A Lengthy Island man convicted of stabbing and robbing a funeral residence director in 2023 exploded in a Suffolk County courtroom Tuesday — trying to fireplace his legal professional, interrupting prosecutors and calling the decide “the satan” earlier than receiving a 25-year jail sentence.
Jason Funderburke, 39, who was convicted by a jury in March, stormed into the courtroom Wednesday and tried to reject its authority to ship a sentence — obnoxiously objecting each time the prosecutor spoke and inflicting the decide to inform him to “shut up” through the testy proceedings.
“I’m not being sentenced at this time,” Funderburke stated on the high of his lungs, claiming the state offered “no proof” of his guilt.
“You had been convicted by a jury of your friends,” a befuddled Choose Timothy Mazzei replied.
Funderburke, who hails from Hempstead, then started shouting over the decide, rattling off random cherry-picked sections of state and federal regulation, accusing the court docket of violating his First and 14th Modification rights.
He additionally refused to deal with the decide with respect, as a substitute calling him “Mr. Mazzei” as a result of he’s “not honorable.”
“Will you shut up?!” the decide ultimately snapped at Funderburke, briefly eradicating him from the court docket earlier than bringing him again for ultimate sentencing.
His legal professional requested the decide to consider his shopper’s “clear and severe psychological well being points” displayed all through the trial — which solely additional enraged Funderburke, main him to aim to fireplace his authorized counsel on the spot.
“You don’t characterize me! I’ll characterize myself,” he shouted.
Finally, the decide proceeded to condemn Funderburke amid his defiant screams and objections – sentencing him to 25 years and kicking him out of the court docket.
“Have a superb day,” Funderburke stated sarcastically as he was dragged out by court docket officers.
“It’ll be higher than yours,” Mazzei shot again.
“No, you gained’t since you’re the satan,” the convicted man yelled on the decide as he was taken away.
In keeping with proof offered at trial, the unidentified director of an Amityville funeral residence was getting into his enterprise on Aug. 23, 2023, when he was rushed by Funderburke and an confederate.
Funderburke and his confederate then confirmed the proprietor an image of his household and demanded that the funeral residence proprietor empty his pockets whereas brandishing a knife.
When he refused, Funderburke and his confederate stabbed him twice and stole his pockets and telephones, the DA stated.
The unidentified sufferer survived the stabbing.
“We won’t tolerate violent assaults in Suffolk County,” District Legal professional Ray Tierney stated. “This three-time convicted felon made the selection to rob and stab an proprietor of a funeral residence, somebody who serves our group throughout their most solemn moments.
“Let me be clear that we are going to do every little thing in our energy to guard our residents from violent criminals. This sentence will be certain that defendant Funderburke is not capable of harm our residents.”
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