A former president turning into the primary in US historical past to be convicted of felony crimes, a mayor charged with taking bribes and an alleged murderer with legions of twisted followers.
They and different high-profile figures took heart stage throughout a dizzying and dramatic 12 months in New York’s courts — as The Publish was there to chronicle each gripping second.
Listed here are simply seven of essentially the most dramatic scenes to unfold in metropolis courthouses in 2024:
7. Ex-NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani erupts in courtroom the place he was as soon as lionized
Rudy Giuliani shot to fame as a crusading US Legal professional in Manhattan federal courtroom, the place he pioneered aggressive mob prosecutions within the Nineteen Eighties.
However the former New York Metropolis mayor in November blew an epic fuse in the exact same district, after a federal choose introduced up his legendary previous.
Giuliani, 80, erupted as District Choose Lewis Liman grilled him over why he had not turned over the title to his 1980 Mercedes convertible to 2 Georgia election employees he’s been discovered liable of defaming after the 2020 presidential election.
“Your shopper is a reliable individual. He was the US Legal professional on this district,” Liman mentioned, addressing Giuliani’s lawyer.
“The notion that he can’t apply for a title certificates,” he continued — earlier than Giuliani lower him off.
“I did apply for it!” Giuliani pleaded. “What am I speculated to do, make it up myself?
“Each implication that you simply’ve made is in opposition to me!”
A trial over whether or not Giuliani will probably be pressured to surrender his Florida residence and Yankees World Sequence rings to the Georgia election employees is about for Jan. 16, 2025.
6. Disgraced NJ Sen. Bob Menendez blames his spouse for gold bar bribes
Former New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez’s bribery trial revealed so much in regards to the disgraced Democrat — together with his style for swigging Cognac in his yard and eating on the Backyard State’s swankiest eateries.
However maybe essentially the most memorable second of the Manhattan federal courtroom case got here throughout opening statements, the place the then-senator blamed his personal spouse for the gold bars FBI brokers discovered of their dwelling.
The veteran lawmaker’s lawyer, Avi Weitzman, claimed to jurors that the “dazzling, tall” Nadine Menendez “sidelined” her hubby and stashed away the treasure with out his data.
However the “blame-my-wife” authorized technique didn’t work.
Menendez was convicted in July of pocketing the gold bars, plus lots of of 1000’s of {dollars} in money and a Mercedes, in trade for wielding his affect to profit three New Jersey businessmen and the governments of Qatar and Egypt.
5. Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs hit with bombshell indictment alleging he orchestrated sick ‘freak-offs’
Sean “Diddy” Combs’ indictment unsealed in September marked an epic fall from grace for a person as soon as thought of to be essentially the most highly effective mogul within the music trade.
Combs — who was ordered to chill his heels at Brooklyn’s troubled Metropolitan Detention Heart till his Might 2025 trial — pleaded not responsible to racketeering and intercourse trafficking costs at his Manhattan federal courtroom arraignment.
In keeping with the feds, the über-wealthy “I’ll Be Lacking You” rapper ran his label, Dangerous Boy Information, as a legal enterprise, with himself because the kingpin, for greater than a decade.
Court docket papers accuse him of abusing, threatening and coercing girls “to satisfy his sexual wishes, defend his repute, and conceal his conduct.”
The indictment — which echoed allegations made by Combs’ ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura in a civil go well with filed a 12 months earlier — describes so-called “freak-offs,” days-long sexual performances by which Combs allegedly pressured his lovers to have intercourse with male prostitutes whereas he watched.
4. Daniel Penny beats the rap in deadly subway chokehold of Jordan Neely
Manhattan prosecutors admitted at the beginning of Daniel Penny’s trial in October that it “gained’t be simple” to convict the Marine veteran of “recklessly” choking mentally unwell homeless man Jordan Neely to demise on the subway.
But it surely was nonetheless beautiful to see simply how shortly the Lengthy Island native went from going through as much as 15 years in jail to being cleared of all costs.
First, District Legal professional Alvin Bragg’s workplace took the drastic step late on a Friday of transferring to toss the highest cost of manslaughter after jurors twice mentioned they couldn’t agree on a verdict.
The choice was made within the hope that jurors would convict on the lesser cost of criminally negligent murder.
As a substitute, the 12 Manhattanites shortly acquitted Penny, 26, after they resumed deliberations after the weekend.
Because the jury forewoman learn out the phrases “not responsible,” Penny — who had sat stone-faced for a lot of the four-week trial — broke out an enormous smile.
His supporters erupted in applause, prompting anger from Neely’s devastated father, Andre Zachary, who courtroom officers ended up escorting out of the room.
“It actually, actually hurts,” Zachary instructed reporters afterward. “I had sufficient of this. The system is rigged.”
3. Mayor Eric Adams, ex-cop who ran on preventing crime, charged with corruption
Mayor Eric Adams, a former NYPD police captain, promised New Yorkers throughout his 2021 marketing campaign that he would crack down on crime, which skyrocketed throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
The feds confronted him in September, nonetheless, with alleged crimes of his personal to reply for — and Adams grew to become the primary New York Metropolis mayor to be charged with a federal crime whereas in workplace.
Prosecutors allege he took luxurious journey perk bribes from Turkish nationals — and returned the favor by pressuring officers to fast-track the opening of Manhattan’s Turkish consulate constructing.
He’s additionally charged with defrauding taxpayers by welcoming phony marketing campaign donations from Turks that had been “matched” by metropolis funds.
Adams has denied legal wrongdoing. His trial has been scheduled for Might 21, 2025, smack in the midst of his re-election marketing campaign.
2. Luigi Mangione faces weird helipad ‘perp stroll’ — and matches sweaters with lawyer
Everybody seemingly desires a chunk of Luigi Mangione, the Ivy League college graduate charged with executing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in chilly blood on a Midtown sidewalk in December.
Hours earlier than the 26-year-old Maryland native was set to seem in Manhattan state courtroom — the place he’s charged with homicide as an “act of terrorism” — the feds swooped in with their very own case.
A small military of automated rifle-bearing NYPD officers, FBI brokers — and even the mayor — paraded Mangione in entrance of the media as they escorted him out of a police helicopter after he was extradited to New York Metropolis from Pennsylvania.
Days after he made a short look in Manhattan federal courtroom, cops led Mangione down a state courthouse hallway for yet one more camera-ready perp stroll within the district lawyer’s case.
The accused killer strode into Manhattan Supreme Court docket clad in a maroon sweater over a white collared shirt, which matched the equally layered sweater match of his lawyer, Karen Friedman Agnifilo.
He has pleaded not responsible. His subsequent listening to in state courtroom is scheduled for Feb. 21, 2025.
1. Donald Trump convicted in historic ‘hush cash’ case after Stormy Daniels showdown
President-elect Donald Trump was convicted by a Manhattan jury in Might on 34 felony counts of fudging enterprise information to cowl up a payoff to former porn star Stormy Daniels.
The historic verdict adopted a wild, seven-week trial that noticed X-rated testimony from Daniels, who described an alleged temporary sexual encounter with Trump as he sat fuming on the protection desk in Manhattan Supreme Court docket.
Jurors on the notorious “hush cash” trial struggled to maintain a straight face as Daniels — speaking quick and gesturing wildly — described spanking Trump with a rolled-up journal that had his face on the quilt.
The salacious quip brought about Trump to reportedly flip to his legal professionals and say, “That’s bulls–t,” — and drew a rebuke from the choose, who warned the ex-president about “audibly cursing” in entrance of jurors.
However polling constantly confirmed that the voters didn’t care in regards to the end result of the case — which Trump ripped as a “politically motivated” bid to beat him within the courts reasonably than on the poll.
And in November, America despatched a convicted felon to the White Home for the primary time in historical past.
Trump’s legal professionals have urged the trial choose to throw out the conviction in mild of his election, and have vowed to attraction the decision.
Blissful New 12 months — and see you again in courtroom in 2025.
— Extra reporting by Kyle Schnitzer and Matt Troutman
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