Tilem & Campbell is a New York criminal defense firm located in White Plains, New York. You can contact the firm by calling 888-ANY-CRIME.