GUILTY NY - Joseph Comunale, 26, Manhattan, 12 Nov 2016 - #3

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  • #321
  • #322
Rackover’s attorney asked the pool of possible jurors on Monday to “keep an open mind” during the trial.

Comunale’s murder will be discussed in graphic detail during the trial and jurors will be shown disturbing autopsy photos that will be “very difficult to sit through.”

On Monday, Assistant DA said that drug use will be discussed in the trial and asked the possible jurors whether they would discount testimony from anyone who abuses drugs.

Other questions involved law enforcement, and whether any potential jurors had had negative experiences with police officers, many of whom could be asked to testify.

She also said the prosecution may be unable to fully define the “division of labor” between Rackover and Dilione and asked jurors whether they would be able to come to a verdict without knowing exactly who did what.

Rackover, who had often appeared at hearings wearing a white t-shirt, was in a full suit on Monday.

Nonetheless, he appeared to make an unfavorable impression on some potential jurors who had been dismissed after being vetted by the ADA.

One possible juror who was not selected questioned Rackover’s credibility after seeing him “laughing and smiling and joking with his lawyer.”

Two others said they would have a hard time being impartial jurors if they discovered the defendant had committed past errors.

Jury trial selection begins for Stamford man’s N.Y. murder
 
  • #323
from jail site for Rackover:

Next Court Date: 18-OCT-2018

link: NYC: Department of Correction | ILS - Inmate Lookup System

Taking today off??

I'll post this anyway....

Wednesday, Oct. 17th:
*Trial continues (Day 3) (@ 9:30am ET) - NY - Joey Comunale (26) (Nov. 13, 2016) – only for *James Rackover (26) arrested (11-16-16) & indicted on 2nd degree murder & for the alleged strangling, stabbing & dismemberment, concealment of corpse tampering with evidence & hindering prosecution; plead not guilty. $100K bond, $300K cash.
9/24/18 Update Day 1: No updates as of 9/25. 9/25/18 Update Day 2: No trial happening. No explanation YET! Next court date for Rackover is 10/2. 10/2/18 Update: Next court date 10/11. Continued to 10/12. Trial to start on 10/15.
10/15/18 Update: Day 1 – Jury selection started out with 80 prospective jurors. End of day selected 5 women/3 men. Jury selection continues on 10/16. Opening statements slated for Thursday, 10/18.
10/16/18 Update: Day 2 – Jury selection continues. No further info available.
Accomplices:
*Lawrence R. Dilione (28) arrested (11-16-16) & indicted on 2nd degree murder & for the alleged strangling, stabbing & dismemberment, concealment of corpse & tampering with evidence; plead not guilty; $3M bond, $300K Cash only.
Will be tried after Rackover. Had hearing on 10/9. Next hearing 1/14/19.
*Max Gemma (29) arrested (12-6-16) & indicted of allegedly helping clean up after the fact, hindering prosecution & tampering with evidence; plead not guilty. $200K bond, out on bail.
Had hearing on 10/9. Next hearing 1/14/19.
4/23/18: Manhattan Supreme Court Justice James Burke severed the cases against murder suspects James Rackover, 26, of New York, & Lawrence Dilione, 29, of Jersey City, N.J., Monday afternoon. Rackover will be the first to go to trial beginning Sept. 24, after which a trial date will be set for Dilione. A third defendant, Max Gemma, 30, of Oceanport, N.J., who is charged with hindering prosecution & tampering with evidence for allegedly misleading police during their investigation, is expected to go to trial last.
 
  • #324
Thursday, October 18th:
*Trial continues (Day 4) (@ 9:30am ET) - NY - Joey Comunale (26) (Nov. 13, 2016, Manhattan) – only for *James Rackover (26) arrested (11-16-16) & indicted on 2nd degree murder & for the alleged strangling, stabbing & dismemberment, concealment of corpse tampering with evidence & hindering prosecution; plead not guilty. $100K bond, $300K cash.
9/24/18 Update Day 1: No updates as of 9/25. 9/25/18 Update Day 2: No trial happening. No explanation YET! Next court date for Rackover is 10/2. 10/2/18 Update: Next court date 10/11. Continued to 10/12. Trial to start on 10/15.
10/15/18 Update: Day 1 – Jury selection started out with 80 prospective jurors. End of day selected 5 women/3 men. Jury selection continues on 10/16. Opening statements slated for Thursday, 10/18.
10/16/18 Update: Day 2 – Jury selection continues. No further info available.
10/17/18 Update: Day 3 – no info yet. Trial continues to 10/18.
Accomplices:
*Lawrence R. Dilione (28) arrested (11-16-16) & indicted on 2nd degree murder & for the alleged strangling, stabbing & dismemberment, concealment of corpse & tampering with evidence; plead not guilty; $3M bond, $300K Cash only. Will be tried after Rackover. Had hearing on 10/9. Next hearing 1/14/19.
*Max Gemma (29) arrested (12-6-16) & indicted of allegedly helping clean up after the fact, hindering prosecution & tampering with evidence; plead not guilty. $200K bond, out on bail. Had hearing on 10/9. Next hearing 1/14/19.
4/23/18: Manhattan Supreme Court Justice James Burke severed the cases against murder suspects James Rackover, 26, of New York, & Lawrence Dilione, 29, of Jersey City, N.J., Monday afternoon. Rackover will be the first to go to trial beginning Sept. 24, after which a trial date will be set for Dilione. A third defendant, Max Gemma, 30, of Oceanport, N.J., who is charged with hindering prosecution & tampering with evidence for allegedly misleading police during their investigation, is expected to go to trial last.
 
  • #325
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  • #328
Friday, October 19th:
*Trial continues (Day 5) (@ 9:30am ET) - NY - Joey Comunale (26) (Nov. 13, 2016, Manhattan) – only for *James Rackover (26) arrested (11-16-16) & indicted on 2nd degree murder & for the alleged strangling, stabbing & dismemberment, concealment of corpse tampering with evidence & hindering prosecution; plead not guilty. $100K bond, $300K cash.
9/24/18 Update Day 1: No updates as of 9/25. 9/25/18 Update Day 2: No trial happening. No explanation YET! Next court date for Rackover is 10/2. 10/2/18 Update: Next court date 10/11. Continued to 10/12. Trial to start on 10/15.
10/15/18 Update: Day 1 – Jury selection started out with 80 prospective jurors. End of day selected 5 women/3 men. Jury selection continues on 10/16. Opening statements slated for Thursday, 10/18.
10/16/18 Update: Day 2 – Jury selection continues. No further info available.
10/17/18 Update: Day 3 – no info yet.
10/18/18 Update: Day 4 – Opening statements. State witnesses:
Accomplices:
*Lawrence R. Dilione (28) arrested (11-16-16) & indicted on 2nd degree murder & for the alleged strangling, stabbing & dismemberment, concealment of corpse & tampering with evidence; plead not guilty; $3M bond, $300K Cash only. Will be tried after Rackover. Had hearing on 10/9. Next hearing 1/14/19.
*Max Gemma (29) arrested (12-6-16) & indicted of allegedly helping clean up after the fact, hindering prosecution & tampering with evidence; plead not guilty. $200K bond, out on bail. Had hearing on 10/9. Next hearing 1/14/19.
4/23/18: Manhattan Supreme Court Justice James Burke severed the cases against murder suspects James Rackover, 26, of New York, & Lawrence Dilione, 29, of Jersey City, N.J., Monday afternoon. Rackover will be the first to go to trial beginning Sept. 24, after which a trial date will be set for Dilione. A third defendant, Max Gemma, 30, of Oceanport, N.J., who is charged with hindering prosecution & tampering with evidence for allegedly misleading police during their investigation, is expected to go to trial last.
 
  • #329
Niner said:
Hi - could someone please give me the witnesses that testified in this article? I can't access the NY Daily News. It's blocked over here. I'd like to keep a list of witnesses that testify on my descriptions for each day. :)

TIA!
Click to expand...

Tears ran down devastated dad Patsy Comunale’s face as the loss and pain filled his heart — again. The father of mutilated murder victim Joey Comunale, in heartbreaking testimony Thursday, recalled the moments when he last saw his son alive — one day before the young man was stabbed, set afire, butchered and buried in a shallow New Jersey grave.

Lisa Comunale, with her husband’s arm wrapped around her, wept into her hands while Patsy Comunale quietly fought back tears.

Defense attorney Maurice Sercarz declined to pose even a single query when given the chance to cross-examine Comunale.

"I have no questions,” he said. “I only have condolences."
 
  • #330
  • #331
So according to those article only Comunale's father & Lt. Donna Morgan were on the stand yesterday. That's all I could find at least...

Thank you for the articles JerseyGirl!
 
  • #332
Niner said:
So according to those article only Comunale's father & Lt. Donna Morgan were on the stand yesterday. That's all I could find at least...

Thank you for the articles JerseyGirl!
Click to expand...

Yes, that's all. Opening statements were in the morning.

I found one tweeter:

Shayna Jacobs‏ @shaynajacobs
Father of victim Joseph Comunale is the first witness. He was brought to tears before his testimony even began.
 
  • #333
and this tweeter doesn't have much either.

#josephcomunale - Twitter Search

wonder "why" there is not more coverage by some reporters & their tweeting??!! Strange if you ask me! You would think this would be "big" in NYC, eh?
 
  • #334
Opening Statements In Murder Trial Of James Rackover

Oct 18, 2018

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
  • #335
SURROGATE SON OF CELEBRITY JEWELER SHOWED 'MONSTROUS INDIFFERENCE TO HUMAN LIFE', PROSECUTORS SAY

OCTOBER 18, 2018

"A 26-year-old man set out to enjoy a night in New York City but instead “found a horrible and unprovoked death," allegedly at the hands of James Rackover, the surrogate son of a celebrity jeweler, and his friend, prosecutors told a jury at the start of Rackover’s murder trial.

“It is James Rackover’s monstrous indifference for human life that has brought us here today,” Assistant District Attorney Peter Casolaro said in prosecutors' opening argument Thursday morning....

But Rackover’s lawyer, Maurice Sercarz, told the jury that there “was no animosity” between Comunale and Rackover, and that it was Dilione alone who killed Comunale “in a drug and alcohol fueled attack.”...

Although Rackover and Dilione are charged with acting together, they are being tried separately because both blame each other for the murder.

A third man, Max Gemma, 30, was also inside the apartment when Comunale was murdered but did not take part in the killing, Casolaro said. Gemma is accused of helping the two dispose of Comunale’s remains, and will also be tried separately...."

Surrogate Son Of Celebrity Jeweler Showed 'Monstrous Indifference To Human Life', Prosecutors Say

comunale.jpg


(Joseph Comunale)
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  • #336
  • #337
Inthedetails said:
It's getting very little coverage.
Click to expand...
With so little coverage, I’ve been wondering if “daddy warbucks” has paid $ to keep it out of the media.
 
  • #338
Tippy Lynn said:
With so little coverage, I’ve been wondering if “daddy warbucks” has paid $ to keep it out of the media.
Click to expand...
The thought has crossed my mind.....

jmo
 
  • #339
Timeline surrounding the death of Joseph Comunale

"(All times and information taken from court documents and NYPD police report)..."

Timeline surrounding the death of Joseph Comunale
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  • #340
So - no articles on "what" happened on Friday, eh?

TIA if someone posts some! :)
 
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