James Beard, of Utica, pleaded guilty before Judge Michael L. Dwyer April 8 to one count of second-degree manslaughter, reduced from murder, court officials said. Beard accepted a plea offer for three to nine years in state prison, and he is scheduled to return for sentencing on May 28.
Judge Dwyer issued this week a 56-page decision in the matter, following a hearing held in his courtroom in Utica on Nov. 13. Dwyer thoroughly examined all of the issues raised at the hearing by Conley and her defense attorney, Melissa Swartz, of Syracuse, who sought to set aside Conley's manslaughter conviction and hold a new trial.
Karam appeared before Oneida County Court Judge Michael L. Dwyer Thursday morning and both his defense attorneys and the District Attorney's Office asked for an adjournment. Assistant District Attorney Laurie Lisi said they were "inching towards" a possible plea deal in the case.
Louis LaPolla, 78, pleaded guilty before Oneida County Court Judge Michael L. Dwyer to one count of misdemeanor petit larceny, reduced from felony grand larceny.
Taylor Uvanni, 28, appeared before Judge Michael L. Dwyer on Wednesday for motion argument, on charges of aggravated cruelty to an animal, a class E felony, and torturing, injuring and not feeding an animal, a misdemeanor. Court officials said Judge Dwyer set a Feb. 29 suppression hearing date to discuss the statements that Uvanni made to law enforcement officials, to determine if they can be used against her at trial.
Taylor Uvanni, 28, appeared before Judge Michael L. Dwyer on charges of aggravated cruelty to an animal, a class E felony, and torturing, injuring and not feeding an animal, a misdemeanor. She is represented by defense attorney John Raspante. A plea offer was made by the District Attorney's Office, and Uvanni rejected the offer in favor of taking her case to trial.
Michael Nolan, a law clerk for the Oneida County Court and former assistant district attorney, is running for Oneida County Court Judge in the 2024 election.
UTICA — Utica man Tyrell Brown pleaded not guilty in Oneida County Court Friday morning on charges of murder and weapons possession following the fatal shooting inside HK Restaurant and
UTICA, N.Y. — Former Utica City School District (UCSD) superintendent Bruce Karam and former Utica mayor and UCSD school board president Louis LaPolla were arrested and charged for allegedly using nearly $15,000 in taxpayer funds to pay for political campaigns and a non-school related fundraiser.
UTICA — A 20-year-old Utica man has been sentenced to 19 years to life in state prison for shooting and killing another man in November, according to Oneida County Court