Hiram Monserrate Verdict: Guilty Of Lesser Charge In Girlfriend Attack, Acquitted Of Felony (VIDEO)

New York State Senator Hiram Monserrate was found not guilty on two counts of felony assault in his slash-and-gash case today.

The Queens Democrat was charged with slashing his girlfriend Karla Giraldo in the face with a broken glass in December of 2008. Monserrate was found guilty of the lesser charge of third-degree assault for dragging a bleeding Giraldo down the hallway of their building after the alleged attack. That charge is only a misdemeanor so the lawmaker will be able to keep his seat in Albany.

Despite initially claiming Monserrate attacked her, Giraldo had refused to cooperate with the prosecution in the case.

WATCH THE SURVEILLANCE VIDEO FROM THE TRIAL:

Comments

[whypassword]

The judge should be ashamed of himself. It is no wonder that the girlfriend was petrified to testify against him.

If he slashed her face for having a business card in her purse, what would he slash for her testifying against him?

The New York taxpayers are subsidizing this batterer's violence against women by paying him a salary in public office.

We paid for the glass that he broke to slash her across the face.

[Eris23]

So now that he was acquitted, you're no longer calling him MONSTER-rate, HP? This was really classy coverage all the way through.

[Okieborn]

This is a situation I really do not understand !!
The lady should file charges and then follow up !!
I am probably wrong but isn't there protection for ladies in this situation !!
The guys a creep and should have gotten the full punishment and the loss of his job !!
This lady will probably end up on the bad end of the final story !!
How very sad !!!

[kamachanda]

Unfortunately many abused people enable and support their abusers. Sounds like this may be the case here.

[OleLadySquawking]

I see a sooner or later dead person.

[Pie7]

Although I don’t advocate violence against others and think he was wrong to put his hands on is girlfriend. There are two sides to every story and only he and she know what took place between them. Now saying all that, I’m glad he is not guilt and will be able to continue to stand up for what majority of New Yorkers don’t want.

[fdavidm]

The chair the judge was sitting on was smarter than this judge. How could he possibly believe the case against Montserat was not proven? This judge was playing politics.

[robjh1]

And the Pols gets off easy. That's the law.

"and we are not saved...:

[lostagain]

Why don't we just dispense with due process and a trial with witnesses and evidence and just declare all men (b/c only men can commit domestic violence) guilty when charged and send them away to prison.

Maybe trial by ordeal can be reinstated. We could use the old tried and true method of inserting a body part in to molten lead and if it shows signs of being burned, then we can declare the accused guilty, then burn the him at the stake.

I'm sure every person claims that the defendant was guilty as charged attended every day of the trial, heard every witness and carefully reviewed all of the exhibits, thus is able to say with moral certainty that the judge was overcome by the effects of his gender and was incapable of objectively considering the evidence.

The more hysteria you inject into these cases, the more you end up sensationalizing a very serious problem and make a real solution impossible.

[moonflowerjewelry]

i appreciate your reminder that we do have laws, and we do have trials by jury. it is not a perfect system in practice, as we sometimes jail or execute the innocent, and let the guilty go free. but it sure beats midnight disappearances straight to the gulag, if you know what i mean.

having said that, if a violent act, such as being dragged through a hallway, occurs once in a relationship, you better believe that it happens regularly. women can be abusers, gays and lesbians can be abusers, police offers, school teachers and so forth... the victims of abuse (women, men, gay partners) are often terrified of their abusers and frequently do not participate in the prosecution out of fear for their safety.

[DKLabRat]

Just a friendly guide to the exit? Did they miss that woman clinging to the door frame before she's yanked clear of it? Didn't look to me like she wanted to go through that door.

[tttom]

Most common defense for similar crimes: "He/she walked into my knife". But even the most defendant-friendly juries just laugh at it. No laughter here. This judge (?!) actually fell for it. Or worse.

[thatgirlinnewyork]

abusers have a way of silencing their victims. this man is a criminal.

[KIVPossum]

Had I, or most of the posters here, done something like that, we'd get time, probably plenty of time. We'd lose our jobs, consequently our homes and cars.

But he can walk into his office tomorrow.

[NelsonBig]

I am sick and tired if politicians getting away with things. People, we have to oust the current officials and restart. This is absolutely ridiculous!

[Cinnamonape]

He was elected just last year (November 2008), about two months prior to the assault. After that he went "rogue" and joined with the Republicans in a coalition.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiram_Monserrate

Which means that, unless his constituents recall him, or he is expelled from the State Senate...New Yorkers are stuck with him until November 2010.