Syracuse, NY - Kyle Boos and Dylan Jones both were given a chance by Onondaga County Judge Tony Aloi to get their lives in order after admitting guilt in the burglary of a Pompey home from which a valuable animal pelt collection was stolen. The duo – teenagers from Manlius at the time of the crime – both avoided...
Tony AloiSyracuse, NY - Kyle Boos and Dylan Jones both were given a chance by Onondaga County Judge Tony Aloi to get their lives in order after admitting guilt in the burglary of a Pompey home from which a valuable animal pelt collection was stolen.
The duo – teenagers from Manlius at the time of the crime – both avoided state prison when Aloi sentenced them to five years’ probation with six months in jail for that burglary and others.
It took less than a year, however, for both to be back before the judge in trouble again.
Jones pleaded guilty Thursday to violating probation by testing positive for marijuana April 15. Boos pleaded guilty two weeks ago to violating probation by being thrown out of a substance abuse treatment program for not attending.
Aloi is giving both another chance in a more intensive probation supervision program.
Authorities said the two were recruited by Joseph Sparcino to commit burglaries, including the October 2008 break-in at the home of John Rybinski from which valuable animal pelts – polar bear, musk ox, zebra, black bears, caribou and coyote – were stolen.
The property was recovered and Sparcino, 39, was sentenced last year to five years in prison for his role.
Judge asks if ignition interlock law apply to out-of-state motorists
There’s been a lot of publicity in the past two weeks about the implementation of a new state law requiring any motorists convicted of DWI to be required to have an ignition interlock device installed in their vehicles.
That section of Leandra’s Law seems pretty clear: the interlock system must be installed in any vehicle owned and operated by the convicted drunken driver.
But a question arose in City Judge Kate Rosenthal’s courtroom last week: How does the law apply to an out-of-state motorist.
The case before Rosenthal involved a Florida resident charged with DWI while here in Syracuse for a family matter.
The judge pointed out the Florida man clearly was losing his privilege to drive in New York as a result. But when she asked Assistant District Attorney Jim Daley how the mandatory ignition interlock law could be implemented for any vehicles the defendant owned and operated in Florida, the prosecutor didn’t have an answer.
Rosenthal adjourned the case to have the issue researched. Senior Assistant DA Chris Bednarski, who heads the prosecution’s DWI unit, said his office will contend Rosenthal can order the interlock device regardless of where the defendant resides.
Syracuse man drops self-representation request, gets new lawyer
When it comes to guilt or innocence in a gun-possession case, Darell Harlow contended in court Thursday he has truth on his side.
He didn’t possess a gun and he was the victim of someone else firing shots at him, Harlow maintained. And, he no longer wanted lawyer Tom Marris representing him with the case scheduled for trial in November. Harlow said he’d handle the job himself.
So County Judge Tony Aloi started asking about his level of education and his familiarity with the criminal justice system.
“I’m experienced enough to know the truth,” Harlow said.
The whole discussion changed, however, when Aloi said he’d keep Marris on board to assist and Marris said he believed Harlow would rather have another lawyer.
When Harlow said he would prefer that, Aloi assigned lawyer Chuck Keller and Harlow withdrew his request to represent himself.