Frank Cali shot dead

[potsnpans]

If Anthony Comello's attorney is going to use that defense of his client being mentally unstable and influenced by Qanon and whatever else. In light of the most recent shootings over the weekend will that defense backfire on him if and when the case goes before a jury? The jury will already be angry because of the senseless loss of innocent life by deranged shooters and then here comes Comello accused (guilty) of the same thing while seeking sympathy and leniency? It might not work.

[Lupara]

If Anthony Comello's attorney is going to use that defense of his client being mentally unstable and influenced by Qanon and whatever else. In light of the most recent shootings over the weekend will that defense backfire on him if and when the case goes before a jury? The jury will already be angry because of the senseless loss of innocent life by deranged shooters and then here comes Comello accused (guilty) of the same thing while seeking sympathy and leniency? It might not work.

This is why a jury is dubious. They are not supposed to be angry and biased by something unrelated and let it influence their judgement.

[nowandlater]

If Anthony Comello's attorney is going to use that defense of his client being mentally unstable and influenced by Qanon and whatever else. In light of the most recent shootings over the weekend will that defense backfire on him if and when the case goes before a jury? The jury will already be angry because of the senseless loss of innocent life by deranged shooters and then here comes Comello accused (guilty) of the same thing while seeking sympathy and leniency? It might not work.

This is why a jury is dubious. They are not supposed to be angry and biased by something unrelated and let it influence their judgement.

But being human they are not necessarily unbiased. They can even conceal it and lie about their true feelings. There is no preconceived perfect or textbook way these things go. People lie to get off being on a jury and people who are selected can also lie about their true position or bias in an attempt to appear desirable to one side or the other while pretending to appear neutral. Perry Mason is dead.

[Lupara]

If Anthony Comello's attorney is going to use that defense of his client being mentally unstable and influenced by Qanon and whatever else. In light of the most recent shootings over the weekend will that defense backfire on him if and when the case goes before a jury? The jury will already be angry because of the senseless loss of innocent life by deranged shooters and then here comes Comello accused (guilty) of the same thing while seeking sympathy and leniency? It might not work.

This is why a jury is dubious. They are not supposed to be angry and biased by something unrelated and let it influence their judgement.

But being human they are not necessarily unbiased. They can even conceal it and lie about their true feelings. There is no preconceived perfect or textbook way these things go. People lie to get off being on a jury and people who are selected can also lie about their true position or bias in an attempt to appear desirable to one side or the other while pretending to appear neutral. Perry Mason is dead.

You only reinforce my point of a jury being dubious. Seems like we are in agreement.

[JCB1977]

I still think the story is interesting as it shows you how karma can affect folks, some dumbass white kid shoots a powerful mafia boss.

No different than the assholes who shoot up schools. The world we live has forever changed. Complete nut job.

[mafiastudent]

If Anthony Comello's attorney is going to use that defense of his client being mentally unstable and influenced by Qanon and whatever else. In light of the most recent shootings over the weekend will that defense backfire on him if and when the case goes before a jury? The jury will already be angry because of the senseless loss of innocent life by deranged shooters and then here comes Comello accused (guilty) of the same thing while seeking sympathy and leniency? It might not work.

This is why a jury is dubious. They are not supposed to be angry and biased by something unrelated and let it influence their judgement.

But being human they are not necessarily unbiased. They can even conceal it and lie about their true feelings. There is no preconceived perfect or textbook way these things go. People lie to get off being on a jury and people who are selected can also lie about their true position or bias in an attempt to appear desirable to one side or the other while pretending to appear neutral. Perry Mason is dead.

This is a true statement. I ignore every jury summons I get (they're usually standby anyway) because the last time I served on a jury, the panel didn't care about the facts or even the case. They wanted to go home and the easiest way to do it was by awarding the plaintiff what he or she wanted. It was truly a case of the litle person fighting the big guy and the jury went with the little guy. I didn't care either way which doesn't say much about me in that respect, I guess. However, I used to write for a couple of Chicago-area newspapers and no matter what anyone says, bias is all around. I worked in public relations for years as well so I saw both sides of the coin. Anyone saying they are unbiased is full of shit.

[kpjohnson]

If Anthony Comello's attorney is going to use that defense of his client being mentally unstable and influenced by Qanon and whatever else. In light of the most recent shootings over the weekend will that defense backfire on him if and when the case goes before a jury? The jury will already be angry because of the senseless loss of innocent life by deranged shooters and then here comes Comello accused (guilty) of the same thing while seeking sympathy and leniency? It might not work.

This is why a jury is dubious. They are not supposed to be angry and biased by something unrelated and let it influence their judgement.

But being human they are not necessarily unbiased. They can even conceal it and lie about their true feelings. There is no preconceived perfect or textbook way these things go. People lie to get off being on a jury and people who are selected can also lie about their true position or bias in an attempt to appear desirable to one side or the other while pretending to appear neutral. Perry Mason is dead.

This is a true statement. I ignore every jury summons I get (they're usually standby anyway) because the last time I served on a jury, the panel didn't care about the facts or even the case. They wanted to go home and the easiest way to do it was by awarding the plaintiff what he or she wanted. It was truly a case of the litle person fighting the big guy and the jury went with the little guy. I didn't care either way which doesn't say much about me in that respect, I guess. However, I used to write for a couple of Chicago-area newspapers and no matter what anyone says, bias is all around. I worked in public relations for years as well so I saw both sides of the coin. Anyone saying they are unbiased is full of shit.

Bravo, spoken like a true mafiastudent. Keep fighting the good fight.

[chubby]

Ever human is biased to some degree.. if you say you’re not then most likely you’re ass is so biased you don’t even realize it.

[mafiastudent]

If Anthony Comello's attorney is going to use that defense of his client being mentally unstable and influenced by Qanon and whatever else. In light of the most recent shootings over the weekend will that defense backfire on him if and when the case goes before a jury? The jury will already be angry because of the senseless loss of innocent life by deranged shooters and then here comes Comello accused (guilty) of the same thing while seeking sympathy and leniency? It might not work.

This is why a jury is dubious. They are not supposed to be angry and biased by something unrelated and let it influence their judgement.

But being human they are not necessarily unbiased. They can even conceal it and lie about their true feelings. There is no preconceived perfect or textbook way these things go. People lie to get off being on a jury and people who are selected can also lie about their true position or bias in an attempt to appear desirable to one side or the other while pretending to appear neutral. Perry Mason is dead.

This is a true statement. I ignore every jury summons I get (they're usually standby anyway) because the last time I served on a jury, the panel didn't care about the facts or even the case. They wanted to go home and the easiest way to do it was by awarding the plaintiff what he or she wanted. It was truly a case of the litle person fighting the big guy and the jury went with the little guy. I didn't care either way which doesn't say much about me in that respect, I guess. However, I used to write for a couple of Chicago-area newspapers and no matter what anyone says, bias is all around. I worked in public relations for years as well so I saw both sides of the coin. Anyone saying they are unbiased is full of shit.

Bravo, spoken like a true mafiastudent. Keep fighting the good fight.

I can't tell if you're being facetious or not, but I stand by what I stand by. I've seen enough crap and had experiences with cops and the "justice" system to know that things are never what they seem. It's a lopsided system. And I'm not ashamed to say it, either.

[maxiestern11]

If Anthony Comello's attorney is going to use that defense of his client being mentally unstable and influenced by Qanon and whatever else. In light of the most recent shootings over the weekend will that defense backfire on him if and when the case goes before a jury? The jury will already be angry because of the senseless loss of innocent life by deranged shooters and then here comes Comello accused (guilty) of the same thing while seeking sympathy and leniency? It might not work.

This is why a jury is dubious. They are not supposed to be angry and biased by something unrelated and let it influence their judgement.

But being human they are not necessarily unbiased. They can even conceal it and lie about their true feelings. There is no preconceived perfect or textbook way these things go. People lie to get off being on a jury and people who are selected can also lie about their true position or bias in an attempt to appear desirable to one side or the other while pretending to appear neutral. Perry Mason is dead.

This is a true statement. I ignore every jury summons I get (they're usually standby anyway) because the last time I served on a jury, the panel didn't care about the facts or even the case. They wanted to go home and the easiest way to do it was by awarding the plaintiff what he or she wanted. It was truly a case of the litle person fighting the big guy and the jury went with the little guy. I didn't care either way which doesn't say much about me in that respect, I guess. However, I used to write for a couple of Chicago-area newspapers and no matter what anyone says, bias is all around. I worked in public relations for years as well so I saw both sides of the coin. Anyone saying they are unbiased is full of shit.

Bravo, spoken like a true mafiastudent. Keep fighting the good fight.

I can't tell if you're being facetious or not, but I stand by what I stand by. I've seen enough crap and had experiences with cops and the "justice" system to know that things are never what they seem. It's a lopsided system. And I'm not ashamed to say it, either.

Not only is the justice system biased, but many judges are “pro” government. And although they are supposed to be even thinking and completely “unbiased” and fair in their decisions.... often, not always, but often, nothing could be further from the truth! The laws and the system leans in favor of convicting and is pro prosecution nearly always!..... perfect example would be judge Weinstein in the eastern district of NY. VERY VERY bad judge for a defendant, especially an Italian with “OC” stamped on his jacket! Your basically screwed if you come before Weinstein or Jacob Mishler who was another judge in the EDNY who was way PRO government! He buried a lot of guys on slim evidence! The FBI and prosecutors loved him and did their best to always swing the calendar so that mob defendants would land in his “venue”!

[mafiastudent]

If Anthony Comello's attorney is going to use that defense of his client being mentally unstable and influenced by Qanon and whatever else. In light of the most recent shootings over the weekend will that defense backfire on him if and when the case goes before a jury? The jury will already be angry because of the senseless loss of innocent life by deranged shooters and then here comes Comello accused (guilty) of the same thing while seeking sympathy and leniency? It might not work.

This is why a jury is dubious. They are not supposed to be angry and biased by something unrelated and let it influence their judgement.

But being human they are not necessarily unbiased. They can even conceal it and lie about their true feelings. There is no preconceived perfect or textbook way these things go. People lie to get off being on a jury and people who are selected can also lie about their true position or bias in an attempt to appear desirable to one side or the other while pretending to appear neutral. Perry Mason is dead.

This is a true statement. I ignore every jury summons I get (they're usually standby anyway) because the last time I served on a jury, the panel didn't care about the facts or even the case. They wanted to go home and the easiest way to do it was by awarding the plaintiff what he or she wanted. It was truly a case of the litle person fighting the big guy and the jury went with the little guy. I didn't care either way which doesn't say much about me in that respect, I guess. However, I used to write for a couple of Chicago-area newspapers and no matter what anyone says, bias is all around. I worked in public relations for years as well so I saw both sides of the coin. Anyone saying they are unbiased is full of shit.

Bravo, spoken like a true mafiastudent. Keep fighting the good fight.

I can't tell if you're being facetious or not, but I stand by what I stand by. I've seen enough crap and had experiences with cops and the "justice" system to know that things are never what they seem. It's a lopsided system. And I'm not ashamed to say it, either.

Not only is the justice system biased, but many judges are “pro” government. And although they are supposed to be even thinking and completely “unbiased” and fair in their decisions.... often, not always, but often, nothing could be further from the truth! The laws and the system leans in favor of convicting and is pro prosecution nearly always!..... perfect example would be judge Weinstein in the eastern district of NY. VERY VERY bad judge for a defendant, especially an Italian with “OC” stamped on his jacket! Your basically screwed if you come before Weinstein or Jacob Mishler who was another judge in the EDNY who was way PRO government! He buried a lot of guys on slim evidence! The FBI and prosecutors loved him and did their best to always swing the calendar so that mob defendants would land in his “venue”!

And don't forget, the government has been biased against Italians since they first started immigrating to this country en masse. They didn't like their hard-to-pronounce names, their food, the way they looked, or the fact they were more resourceful and found more innovative ways to make money -- that most of the people who already lived here hadn't thought of before and thus weren't able to take advantage of.

[kpjohnson]

But being human they are not necessarily unbiased. They can even conceal it and lie about their true feelings. There is no preconceived perfect or textbook way these things go. People lie to get off being on a jury and people who are selected can also lie about their true position or bias in an attempt to appear desirable to one side or the other while pretending to appear neutral. Perry Mason is dead.

This is a true statement. I ignore every jury summons I get (they're usually standby anyway) because the last time I served on a jury, the panel didn't care about the facts or even the case. They wanted to go home and the easiest way to do it was by awarding the plaintiff what he or she wanted. It was truly a case of the litle person fighting the big guy and the jury went with the little guy. I didn't care either way which doesn't say much about me in that respect, I guess. However, I used to write for a couple of Chicago-area newspapers and no matter what anyone says, bias is all around. I worked in public relations for years as well so I saw both sides of the coin. Anyone saying they are unbiased is full of shit.

Bravo, spoken like a true mafiastudent. Keep fighting the good fight.

I can't tell if you're being facetious or not, but I stand by what I stand by. I've seen enough crap and had experiences with cops and the "justice" system to know that things are never what they seem. It's a lopsided system. And I'm not ashamed to say it, either.

mafiastudent, believe it or not I was agreeing with you and actually attempting to pay you a compliment. After rereading my post I can see how it could easily be misconstrued which was never my intention. Believe it or not I am on your side. At least for the moment.

[kpjohnson]

But being human they are not necessarily unbiased. They can even conceal it and lie about their true feelings. There is no preconceived perfect or textbook way these things go. People lie to get off being on a jury and people who are selected can also lie about their true position or bias in an attempt to appear desirable to one side or the other while pretending to appear neutral. Perry Mason is dead.

This is a true statement. I ignore every jury summons I get (they're usually standby anyway) because the last time I served on a jury, the panel didn't care about the facts or even the case. They wanted to go home and the easiest way to do it was by awarding the plaintiff what he or she wanted. It was truly a case of the litle person fighting the big guy and the jury went with the little guy. I didn't care either way which doesn't say much about me in that respect, I guess. However, I used to write for a couple of Chicago-area newspapers and no matter what anyone says, bias is all around. I worked in public relations for years as well so I saw both sides of the coin. Anyone saying they are unbiased is full of shit.

Bravo, spoken like a true mafiastudent. Keep fighting the good fight.

I can't tell if you're being facetious or not, but I stand by what I stand by. I've seen enough crap and had experiences with cops and the "justice" system to know that things are never what they seem. It's a lopsided system. And I'm not ashamed to say it, either.

mafiastudent, believe it or not I was agreeing with you and actually attempting to pay you a compliment. After rereading my post I can see how it could easily be misconstrued which was never my intention. Believe it or not I am on your side. At least for the moment.

[SolarSolano]

Bias exists in all humans - juries are supposed to reduce bias by creating a collection of individuals from different backgrounds all working together to make a judgement on the fate of an individual. It's not perfect - then again, nothing in society really is. In Europe, they have a system where juries are asked a series of legal questions aimed at allowing them to justify their verdict in a legal manner. It's called 'route to verdict' and helps root out bias by focusing everything on legal definitions. They could improve the U.S. justice system by doing that.

[potsnpans]

From Staten Island Live:

https://www.silive.com/news/2019/08/jud ... ation.html

Judge issues gag order in mob-boss slay case; cites phone call on vacation

Updated Aug 13, 2:16 PM; Posted Aug 13, 2:15 PM

By Frank Donnelly | fdonnelly@siadvance.com

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. – In a surprise move, a justice on Tuesday issued a gag order preventing lawyers from discussing with the media and others the pending murder case against the Eltingville man accused of slaying a mob boss outside the victim’s Dongan Hills home five months ago.

Justice William E. Garnett said his actions were spurred by a trans-Atlantic phone call he received on the case while on vacation.

“This case will be litigated in this courtroom. Not in the hallway, not in the lobby or in the street,” Garnett said at the end of a conference in state Supreme Court, St. George.

Garnett warned prosecutors and defense lawyer Robert Gottlieb he would hold them in contempt if they disobey his order.

The ruling summarily ended Gottlieb’s typical post-court discussions with the media.

The judge did not accuse any of the lawyers of wrongdoing.

Gottlieb represents Anthony Comello, 24, who allegedly gunned down Francesco (Franky Boy) Cali, 53, the Gambino crime family’s top honcho, on March 13.

Police said the events unfolded around 9:17 p.m.

Comello crashed into Cali’s Cadillac SUV outside the mobster’s Hilltop Terrace home in what appeared to be a bid to lure the victim away from his family, said authorities.

Cali exited and after the two men talked, Comello fatally shot the victim on a residential street within earshot of several neighbors, police said.

In court papers, Gottlieb said Comello didn’t intend to kill Cali.

Rather, the defendant drove to the house to affect a citizen’s arrest on the mob boss.

He believed Cali “held a significant status in a worldwide criminal cabal bent on the destruction of American values and the American way of life,” a defense motions contends.

That alleged criminal conspiracy group is commonly referred to as the “Deep State.”

In the weeks preceding the slaying, Comello had become increasingly vocal about his support of the QAnon group – a right-wing conspiracy-theory organization in which he believed to have a fundamental role: Protecting President Trump, according to a defense motion.

“Comello’s support for QAnon went beyond mere participation in a radical political organization,” the motion said. “It evolved into a delusional obsession.”

According to the motion, Comello planned to handcuff Cali and deliver him to the military.

The defendant had a gun, but left it in his vehicle to avoid escalating the situation, said his motion.

Comello informed Cali of his intention to arrest him when the victim approached him outside his home, said the motion.

“After a heated exchange, Cali made a furtive action with his hand and Comello became afraid for his life,” the motion said. “He reached into his vehicle, withdrew his gun and shot Cali in self-defense.”

At Tuesday’s conference, Gottlieb said he wants prosecutors to turn over all the warrants and applications used to search Cali’s home and car, as well as all video footage showing the comings and goings outside the victim’s home before and after the shooting.

The lawyer said he wants to see if anyone brought a gun into the residence after Cali was slain.

“We have said in court papers that there’s an issue of self-defense,” Gottlieb told the judge. “Mr. Cali had a gun.”

Assistant District Attorney Michele Molfetta said no weapon was recovered in Cali’s vehicle or inside his home.

In anticipation of presenting an insanity defense, Gottlieb said Comello is undergoing a psychiatric exam.

He said he expects a report from that exam to be completed by the next court date of Sept. 18.

Afterward, prosecutors could have their own doctor examine Comello.

The defendant did not address the court during the 15-minute proceeding, attended by about a half-dozen family members and friends.

Sporting a thick beard, he was garbed in a gray suit with an open-collared blue shirt.

At one point, Comello leaned over and whispered something into Gottlieb’s ear.

Garnett, the judge, said he expects to rule on defense discovery and evidence-suppression motions by the next court date.

Pretrial hearings would likely be scheduled shortly thereafter.

Besides Molfetta, Assistant District Attorneys Carrie Low and Wanda DeOliveira are prosecuting the case.