Lawyers for Muzzammil Hassan, 45, who is accused of beheading his wife, were given permission to have psychiatric experts testify that he may have suffered from battered spouse syndrome. The ruling means that prosecutors will seek to delay the start of Hassan's murder trial to give them more time to prepare.
Erie County District Attorney Frank Sedita criticized defense attorneys for waiting a year and a half to make known their strategy. But Hassan changed attorneys four times since being charged. Julie Atti Rogers, Hassan's attorney said the defense would seek an acquittal by showing the February 2009 killing of Aasiya Hassan was justified.
Aasiya Hassan, 37, had threatened her estranged husband with a knife hours before her death and had also threatened to take their children with Pakistan, Rogers said.
Muzzammil Hassan had been served with divorce papers one week before his third wife's body was found with stab wounds and decapitated at the offices in Orchard Park where the couple lived.
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What is a domestic violence charge in Westchester County?
The 'Domestic Violence' term covers a great number of crimes that occur between family members or people in a close relationship. They include, among others, assault, menacing, harassment, aggravated harassment, sexual abuse, unlawful imprisonment, or any crime of violence.
Due to changes in the law as well as the organization of departments within the different New York District Attorney's Offices, domestic violence crimes have become increasingly complex to defend. Most District Attorney's Offices contain special prosecution divisions that carefully monitor prosecutions of crimes that fall under the umbrella of domestic violence. This occurs at both the local court level for misdemeanors and in superior court for felonies. Supervision by a special prosecutions division usually results in protracted proceedings over a period of weeks or months. This holds true even in misdemeanor domestic violence crimes and in domestic violence crimes that are never tried to verdict. Because these cases receive special attention, it is vital that your attorney diligently and steadily keep up with new information and changes in circumstances that come to pass and leverage them to your best advantage.
When choosing a Westchester County domestic violence lawyer, it is essential that you select an attorney which whom you can effectively communicate with. Robert Schuster is a lawyer who listens carefully to his clients and uses all information available to him to generate the smoothest path towards beneficial results. For example, during the pendency of a domestic violence prosecution there will likely be one or more Orders of Protection in place. Should these Orders be violated, criminal contempt charges will result. In order to avoid both stifling family conditions or any exacerbation of existing charges, Attorney Schuster uses his skills and experience to effectively negotiate the terms and conditions of these protective Orders and their provisions to best serve the interests of his clients as he works to bring your criminal matter to an end.