Very sad story and very difficult for two families.
It does not appear from the facts presented that a fair honest trial was not had with all of the evidence being presented. The legal system failed in presenting the evidence, all of it, and thus justice was not served.
Very disappointing.
Jpmots - 12 years ago
Why does everything have to do with race.... There is so much reverse racism in this country in which the left wing and elite media do nothing but keep it stirred up. People of color in this country have more rights and special treatment than any of the mainstream population... This is just another example of it..... And that cooky judge pirro was the biggest instigater. In my opinion this is reverse racism at its best. As far as the victims brother, he may know his brother but people from any background have the potential to "snap" given the right circumstances
william - 12 years ago
no matter what you do you cannot make wrong right it is impossible even with money or color what do you really think your argument with God will be
3 to 1 sounds like a scary situation to be in if your the one. They clearly took their frustrations out on the guy because of their beefs with the tenants. I personally feel that they did not have to put a sticker on his car. He was only going to the store to get pizza, it was not like he was trying to park over night. The shooter over reacted just like the rest of the family. They made a desicion to be impractical and these are the results. I was always taught to not sweet the small stuff but aparently this was a big deal for some strange reason. They say that race did not play a part but how many white young white guys have you heard died over something so petty and stupid. Just was served, if we all pulled out a gun shot people because we felt threatened, it would be the Wild Wild West all over again.
williaam - 12 years ago
race determined the verdict because death was not absolutely needed, if it were a white with the bat u would argue the black man did not have to kill the white officer, the same is true in reverse have you people no godliness about you.
william - 12 years ago
cops r trained to kill when they should be trained to maim. Why then is a taser so popular now because it does not kill but renders the assailant harmless life is to precious. Campbell did not have a gun he had a bat the officer deserves life if not two of them. There was no twist of justice.
Chris - 12 years ago
My goodness!! If that would have been me I know I would have done the same thing. Just because the guy was black and his brother!! says he would never do something like this doesn't mean he didn't lose it. I really hope the supreme court changes its mind!!
JCD - 12 years ago
"if there was no baseball bat, there wouldn't have been a gun" as stated. If Cambell didnt have such a big head and just moved his car in the first place he still would be alive today. Its really not that hard to get in your car turn the key and move. Cambells ego clearly got in the way. As for shooting someone who is hitting a loved one with a baseball bat, you bet i would do the same. Janine Pirro and Al Sharpton needed media attention for selfish reasons. People really need to quit it with the race card and give it a rest. Clearly there was no evidence that racial comments were exchanged so they could not bring it up in trial, however if it was the other way around (Richie being shot by Cambell) it would not even be thought of as a racial crime. It is 2011 every one is equal, get over it, your not a minority anymore. Another thing that bothers me was that CNN didnt even touch the subject on how long Cambells wrap sheet was. He was a thug, nothing what his brother describes him as. Cambells own damn son was taken away from him by the state and put with other family members because of the drugs and trouble he got into. Just like the Casey Anthony case, the judicial system has failed us once again. Richie has served more than enough time, LET HIM OUT!
AIS - 12 years ago
Why did race determine the verdict when it was very clear that self defence was the reason for shooting? If race precedes actions of victims, then law abiding citizens have little hope of justice against criminal actions of a minority race? Here was a son doing what any son would have done to protect a father. If roles were reversed, it would have been the same. Pity this man has to sit in jail for love and protection of his father.
william - 12 years ago
I Don't Care what u say the cop could have aimed for the legs if all he was really trying to do was stop Campbell all he had to do was shoot for the legs not the chest the killing was racially motivated cops to often aim to kill when all that is needed is maiming.
LMO - 12 years ago
For those of you who have never had to endure a situation like watching your Family member being brutally attacked by a defiant, enraged and drug enduced felon.............you shouldn't comment on how Richie should've handled this situation. Richie was simply protecting his Father and sadly this is the result. Charles started trouble by not following the rules and now Richie is the victim! :(
Jlw - 12 years ago
A great injustice has been committed. A bat is a deadly weapon. It was self defense. Politics has destroyed this man's life.
Juan Osorio - 12 years ago
Police officers are trained to shoot at "center mass" not at moving arms or legs nor are they allowed to fire warning shots, remember ''what goes up must come down''. Richie did what he was trained to do. Are Human lives lost sometimes? Yes. Is it alway intentional? No. That is what happen on that day. Two families were distroyed on that day, this could have been avoided if Campbell would have obeyed the posted sign, if after the struggle he would have gotten into his vehicle and left. Instead it escalated and the end result was Campbell lost his life and Richie was sentenced to jail. Richie is behind bars because the District Attorney Pirro did anything possible to win votes. She would gain the black vote by putting a Police officer behind bars. Why won't she give any interviews? Why did she turn it into a racial incident yet not bring it up in court? Was Justice really served?
James - 12 years ago
Although I believe justice was served in that he killed a man without merit. His father was not in a life or death situation. His father could have chosen to walk away. The man shot dead another man and he can not return from the dead, but one day we all will go to him.
Why the courts released him and then sent him back is tragic, and I believe his good behavior while free should give the parole board notice to let him go free after the 20 yrs.
Everyone needs mercy, even ones who pull the trigger and take a life. God forgives.
bxbori - 12 years ago
This case has NOTHING to do with racism. It's absolutely disgusting to see that whenever individuals of different races or ethnicities are involved in an issue, the automatic assumption of many is that racism is involved.
Now, we have all heard the stories of Richie and the witnesses. We have also heard the story of Charles Campbell's brother (who is not an eyewitness). Apparently, some individuals are still unable to comprehend the story. To my knowledge and understanding, Campbell was no angel. The only reason that he worked with under privileged children was because he was serving community service (as a criminal), but the media fails to bring up these small details. Charles Campbell’s religion has nothing to do with the type of person that he was. From my own life experiences, I have seen that some of the cruelest individuals are those that boast about their religion.
I do agree that losing a life to a parking spot is not easy to digest, but I also believe that Richie had done right by defending his father. After the quarrel, Richie’s side had ceased argument and physical contact. Why did Campbell have to continue? There had been no physical contact between the two parties prior to Charles Campbell’s aggression.
Both families have been torn apart due to pure ignorance. If Campbell had been respectfully asked to move his vehicle, I do not see why there would be such an issue to do so; especially after the fact that there was a sign posted on the deli’s window stating that the parking spot was reserved.
I definitely believe that justice was NOT served. I pray for you and your family Richie. Keep fueling that flame of hope.
Justice? - 12 years ago
Maybe he did not have a clear shot that was below the waist. I still understand how the four judges overturned this case. Clearly the witnesses were tampered with and critical evidence withheld, but they rule that this information would have had no bearing on the verdict? The Justice system errored...
Jrr - 12 years ago
Pirro is a self-serving police hating woman whose only interest in this case was to procure the votes of her black constituents. She is married to a criminal, but has the nerve to prosecute others and profit from her misdeeds.
James Espocito - 12 years ago
I think Richard DiGuglielmo should have shot to wound and not to kill. One shot in the leg would have put Campbell down on the ground. And if Campbell continued to attack after that then deadly force would have been justified.
As for it being racially motivated...It was a fight so I'm sure some strong words were exchanged between both parties. I definitely don't believe the elder DiGuglielmo when he says no curse words were exchanged. But I don't think this was racially charged in any way, shape, or form. The witnesses said they heard no racial epithets exchanged. The way the D.A. and prosecution used the race card to convict is totally wrong.
joltinjoe8 - 12 years ago
All we need to know is this:
We have two witnesses that say it was self defense.
The same two witnesses that were coerced to change their stories by the police.
Why were police trying to get these witnesses to change thier storeies anyway?
No one has thought to question the law enforcement officials who did the questioning.
Why? Because if that happens the ugly truth will come out. This police officer was made an example of? Get the officers who did the questioning on the stand?
They say this was about revenge, about retribution.
They are right. Charles Campbell wanted revenge.
Ask yourself this? If he was able to get back to his car and get a bat, why didn't he just get in his car and leave?
This is unbelievable. No one wants to talk about what is really going on here.
For those of you who ask why didn't DiGuglielmo identify himself as a police officer, or better yet, why didn't he shoot Campell in the leg? Are you kidding me? Here's why - A bat is a deadly weapon, and Mr. Campbell was already in the process of enacting his revenge. If he was not shot, then the elder DiGuglielmo would be dead.
We teach our children that bad men go to prison. We tell them that people that are a danger to society belong behind bars. Richard DiGuglielmo is a good man who made his living by protecting others. He was a danger to one man, and that man was swinging a bat at his father. We were all born with instincts. To protect a family member is instinctual. Who gave us those instincts? - God, that's who. The words "In God we trust" should be removed from that courtroom. Anyone involved in finding this man guilty is a hypocrit.
D Blake - 12 years ago
Many years ago, I served on a jury to determine the guilt or innocence of two young men who beat another man with AN ALUMINUM BASEBALL BAT. One did the actual beating, the other stood by to make sure the target didn't get away. A woman and her young children were the witnesses. No one died; there was no gun involved! The defendants didn't deny the charges. The purpose of the trial was to determine how guilty IF they each were -- and the sentences. We were shown the man who was beaten, a year after the event, healed as much as he ever would be, with the tracks of stitches wrapping around his head like a baseball. The prosecuting attorney advisedf us that he was 26 years old and would never be able to live on his own again. His elderly parents sat quietly weeping in the front of the court room. We found one guilty of intent to murder, the other with aiding and abetting and recommended the maximum penalty for them both. In the case shown on CNN, I have no doubt that the elder man would have died if the gun hadn't been present. Considering the additional details, I believe there was no justice for the whole community.
joltinjoe8 - 12 years ago
All we need to know is this:
We have two witnesses that say it was self defense.
The same two witnesses that were coerced to change their stories by the police.
Why were police trying to get these witnesses to change thier storeies anyway?
No one has thought to question the law enforcement officials who did the questioning.
Why? Because if that happens the ugly truth will come out. This police officer was made an example of? Get the officers who did the questioning on the stand?
They say this was about revenge, about retribution.
They are right. Charles Campbell wanted revenge.
Ask yourself this? If he was able to get back to his car and get a bat, why didn't he just get in his car and leave?
This is unbelievable. No one wants to talk about what is really going on here.
For those of you who ask why didn't DiGuglielmo identify himself as a police officer, or better yet, why didn't he shoot Campell in the leg or? Are you kidding me? Here's why - A bat is a deadly weapon, and Mr. Campbell was already in the process of enacting his revenge. If he was not shot, then the elder DiGuglielmo would be dead.
We teach our children that bad men go to prison. We tell them that people that are a danger to society belong behind bars. Richard DiGuglielmo is a good man who made his living by protecting others. He was a danger to one man, and that man was swinging a bat at his father. We were all born with instincts. To protect a family member is instinctual. Who gave us those instincts - God, that's who. The words "In God we trust" should be removed from that courtroom.
boater40 - 12 years ago
It's another example of the consequences of the US's crazy gun laws and the easy access to guns. The guy did not deserve to die and G had no right to kill him. This is not the Wild West, although I sometimes wonder about that.
larsen - 12 years ago
why its always the black one who's wrong ,someone who got police training know how to tell stop ,get on the floor with a gun in hand without killing .do you know how many black guys are lock up because the jurors didn't hear all the witness,who are we kidding .today we seiing the immoralaty in the country people voting for someone a racist, cheater ,hypocrite who left is wife for a bimbo .what next make a sex tape and we vote for.In life if you dont get scare get ashame .
Ilene Knoesel Caruso - 12 years ago
I BELIEVE RICHIE IS IN JAIL FOR NO REASON...SELF DEFENCE..CHARLES CAMBELL BROUGHT THIS PROBLEM ON HIMSELF, HE SHOULD NOT OF PARKED IN A PLACE THAT HE WAS TOLD NOT TO PARK IN..WHAT MAKES HIM SO SPECIAL..HIM HITTING 3 PEOPLE WITH A BAT, WAS HE UNDER SOME SORT OF DRUG TO BE ABLE TO TAKE ON 3 PEOPLE..WAS THAT NOT ALLOWED IN COURT??? THE JUSTICE SYSTEM IS HORRIBLE, RICHIE WAS A MAN THAT WAS THERE TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC..I WOULD OF DONE THE SAMETHING IF MY FATHER WAS GETTING HIT WITH A BASEBALL BAT!!! IT IS HORRIBLE FOR BOTH FAMILIES, BUT CHARLES CAMBELL YOU ARE WRONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Brian - 12 years ago
The makeup of the 4 judge panel should be of interest to everybody. CNN should show the pictures of the judges who overruled Judge Bellantoni. Also the fact that Campbell was on steriods and cocaine at the time of the shooting should also be of interest to anyone who is following this case. Also not mentioned is that Campbell was a convicted felon out on parole during the shooting. Check White Plains Police Department for an arrest reocrd. Not exactly the alter boy he was made out to be.
Deshawn - 12 years ago
To "wonder"... In that situation the black shooter would not have been prosecuted and sent to prison because this nation is filled with reverse racism !!!!
Heidi - 12 years ago
this should have never happend to this officer. I hate when people use racism as a crutch when it was never the case, it discusts me. He was defending his family! I have lost faith in our court systems... Someone needs to do a story on that. In just courts
boater40 - 12 years ago
The first thing that the of-duty officer should have done was to shout "Stop, police!" or fired a warning shot, not kill the guy. I think he should stay in prison as justice was served. People in this country are too ready to kill.
Viktor - 12 years ago
This is a case worthy of executive pardon. 20 to life was a vendictive, politically motivitade and reverse discrimination inspired sentence given to a men with clear attenuating circumstances and no previous criminal record. This is not the way to mend racial differences nor to promoto trust in the justice system.
Jason Adams - 12 years ago
Just because some guy was beating my sister does not give me the right to kill.
You can not take the law into your hands and kill another person. Yes that guy is wrong. there are a lot of things you could do thats not shooting him to death.
Josie Jones - 12 years ago
This case was difficult to watch. I believe that before anyone is convictd of a crime all the facts must be presented. The officer deserves a new trial.
Richard - 12 years ago
Blacks love to play the victim card. Shame on them.
david moore - 12 years ago
I know nothing more than what is stated in the 2 court decisions linked to the CNN story.
The Appeal Court concluded, in effect, that the new evidence that had been withheld would not have made any difference to the jury's decision and therefore allowed the appeal, in effect saying "no harm,no foul". On the basis of this reasoning, according to the Court of Appeal's decision, the (apparently uncontested) fact the the police withheld the steps they took to cause Dillon to change his evidence also didn't matter.
If these conclusions are correct, then justice has been done.
However, I have some trouble with the logic of this conclusion, which was arrived at after a pretty short analyis in the Appeal Court's decision.
First how can anyone say, given the injuries that were apparently inflicted, that the bat was not being used as a deadly weapon, and that the next blow might well have connected with the father's head?
Second, the simple fact is that the jury received misleading evidence at trial. The reason the key witness' evidence changed was NOT becuase he was a little shaken when he gave his first statement, which is what he apparently told the jury in giving his evdence. Rather, based upon the factual findings of the County Court judge who whose decision was overturned, IT WAS BECAUSE OF THE REPEATED POLICE REINTERVIEWS AND PRESSURE.
Furthermore, as detailed in the County Court judge's decuision, the differences between Dillon's two statements went well beyond the question of whether Campbell was or was not swinging the bat, which was the primary focus of the Court of Appeal's reasons. Dillon was the closest witness with the best view of what happened and the Appeal Court's analysis of the importance of his first statement seems a little narrow to me.
Moreover, the best evidence of the significance of Dillon's original statement is the extraordinary efforts the police made to get him to change it. If the truthfulness of his first statement made no real difference (as the Appeal Court essentially decided) why did the police go to such lengths to have him change it, and why were those steps wronfully concealed from the defence and, as a result, the jury??
If the jury had heard all this evidence it seems reasonable to conclude that it might well have affected the result. In a case where the absence of such evidence at trial and the resulting misleading record occurred because of the intentional withholding of this evidence BY THE POLICE, this should be enough to grant the defendant some relief from his conviction.
The defendant may or may not have been guilty as charged. Surely he was entitled to have that issue decided based upon ALL relevant evidence being disclosed to him and the jury. At a mimium he should be granted a retrial, surely there must be some avenue of further appeal open to him.
Jim - 12 years ago
The man was sentenced, went to prison, was FREED, then sent back. If this is American justice, I want nothing to do with it...!
Is our justice system that f**ked up?
DF Taxpayer - 12 years ago
PO Joe Elman, who responded to the call, is out on medical leave and continues to collect full pay, based on post traumatic stress disorder. Disgusting!
This whole case is disgusting and the taxpayers of Dobbs Ferry continue to pay for this, along with Rich Jr.
Wouldn't you defend your father if he was being attacked? Think about that. I know I would!
I believe PO Joe Elman has collected enough. And I believe Rich Jr. has served enough.
William Jockusch - 12 years ago
The thing that bothers me the most about it is the part where the DA said at a news conference that a witness heard racially charged statements. A DA is supposed to refrain from making out of court statements that would tend to heighten public condemnation of the accused. But here she said what she said, and it led to a year of demonstrations against the defendant. Obviously, her news conference statement did heighten condemnation of the accused. And it gets even worse because she was unable to back up her news conference statement at trial. This could have easily swung the whole thing against the defendant.
richie - 12 years ago
sharon you are despicable,i seen the whole thing,and that man should be alive today,know the facts b4 you spew.
shade - 12 years ago
This is a perfect example of an unbalanced and collapsing justice system. It is horrific for anyone to have been killed, but that simply how it went down. Instead of going to the back of his vehicle he should have got into the drivers seat, turned on the ignition and took off. As far as the " Supreme Court " is concerned, I beleive their actions were purely motivated by a racial factor and nothing more. A person has the right to defend themselves and their family with what they have, sorry if anyone feels differently. And the man did have a weapon according to the police and witness reports posted and swung it multiple times. A bat is a bat for baseball. A bat is a weapon when you are swinging it at another person. Shame on the NY State Supreme Court and the DA's office. Remember this when you go to vote.
FrustratedAtTheSystem - 12 years ago
I'm reading lots of comments that say he should have identified himself as a Police Officer. Who stops to do that when a family member is and has already been attacked. Also why does it matter if he is a P.O. or not. He did the right thing. Getting the bat out and striking another human is the same as asking for trouble. If he felt the sticker was unwarranted or damaging his property then he should take action the appropriate way, not with violence. Its a car not a human life. Who stops to talk when the next blow could have killed his father? Nobody that believes in family. The man with the bat doesn't love all people and that was clear when he took the time to open his car, open the back lid and grab a bat. He made a choice and it ended up being the wrong one. That man should be released right away and commended for defending his father.
jjnmama - 12 years ago
If someone was attacking my dad with a bat, I would bring a gun into the arena, but I would first let it be known I had it, just to give the other man the opportunity to stop. I do believe DiGuglieimo has served enough time, but another train of thought reminds me that a lot of policemen act before they think. It would be hard to be logical at a time like this.
colleen - 12 years ago
Okay - so Campbell is illegally parked. Then he gets a bat from his trunk and strikes the elder Guglielmo (who I assume is UNARMED) twice, shattering his kneecap and cracking his wrist. CAMPBELL SHOULD HAVE SIMPLY GOT BACK IN HIS CAR AND MOVED IT. Why on earth is the son being punished for protecting his father? That is crazy. Campbell was striking an unarmed man. How come he wasn't punished for that?
Ov - 12 years ago
I feel bad that that someone died, however someone walking around with a bat is also someone who is looking for trouble. May he rest in peace, but if he was an such good person and he was a Christian where was the respect toward the elderly. He started to beat on an old man. The son should have shot him somewhere where it would not be fatal, however when people are found in situations, they do not always think at that moment. I think Richie did his time!
Sharon - 12 years ago
If Charles Campbell was a "good man" then why did his brother, William Campbell state the night of the incident that he knows how his brother can be and that he does fly off the handle frequently?? Perhaps it's all the BS that Pirro, the West DA and the DFPD did, along with the infamous Al Sharpton, Scott McLaughlin and the rest of the band of agitators to brainwash William Campbell and the public into thinking that this was NOT what it was..."SELF DEFENSE!!"
Charles was not working with Children because he loved children or was a good man, on the contrary, he was serving community service for yet ANOTHER CRIME he commited. He had the rap sheet of a man that was anything but a productive member of society. He was a vicious man who didn't care about anyone but himself and his Corvette!!
While his death was tragic, regardless of the kind of human being he was, understand that this whole thing went down in a matter of seconds, not minutes or hours, but SECONDS. The fight was over, but instead of getting in his car and leaving, he waited for Rich Jr. and Errico to go back inside the deli, and while Rich Sr. handed him his shirt and cell phone, he cowardly got the metal baseball bat from the trunk of his car and hit Rich Sr. 2 x prior to going for the 3rd swing to his head. Rich Jr. did exactly what the NYPD trained him to do and he was cleared by them that night after eye witness testimony confirmed that it was definitely self defense. There wasn't any time for a warning shot, or identifying himself as an officer etc. Campbell was about to strike the 3rd and more than likely fatal blow to Rich Sr. head. Rich Jr. responded in the only way possible to this deadly situation...he defended a deadly weapon with a deadly weapon by shooting center mass into Charles Campbell. Rich Jr. followed proper procedure by aiming center mass at Campbell as to be certain that his bullets didn't stray and hit anyone but the offender. The bat was clearly one second away from smashing Rich Sr. head off and it took 3 shots into Charles Campbell before that threat no longer existed.
Listen people don't be fooled into thinking that Charles Campbell was charged by 3 men. Charles was enraged (as he often got) because a tow sticker was put on his precious corvett, and he was determined to see to it that he beat Rich Sr. for putting it there. He told the Pizzaria man exactly what he was going to do before he stormed out of the pizza place.
Pirro was up for re-election and she needed the black popular vote!! As disgusting as this sounds...she did EVERYTHING she could to get it. Her prison sentence will come!!
Bellantoni was the only HONEST person who saw through the crooked measures that the DA, and DFPD took in order to get a conviction. Withholding evidence..secretly interrigating the main eyewitnesses at all hours of the night and pressuring them to change their story to fit what the DFPD prematurely arrested Rich Jr. for just hours after the incident. The DFPD and Asst. DA, Murphy were ordered by Pirro to arrest Rich Jr. for Murder, despite the fact that all the eye witness statements given that night stated that Rich Jr. acted out of self-defense. So why then was Rich Jr. ever arrested??
This is probably one of the WORST and most disgusting examples of what people will do for power.
FREE RICHARD DIGUGLIELMO NOW!!! Put those in prison who deserve to be there, clearly he is NOT one of them!!!!
Let's be intelligent people and call this what it ALWAYS was: A travesty for both the Campbell and DiGuglielmo families and friends. It is very unfortunate that Charles Campbell died that night, but he did. Rich Jr., the son and well trained police officer of the NYPD did the only thing he could do to protect an innocent man from the ruthless beating he was receiving at the hands of Campbell. It didn't matter what color Charles Campbell was, if he was white, black, yellow, purple or red, Rich Jr. responded to de
staylor - 12 years ago
This is a bad situation for everyone. Things got heated, that is true but in this case, why didn't Richard DiGuglielmo tell Campbell that he was a Police Officer- IN THE FIRST PLACE? Did they warn Campbell about the possibility of defacing his car with a sticker BEFORE he walked away and how did they say it? Why did the father go after Campbell when obviously he should have backed off him after the fight? Why didn't he give off a warning shot? Why didn't this Officer shoot him in the leg to disable and thereby disarm him---not just kill him? Campbell was just jumped by three guys---three against one over a parking space. He grabbed a bat to help defend himself when he thought that the father was coming after him to beat him some more. Think people. Put yourself in Campbell's shoes in this situation. Yes, he should have moved the car but also yes, the father could have called the police and not rely on his son as back up. It’s sad to say but due to history, police have the reputation of shooting black dudes first and ask questions later. Is it about race or rage? No one will ever know but there again is the pattern and many questions remain: Would he have killed Campbell if he were a White man or just some young White kid? Why did he have to shoot him three times? DiGuglielmo took a life when he had options to avoid it. This is why he is serving time because whether the jury was told that the witnesses changed their minds or not, he had the options to make different decisions ---- regardless of his own emotions.
If the situation was reversed and “Campbell was a White guy”, everyone would just about nit-pick the "bad judgment and lack of control of emotions" in the actions of the “black officer DiGuglielmo” and then say that officer needed to serve the time because at the very end, he took a life unnecessarily (whether black or White) when he was trusted by society to protect and serve.
Meg - 12 years ago
His brother, the Rev. William Campbell, describes "Chazz" as "a wonderful athlete, wonderful person. He was a Christian. He loved kids, loved people, all people."
Are you kidding me? He gets a bat out of the back of his car and attacks another human being over a parking spot? And is described with these glorified words?
How was he supposed to stop this maniac from beating his father to death? What would the story have read had "Chazz" survived and the older DiGuglielmo died from further injuries?
Simply unbelievable.
easyjjgrand3 - 12 years ago
Here's a man with a new Corvette stopping to get some Pizza not knowing of the parking situation in this Mini-Mall. He is then confronted by a complete stranger asking that he park somewhere else. The conversation probably went as follows....."I'm just going to get some Pizza" and the father said "Move the fucking car" knowing his son is on the scene, and he is a cop. Campbell then says"I'm not moving anything" and walks away to get his Pizza. During the interim the father slaps a No Parking Sticker on his new Corvette instead of calling the Police. (because his son will not be Impartial)
Campbell comes back sees the Sticker on his windshield freaks out and the fist fight ensues with the father, and two other family members jumping on Campbell. This is where the son should have identified himself as a Police Officer instead of ganging up on Campbell. Of this I am certain had the son said he was a cop the bat would never had appeared, and no one would've died......IMHO DeGuglielmo Jr. was of the opinion that since he is/was a NYCPO he would never go to jail for killing a Black Man. Well he was wrong, and he should be where he's at. So just shut up do your time like a man albeit you took a man's life like a Punk.
t lambert - 12 years ago
Would anybody stand aside at watch someone beat their loved one. No i think not. So when is it wrong to protect what you love.
JJ - 12 years ago
Why did he shoot him three times in the chest? They say he was this wild athlete yet Richard is no little guy and there were three men against one. I think it was a racist thing. I think Richard and his family are bullies and there is no excuse for a guy half their age to have been violently shot like that. Something is fishy about the G families story. Who needs to shoot someone three times against a bat?
Sierra - 12 years ago
they say depraved indifference murder. does that mean they convicted him b/c it didn't seem to bother him that he killed someone? (idk if he was im just speculating) i wonder if he put it simply, i was just protecting my father? lawyers can get people to believe in anything. i think it's wrong that police got those witnesses to change their stories. i recently read that people's brains alter their memories and are not always accurate, therefore the police shouldn't be like "are you sure this didn't happen?" i think it's more wrong that they changed their stories to please the police. what happened to justice? what happened to the whole truth and nothing but the truth? i think he was justified in defending his father. stand by the truth.
Byron - 12 years ago
We will never know exactly what happened the night Charles Campbell lost his life. Regardless of what one believes, there is some doubt as to the appropriateness of the conviction (the vacated sentence). While I deeply sympathize with any family over the loss of a loved one, our legal system is built upon the principle that it is better to let guilty men go free rather than convict even one innocent man. None of us will ever know the truth of that horrible night -- but if there's any reasonable doubt about what happened, then justice is not served and the public is not safer by forcing Richard DiGuglielmo Jr. back into prison.
angrymommabear - 12 years ago
the so called victim already broke an old man's wrist and shattered his kneecap and still had a weapon (the bat) in his hands. The cop did what he was trained to do, cops are taught to unload the weapon; so three shots would be standard. The only reason this man was charged is because this happened in new york and family was involved. Had he come upon the scene as a passerby then we would give him a metal for saving the old man. Justice Fails Again
Jack Atkins - 12 years ago
I have practiced law for 35 years in the State of Montana. I have served as both a criminal prosecutor and as a criminal defense counsel. There is no substitute for the truth and that justice be served. The public's confidence in our criminal justice system is founded on the concept that those entrusted with the public trust to prosecute and defend will do so within the confines of the law with an eye towards seeing that justice is served. All I know about this case is what I read on t.he internet. However, I have to question whether or not the defendant had effective assistance of counsel. I make this remark after reading that Campell's preacher relative was allowed to testify in the manner in which he apparently did. His testimony appears to have been nothing more than pure speculation and conjecture. I,too, was involved in a deliberate homicide case where law enforcement had "turned" a witness. That's not justice; that's winning at all costs and justice be damned. Fortunately, in my case, the jury acquitted the defendant. Nine years later the real murderer was arrested, tried and sentenced to prison. Hopefully, the defendant here has a further avenue of appeal; may a writ of habeus corpus to the federal court. I don't know but I wish him luck.
Ed Walker - 12 years ago
As a minority who grewup in the south I am not suprised that the two witness changed their stories if as they said they were harassed by the police to give the police the story they wanted.
That happens more often than the majority of people know. Times are changing and the majority are in for a rude awaking because the police have begun to use the same harrasment on the majority when they want to convict someone. Mr. DiGuglielmo may be guilty of something, but not murder and he should have not been returned to prison.
Isn't it possible that they lied about changing their stories to the private detective because of pressure from him? You have to think of everything, people!
JFrost - 12 years ago
If a property owner told me to move my car, I would have immediately. If someone was swinging a baseball bat at a loved one's head, and I had a gun, I would do the same thing. In this case, justice WAS NOT SERVED.
JFrost - 12 years ago
If a property owner told me not to move my car, I would have immediately. If someone was swinging a baseball bat at a loved one's head, and I had a gun, I would do the same thing. In this case, justice WAS NOT SERVED.
Donald Bateman - 12 years ago
I agree with Charles...I was not there and believe mistakes were made by both parties. Things get heated and we lose control. However, as Charles cleared stated, there are major issues with how we allow prosecuters to operate. There has been case after case where it is proven that a prosecutor(s) withheld information, looked only for the answer that will prove their case...not always the true....to grown their numbersand advance their careers. I strongly believe if it is proven, that someone severs one day in jail due to prosecutors misconduct...they should be given the same sentence in jail. Perhaps they would stop playing with people lives and get at the truth.
Donald Bateman - 12 years ago
I agree with Charles...I was not there and believe mistakes were made by both parties. Things get heated and we lose control. However, as Charles cleared stated, there are major issues with how we allow prosecuters to operate. There has been case after case where it is proven that a prosecutor(s) withheld information, looked only for the answer that will prove their case...not always the true....to grown their numbersand advance their careers. I strongly believe if it is proven, that someone severs one day in jail due to prosecutors misconduct...they should be given the same sentence in jail. Perhaps they would stop playing with people lives and get at the truth.
Deb Pagley - 12 years ago
If I saw my Dad get hit twice with a baseball bat, and fear that a fatal blow to the head was on its way, I think I would pull the trigger as well.
Jon - 12 years ago
The bottom line here is the justice system screwed up. Clearly there was enough evidence for a judge to release this man so he shouldn't have ever been sent back to prison. There is obviously reasonable doubt as to his guilt for what happened. The justice system should be erring in the favor of letting people go if there is this much doubt as to whether they are guilty of something or not. How does that quote go? "It's better to let 100 guilty men go free then to lock up one innocent man" or something to that extent.
Nuggit - 12 years ago
@Wonder - Really? The race card? Who pulls that anymore? Well, what if it were three American Indians and an Irish man? What if it were two boxers and a collie? No. Race doesn't matter here. Facts do. I wish I could find that blasted race card and tear it into pieces. The End.
Dean - 12 years ago
@OmakaRocks, "At the end of the day, this man shot and killed someone. He is not innocent!!!"
So what you're saying no one has the right to defend anyone's life? Even if someone breaks into a home, threatens the family, and the owner shoots him that person should go to jail? So he should've just let Campbell beat his father to death? Campbell made the choice of returning to the car and pulling out the bat. At any point he could've stopped. It only takes a couple of seconds to swing a bat and crush someone skull. It can be a deadly weapon.
"If his goal was to protect his father he should have shot below the waist." - Defensive shooting classes (including for police officers) teach to fire 3 times to the chest. That's because there have been many many scenarios where someone has been shot in the limbs and were able to continue the threat for some time. There's a famous police video where they reenact a scenario of a man even shot in the head and continued to fight the police until he bled out. He did the right thing in protecting his father.
Wonder - 12 years ago
If the story were reverse, if three black men had ganged up on one whiteman... if the white man then says enough and walks away... then one of the black men who just got finished attacking him approaches him, "allegedly" to give him back his cell phone and shirt?????, prompting the white man to take out a bat to defend his self and then the white man is shot.. would you be so sympathetic to the black shooter?
mharding - 12 years ago
Its funny, in retrospect it does not sound fair. But none of us were there, and we do not know what happened in that court room nor what happpened in front of that shop that day.
One mans life was lost, anothers ruined, and neither had to be. Thats a sad thing no matter how you look at it.
jarodella - 12 years ago
Really? What I would rather debate is the fact that people in general in society today do not have to be accountable for their actions. Campbell decided might makes right. When the table turns how did he suddenly become a sympathetic character? Getting the bat out was an aggressive act that did not end with 'Alright y'all, back on up'. It ended with Campbell finding out that he should have left the bat in the car and that punching an elderly man was not as good an idea as his tough guy persona thought. Maybe instead of teaching all the Richard DiGuglielmo Jr's that shooting a guy that is beating your father with a bat (a hard lesson to teach) is bad, we should be teaching all the Campbell's that a little discretion might be in order.
Cindy Sallies - 12 years ago
I think it might have been hard for prosecutors to let this go because there were three white men involved, one a cop vs. one young black kid. I imagine there was a lot of pressure to find justice for the shot black kid. I can understand how frustration would build for a store owner who constantly has to ask people to leave his spaces for patrons. He probably was not kind or curtious with his request. And I know how the guy picking up the pizza would justify his actions by expressing how it takes so little time to pick up a pizza... but that is so indicative of our self-entitled, what yours is mine society that we have built... It doesn't justify things. I ask myself "why would prosecutors need to interview witnesses over and over? wouldn't their first account (fresh in their minds) be most accurate. I can't imagine throwing a punch in this situation. I certainly don't see the necessity of the bat. And I think the bat adds the key element here. If Campbell brought a bat in to this situation... if Rich's father was clearly injured by the bat... then how could anyone say Campbell was unarmed or this guy wasn't justified in protecting his father. At Christmas and ederly man was beaten with a bat at a Walmart well witnesses just watched... I could not stand and watch that! And certainly I'd do the first thing that came to mind that would make it stop!
becaring - 12 years ago
I feel justice is serve, that Richard had the up hand with a gun that powerful enough with one bullet,would have been enough. Shooting a person three time was no cause for. If he would have shot once that would have stated I'm protecting my family. He shot him in the chest, one bullet would have done enough dange if not killed him. Truly Charles should have obey the sign, as well as leaving and not gotten a bat . I'm sadden that both love ones are suffering. Twenty years is enough time for any one to stay for this case. Even getting out of prison the conscious will never be free of the past.
At the end of the day, this man shot and killed someone. He is not innocent!!! He is guilty and should have NEVER got the 18 months he got was better than he needed for what he did. If his goal was to protect his father he should have shot below the waist. Below the waist is when your goal is to protect, above is when you are trying to kill someone. Richard was also had training, so he should have been trained in this area. He knew what he was doing and robbed this family of a good man. I hope he rotts in the hell he created for himself. We all get mad and get into fights about little things, I would hate for someone to use this as an excuse to kill your family member for an incident like this.
l - 12 years ago
Everyone needs to ask themselves one question,"If your father was being hit with an aluminum baseball bat, would you try and save him?" A split second decision that caused a double tragedy. He needs to be released. Enough is enough
RICHARDW - 12 years ago
There was definite prosecutorial misconduct. The man already served 10 years.A baseball bat swung at your head is certainly a deadly weapon. The defendant deserves a new trial and the N.Y. Supreme Court should let a jury be the finder of fact. They should have remanded the case and let the DA decide if he wanted to retry it. It does seem like the son over-reacted by shooting three times, but this amateur boxers fists could have been deadly, if the older man had no help.
RICHARDW - 12 years ago
There was definite prosecutorial misconduct. The man already served 10 years.A baseball bat swung at your head is certainly a deadly weapon. The defendant deserves a new trial and the N.Y. Supreme Court should let a jury be the finder of fact. They should have remanded the case and let the DA decide if he wanted to retry it. It does seem like the son over-reacted by shooting three times, but this amateur boxers fists could have been deadly, if the older man had no help.
R Burke - 12 years ago
The man went across the street to pick up a pizza. In the time it took to get that sticker and put on Campbell's window, he was back with the pizza. He should have either let it go for that little bit of time, or called a tow truck! It should have never escalated to a shooting. He is in jail because he belongs there. It is not a Black or White thing, it is a Stupid thing!
cdmon - 12 years ago
I believe it was way to easy for him to pull a gun and shoot someone, again we are talking about a parking space. If parking there was against the law then call the police and issue a ticket. If you have a gun chances are you are going to use it. If you see someone parking in a handicap space will you pull a gun on them? Come on!! If you asking him now if you had to do it all over again.. would you run the opposite direction to get a gun or just 2 or 3 of you rush him and kick his a$$ with his own bat.. battery instead of murder... I will take that.. what about you??
mdeloris - 12 years ago
Witness that changes their story don't have an ounce of credibility, therefore should not be taken seriously. As for the Riche family... Papa can go to the jail to see his son, talk about the weather, plans for went he is release from prison and most of all one day he will have chance to hug and tell him how much he love him, but for the campbell family they will never have that oppurtunity. So Mr Riche I say live with you pain it is better than what the Campbell's have....Justice was served.
TheOC - 12 years ago
Further proof the US does not have a Justice system, it has a LEGAL system.
Dexter - 12 years ago
Although there is a problem with police corruption in this society, unfortunately there is also a big problem with dishonest, corrupt, and overzealous prosecutors. You cannot trust anyone these days. Let the situation speak for itself... when you pull out a baseball bat and beat an old man, you are pretty much asking to be shot.
Patty - 12 years ago
I agree with Charles. The way I see it, is first, the guy parked his car in the wrong place. He should have listened and moved. It's just like kids and their parents at an amusement park. I get really angry when I see kids cutting in line and then the parents don't do anything. I don't believe this was racial, just one person believing he was entitled to ignore the law, and another who pushed it too far. Yes, I believe that the young man who used the gun is at fault for maybe overreacting, but that is all. I baseball bat in the hands of a strong, athletic man can be deadly. And a man has a right to protect his father, and his business. I don't think it should have ended the way it did, but I sure can see why. People just can't get enough violence these days. It's like we are immune to the suffering of others. First guy should have got back in his car and parked elsewhere. (not like he couldnt handle the walk). Second guy should have put the warning on the car and gone inside. Maybe then nothing would have happened. If people could just step back and look at the scene like human beings instead of pumped up bad guys, so much of this pain and agony could be avoided!
MakyriT - 12 years ago
WOW! This is an amazing story! I feel bad for the man who was murdered family, losing their son to such senseless act. I also feel bad for Richie who made a horrible decision that day. I think the government needs to start doing something about witnesses that change their stories. Its happening all too often and too many people are being affected by it. I honestly can't say if justice was served because can justice truly be served when one man is no longer here? And then on the other hand, he's already done 10 years and I honestly think he has learned his lesson. Touchy, touchy story! May God have his way!
The ZenMaster - 12 years ago
FREE RICHIE NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!
logical3 - 12 years ago
the main reason why he got screwed was due to the fact that he had already served ten years or so. So clearly justice had already been done he served his time I am sure he is never going to pull out a gun again so having him sit in jail for another 10 to 40 years will really change nothing. The incident is clearly a little hazy anyway as to what happened so he deserves sometime because you should never pull out a gun but i have a slight feeling that they other guy was not waving a bat around and he backed up clearly retarded hes not gonna back up away from his car and leave it there.
btodd - 12 years ago
If the witnesses changed their story just once as well as at the same time, they can not be trusted and are not credible witnesses. The Supreme Court is acting on opinion only at that point. Not enought evidence. There is too much doubt to lead to a guilty verdict. This case against this man should be dropped.
Charles Burch - 12 years ago
If our justice system is the best in the world, the world is in very sad shape. Prosecutors, on the whole, are not interested in justice, they are intent on winning at all cost regardless of who gets hurt. They do not believe that proving any case with only the truth will get them re-elected, and that's all they are after. It's the same as a sports season...they keep score and brag. When they send some to prison who is not guilty, they are worse than the murderers themselves. they have committed a crime against humanity and the prosecutor that does that intentionally should be held accountable.
Any justice system that puts to death one innocent person is a failed system. When the justice system commits murder, who holds the system responsible? The system is just as guilty of murder as a person who commits murder.
Very sad story and very difficult for two families.
It does not appear from the facts presented that a fair honest trial was not had with all of the evidence being presented. The legal system failed in presenting the evidence, all of it, and thus justice was not served.
Very disappointing.
Why does everything have to do with race.... There is so much reverse racism in this country in which the left wing and elite media do nothing but keep it stirred up. People of color in this country have more rights and special treatment than any of the mainstream population... This is just another example of it..... And that cooky judge pirro was the biggest instigater. In my opinion this is reverse racism at its best. As far as the victims brother, he may know his brother but people from any background have the potential to "snap" given the right circumstances
no matter what you do you cannot make wrong right it is impossible even with money or color what do you really think your argument with God will be
3 to 1 sounds like a scary situation to be in if your the one. They clearly took their frustrations out on the guy because of their beefs with the tenants. I personally feel that they did not have to put a sticker on his car. He was only going to the store to get pizza, it was not like he was trying to park over night. The shooter over reacted just like the rest of the family. They made a desicion to be impractical and these are the results. I was always taught to not sweet the small stuff but aparently this was a big deal for some strange reason. They say that race did not play a part but how many white young white guys have you heard died over something so petty and stupid. Just was served, if we all pulled out a gun shot people because we felt threatened, it would be the Wild Wild West all over again.
race determined the verdict because death was not absolutely needed, if it were a white with the bat u would argue the black man did not have to kill the white officer, the same is true in reverse have you people no godliness about you.
cops r trained to kill when they should be trained to maim. Why then is a taser so popular now because it does not kill but renders the assailant harmless life is to precious. Campbell did not have a gun he had a bat the officer deserves life if not two of them. There was no twist of justice.
My goodness!! If that would have been me I know I would have done the same thing. Just because the guy was black and his brother!! says he would never do something like this doesn't mean he didn't lose it. I really hope the supreme court changes its mind!!
"if there was no baseball bat, there wouldn't have been a gun" as stated. If Cambell didnt have such a big head and just moved his car in the first place he still would be alive today. Its really not that hard to get in your car turn the key and move. Cambells ego clearly got in the way. As for shooting someone who is hitting a loved one with a baseball bat, you bet i would do the same. Janine Pirro and Al Sharpton needed media attention for selfish reasons. People really need to quit it with the race card and give it a rest. Clearly there was no evidence that racial comments were exchanged so they could not bring it up in trial, however if it was the other way around (Richie being shot by Cambell) it would not even be thought of as a racial crime. It is 2011 every one is equal, get over it, your not a minority anymore. Another thing that bothers me was that CNN didnt even touch the subject on how long Cambells wrap sheet was. He was a thug, nothing what his brother describes him as. Cambells own damn son was taken away from him by the state and put with other family members because of the drugs and trouble he got into. Just like the Casey Anthony case, the judicial system has failed us once again. Richie has served more than enough time, LET HIM OUT!
Why did race determine the verdict when it was very clear that self defence was the reason for shooting? If race precedes actions of victims, then law abiding citizens have little hope of justice against criminal actions of a minority race? Here was a son doing what any son would have done to protect a father. If roles were reversed, it would have been the same. Pity this man has to sit in jail for love and protection of his father.
I Don't Care what u say the cop could have aimed for the legs if all he was really trying to do was stop Campbell all he had to do was shoot for the legs not the chest the killing was racially motivated cops to often aim to kill when all that is needed is maiming.
For those of you who have never had to endure a situation like watching your Family member being brutally attacked by a defiant, enraged and drug enduced felon.............you shouldn't comment on how Richie should've handled this situation. Richie was simply protecting his Father and sadly this is the result. Charles started trouble by not following the rules and now Richie is the victim! :(
A great injustice has been committed. A bat is a deadly weapon. It was self defense. Politics has destroyed this man's life.
Police officers are trained to shoot at "center mass" not at moving arms or legs nor are they allowed to fire warning shots, remember ''what goes up must come down''. Richie did what he was trained to do. Are Human lives lost sometimes? Yes. Is it alway intentional? No. That is what happen on that day. Two families were distroyed on that day, this could have been avoided if Campbell would have obeyed the posted sign, if after the struggle he would have gotten into his vehicle and left. Instead it escalated and the end result was Campbell lost his life and Richie was sentenced to jail. Richie is behind bars because the District Attorney Pirro did anything possible to win votes. She would gain the black vote by putting a Police officer behind bars. Why won't she give any interviews? Why did she turn it into a racial incident yet not bring it up in court? Was Justice really served?
Although I believe justice was served in that he killed a man without merit. His father was not in a life or death situation. His father could have chosen to walk away. The man shot dead another man and he can not return from the dead, but one day we all will go to him.
Why the courts released him and then sent him back is tragic, and I believe his good behavior while free should give the parole board notice to let him go free after the 20 yrs.
Everyone needs mercy, even ones who pull the trigger and take a life. God forgives.
This case has NOTHING to do with racism. It's absolutely disgusting to see that whenever individuals of different races or ethnicities are involved in an issue, the automatic assumption of many is that racism is involved.
Now, we have all heard the stories of Richie and the witnesses. We have also heard the story of Charles Campbell's brother (who is not an eyewitness). Apparently, some individuals are still unable to comprehend the story. To my knowledge and understanding, Campbell was no angel. The only reason that he worked with under privileged children was because he was serving community service (as a criminal), but the media fails to bring up these small details. Charles Campbell’s religion has nothing to do with the type of person that he was. From my own life experiences, I have seen that some of the cruelest individuals are those that boast about their religion.
I do agree that losing a life to a parking spot is not easy to digest, but I also believe that Richie had done right by defending his father. After the quarrel, Richie’s side had ceased argument and physical contact. Why did Campbell have to continue? There had been no physical contact between the two parties prior to Charles Campbell’s aggression.
Both families have been torn apart due to pure ignorance. If Campbell had been respectfully asked to move his vehicle, I do not see why there would be such an issue to do so; especially after the fact that there was a sign posted on the deli’s window stating that the parking spot was reserved.
I definitely believe that justice was NOT served. I pray for you and your family Richie. Keep fueling that flame of hope.
Maybe he did not have a clear shot that was below the waist. I still understand how the four judges overturned this case. Clearly the witnesses were tampered with and critical evidence withheld, but they rule that this information would have had no bearing on the verdict? The Justice system errored...
Pirro is a self-serving police hating woman whose only interest in this case was to procure the votes of her black constituents. She is married to a criminal, but has the nerve to prosecute others and profit from her misdeeds.
I think Richard DiGuglielmo should have shot to wound and not to kill. One shot in the leg would have put Campbell down on the ground. And if Campbell continued to attack after that then deadly force would have been justified.
As for it being racially motivated...It was a fight so I'm sure some strong words were exchanged between both parties. I definitely don't believe the elder DiGuglielmo when he says no curse words were exchanged. But I don't think this was racially charged in any way, shape, or form. The witnesses said they heard no racial epithets exchanged. The way the D.A. and prosecution used the race card to convict is totally wrong.
All we need to know is this:
We have two witnesses that say it was self defense.
The same two witnesses that were coerced to change their stories by the police.
Why were police trying to get these witnesses to change thier storeies anyway?
No one has thought to question the law enforcement officials who did the questioning.
Why? Because if that happens the ugly truth will come out. This police officer was made an example of? Get the officers who did the questioning on the stand?
They say this was about revenge, about retribution.
They are right. Charles Campbell wanted revenge.
Ask yourself this? If he was able to get back to his car and get a bat, why didn't he just get in his car and leave?
This is unbelievable. No one wants to talk about what is really going on here.
For those of you who ask why didn't DiGuglielmo identify himself as a police officer, or better yet, why didn't he shoot Campell in the leg? Are you kidding me? Here's why - A bat is a deadly weapon, and Mr. Campbell was already in the process of enacting his revenge. If he was not shot, then the elder DiGuglielmo would be dead.
We teach our children that bad men go to prison. We tell them that people that are a danger to society belong behind bars. Richard DiGuglielmo is a good man who made his living by protecting others. He was a danger to one man, and that man was swinging a bat at his father. We were all born with instincts. To protect a family member is instinctual. Who gave us those instincts? - God, that's who. The words "In God we trust" should be removed from that courtroom. Anyone involved in finding this man guilty is a hypocrit.
Many years ago, I served on a jury to determine the guilt or innocence of two young men who beat another man with AN ALUMINUM BASEBALL BAT. One did the actual beating, the other stood by to make sure the target didn't get away. A woman and her young children were the witnesses. No one died; there was no gun involved! The defendants didn't deny the charges. The purpose of the trial was to determine how guilty IF they each were -- and the sentences. We were shown the man who was beaten, a year after the event, healed as much as he ever would be, with the tracks of stitches wrapping around his head like a baseball. The prosecuting attorney advisedf us that he was 26 years old and would never be able to live on his own again. His elderly parents sat quietly weeping in the front of the court room. We found one guilty of intent to murder, the other with aiding and abetting and recommended the maximum penalty for them both. In the case shown on CNN, I have no doubt that the elder man would have died if the gun hadn't been present. Considering the additional details, I believe there was no justice for the whole community.
All we need to know is this:
We have two witnesses that say it was self defense.
The same two witnesses that were coerced to change their stories by the police.
Why were police trying to get these witnesses to change thier storeies anyway?
No one has thought to question the law enforcement officials who did the questioning.
Why? Because if that happens the ugly truth will come out. This police officer was made an example of? Get the officers who did the questioning on the stand?
They say this was about revenge, about retribution.
They are right. Charles Campbell wanted revenge.
Ask yourself this? If he was able to get back to his car and get a bat, why didn't he just get in his car and leave?
This is unbelievable. No one wants to talk about what is really going on here.
For those of you who ask why didn't DiGuglielmo identify himself as a police officer, or better yet, why didn't he shoot Campell in the leg or? Are you kidding me? Here's why - A bat is a deadly weapon, and Mr. Campbell was already in the process of enacting his revenge. If he was not shot, then the elder DiGuglielmo would be dead.
We teach our children that bad men go to prison. We tell them that people that are a danger to society belong behind bars. Richard DiGuglielmo is a good man who made his living by protecting others. He was a danger to one man, and that man was swinging a bat at his father. We were all born with instincts. To protect a family member is instinctual. Who gave us those instincts - God, that's who. The words "In God we trust" should be removed from that courtroom.
It's another example of the consequences of the US's crazy gun laws and the easy access to guns. The guy did not deserve to die and G had no right to kill him. This is not the Wild West, although I sometimes wonder about that.
why its always the black one who's wrong ,someone who got police training know how to tell stop ,get on the floor with a gun in hand without killing .do you know how many black guys are lock up because the jurors didn't hear all the witness,who are we kidding .today we seiing the immoralaty in the country people voting for someone a racist, cheater ,hypocrite who left is wife for a bimbo .what next make a sex tape and we vote for.In life if you dont get scare get ashame .
I BELIEVE RICHIE IS IN JAIL FOR NO REASON...SELF DEFENCE..CHARLES CAMBELL BROUGHT THIS PROBLEM ON HIMSELF, HE SHOULD NOT OF PARKED IN A PLACE THAT HE WAS TOLD NOT TO PARK IN..WHAT MAKES HIM SO SPECIAL..HIM HITTING 3 PEOPLE WITH A BAT, WAS HE UNDER SOME SORT OF DRUG TO BE ABLE TO TAKE ON 3 PEOPLE..WAS THAT NOT ALLOWED IN COURT??? THE JUSTICE SYSTEM IS HORRIBLE, RICHIE WAS A MAN THAT WAS THERE TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC..I WOULD OF DONE THE SAMETHING IF MY FATHER WAS GETTING HIT WITH A BASEBALL BAT!!! IT IS HORRIBLE FOR BOTH FAMILIES, BUT CHARLES CAMBELL YOU ARE WRONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The makeup of the 4 judge panel should be of interest to everybody. CNN should show the pictures of the judges who overruled Judge Bellantoni. Also the fact that Campbell was on steriods and cocaine at the time of the shooting should also be of interest to anyone who is following this case. Also not mentioned is that Campbell was a convicted felon out on parole during the shooting. Check White Plains Police Department for an arrest reocrd. Not exactly the alter boy he was made out to be.
To "wonder"... In that situation the black shooter would not have been prosecuted and sent to prison because this nation is filled with reverse racism !!!!
this should have never happend to this officer. I hate when people use racism as a crutch when it was never the case, it discusts me. He was defending his family! I have lost faith in our court systems... Someone needs to do a story on that. In just courts
The first thing that the of-duty officer should have done was to shout "Stop, police!" or fired a warning shot, not kill the guy. I think he should stay in prison as justice was served. People in this country are too ready to kill.
This is a case worthy of executive pardon. 20 to life was a vendictive, politically motivitade and reverse discrimination inspired sentence given to a men with clear attenuating circumstances and no previous criminal record. This is not the way to mend racial differences nor to promoto trust in the justice system.
Just because some guy was beating my sister does not give me the right to kill.
You can not take the law into your hands and kill another person. Yes that guy is wrong. there are a lot of things you could do thats not shooting him to death.
This case was difficult to watch. I believe that before anyone is convictd of a crime all the facts must be presented. The officer deserves a new trial.
Blacks love to play the victim card. Shame on them.
I know nothing more than what is stated in the 2 court decisions linked to the CNN story.
The Appeal Court concluded, in effect, that the new evidence that had been withheld would not have made any difference to the jury's decision and therefore allowed the appeal, in effect saying "no harm,no foul". On the basis of this reasoning, according to the Court of Appeal's decision, the (apparently uncontested) fact the the police withheld the steps they took to cause Dillon to change his evidence also didn't matter.
If these conclusions are correct, then justice has been done.
However, I have some trouble with the logic of this conclusion, which was arrived at after a pretty short analyis in the Appeal Court's decision.
First how can anyone say, given the injuries that were apparently inflicted, that the bat was not being used as a deadly weapon, and that the next blow might well have connected with the father's head?
Second, the simple fact is that the jury received misleading evidence at trial. The reason the key witness' evidence changed was NOT becuase he was a little shaken when he gave his first statement, which is what he apparently told the jury in giving his evdence. Rather, based upon the factual findings of the County Court judge who whose decision was overturned, IT WAS BECAUSE OF THE REPEATED POLICE REINTERVIEWS AND PRESSURE.
Furthermore, as detailed in the County Court judge's decuision, the differences between Dillon's two statements went well beyond the question of whether Campbell was or was not swinging the bat, which was the primary focus of the Court of Appeal's reasons. Dillon was the closest witness with the best view of what happened and the Appeal Court's analysis of the importance of his first statement seems a little narrow to me.
Moreover, the best evidence of the significance of Dillon's original statement is the extraordinary efforts the police made to get him to change it. If the truthfulness of his first statement made no real difference (as the Appeal Court essentially decided) why did the police go to such lengths to have him change it, and why were those steps wronfully concealed from the defence and, as a result, the jury??
If the jury had heard all this evidence it seems reasonable to conclude that it might well have affected the result. In a case where the absence of such evidence at trial and the resulting misleading record occurred because of the intentional withholding of this evidence BY THE POLICE, this should be enough to grant the defendant some relief from his conviction.
The defendant may or may not have been guilty as charged. Surely he was entitled to have that issue decided based upon ALL relevant evidence being disclosed to him and the jury. At a mimium he should be granted a retrial, surely there must be some avenue of further appeal open to him.
The man was sentenced, went to prison, was FREED, then sent back. If this is American justice, I want nothing to do with it...!
Is our justice system that f**ked up?
PO Joe Elman, who responded to the call, is out on medical leave and continues to collect full pay, based on post traumatic stress disorder. Disgusting!
This whole case is disgusting and the taxpayers of Dobbs Ferry continue to pay for this, along with Rich Jr.
Wouldn't you defend your father if he was being attacked? Think about that. I know I would!
I believe PO Joe Elman has collected enough. And I believe Rich Jr. has served enough.
The thing that bothers me the most about it is the part where the DA said at a news conference that a witness heard racially charged statements. A DA is supposed to refrain from making out of court statements that would tend to heighten public condemnation of the accused. But here she said what she said, and it led to a year of demonstrations against the defendant. Obviously, her news conference statement did heighten condemnation of the accused. And it gets even worse because she was unable to back up her news conference statement at trial. This could have easily swung the whole thing against the defendant.
sharon you are despicable,i seen the whole thing,and that man should be alive today,know the facts b4 you spew.
This is a perfect example of an unbalanced and collapsing justice system. It is horrific for anyone to have been killed, but that simply how it went down. Instead of going to the back of his vehicle he should have got into the drivers seat, turned on the ignition and took off. As far as the " Supreme Court " is concerned, I beleive their actions were purely motivated by a racial factor and nothing more. A person has the right to defend themselves and their family with what they have, sorry if anyone feels differently. And the man did have a weapon according to the police and witness reports posted and swung it multiple times. A bat is a bat for baseball. A bat is a weapon when you are swinging it at another person. Shame on the NY State Supreme Court and the DA's office. Remember this when you go to vote.
I'm reading lots of comments that say he should have identified himself as a Police Officer. Who stops to do that when a family member is and has already been attacked. Also why does it matter if he is a P.O. or not. He did the right thing. Getting the bat out and striking another human is the same as asking for trouble. If he felt the sticker was unwarranted or damaging his property then he should take action the appropriate way, not with violence. Its a car not a human life. Who stops to talk when the next blow could have killed his father? Nobody that believes in family. The man with the bat doesn't love all people and that was clear when he took the time to open his car, open the back lid and grab a bat. He made a choice and it ended up being the wrong one. That man should be released right away and commended for defending his father.
If someone was attacking my dad with a bat, I would bring a gun into the arena, but I would first let it be known I had it, just to give the other man the opportunity to stop. I do believe DiGuglieimo has served enough time, but another train of thought reminds me that a lot of policemen act before they think. It would be hard to be logical at a time like this.
Okay - so Campbell is illegally parked. Then he gets a bat from his trunk and strikes the elder Guglielmo (who I assume is UNARMED) twice, shattering his kneecap and cracking his wrist. CAMPBELL SHOULD HAVE SIMPLY GOT BACK IN HIS CAR AND MOVED IT. Why on earth is the son being punished for protecting his father? That is crazy. Campbell was striking an unarmed man. How come he wasn't punished for that?
I feel bad that that someone died, however someone walking around with a bat is also someone who is looking for trouble. May he rest in peace, but if he was an such good person and he was a Christian where was the respect toward the elderly. He started to beat on an old man. The son should have shot him somewhere where it would not be fatal, however when people are found in situations, they do not always think at that moment. I think Richie did his time!
If Charles Campbell was a "good man" then why did his brother, William Campbell state the night of the incident that he knows how his brother can be and that he does fly off the handle frequently?? Perhaps it's all the BS that Pirro, the West DA and the DFPD did, along with the infamous Al Sharpton, Scott McLaughlin and the rest of the band of agitators to brainwash William Campbell and the public into thinking that this was NOT what it was..."SELF DEFENSE!!"
Charles was not working with Children because he loved children or was a good man, on the contrary, he was serving community service for yet ANOTHER CRIME he commited. He had the rap sheet of a man that was anything but a productive member of society. He was a vicious man who didn't care about anyone but himself and his Corvette!!
While his death was tragic, regardless of the kind of human being he was, understand that this whole thing went down in a matter of seconds, not minutes or hours, but SECONDS. The fight was over, but instead of getting in his car and leaving, he waited for Rich Jr. and Errico to go back inside the deli, and while Rich Sr. handed him his shirt and cell phone, he cowardly got the metal baseball bat from the trunk of his car and hit Rich Sr. 2 x prior to going for the 3rd swing to his head. Rich Jr. did exactly what the NYPD trained him to do and he was cleared by them that night after eye witness testimony confirmed that it was definitely self defense. There wasn't any time for a warning shot, or identifying himself as an officer etc. Campbell was about to strike the 3rd and more than likely fatal blow to Rich Sr. head. Rich Jr. responded in the only way possible to this deadly situation...he defended a deadly weapon with a deadly weapon by shooting center mass into Charles Campbell. Rich Jr. followed proper procedure by aiming center mass at Campbell as to be certain that his bullets didn't stray and hit anyone but the offender. The bat was clearly one second away from smashing Rich Sr. head off and it took 3 shots into Charles Campbell before that threat no longer existed.
Listen people don't be fooled into thinking that Charles Campbell was charged by 3 men. Charles was enraged (as he often got) because a tow sticker was put on his precious corvett, and he was determined to see to it that he beat Rich Sr. for putting it there. He told the Pizzaria man exactly what he was going to do before he stormed out of the pizza place.
Pirro was up for re-election and she needed the black popular vote!! As disgusting as this sounds...she did EVERYTHING she could to get it. Her prison sentence will come!!
Bellantoni was the only HONEST person who saw through the crooked measures that the DA, and DFPD took in order to get a conviction. Withholding evidence..secretly interrigating the main eyewitnesses at all hours of the night and pressuring them to change their story to fit what the DFPD prematurely arrested Rich Jr. for just hours after the incident. The DFPD and Asst. DA, Murphy were ordered by Pirro to arrest Rich Jr. for Murder, despite the fact that all the eye witness statements given that night stated that Rich Jr. acted out of self-defense. So why then was Rich Jr. ever arrested??
This is probably one of the WORST and most disgusting examples of what people will do for power.
FREE RICHARD DIGUGLIELMO NOW!!! Put those in prison who deserve to be there, clearly he is NOT one of them!!!!
Let's be intelligent people and call this what it ALWAYS was: A travesty for both the Campbell and DiGuglielmo families and friends. It is very unfortunate that Charles Campbell died that night, but he did. Rich Jr., the son and well trained police officer of the NYPD did the only thing he could do to protect an innocent man from the ruthless beating he was receiving at the hands of Campbell. It didn't matter what color Charles Campbell was, if he was white, black, yellow, purple or red, Rich Jr. responded to de
This is a bad situation for everyone. Things got heated, that is true but in this case, why didn't Richard DiGuglielmo tell Campbell that he was a Police Officer- IN THE FIRST PLACE? Did they warn Campbell about the possibility of defacing his car with a sticker BEFORE he walked away and how did they say it? Why did the father go after Campbell when obviously he should have backed off him after the fight? Why didn't he give off a warning shot? Why didn't this Officer shoot him in the leg to disable and thereby disarm him---not just kill him? Campbell was just jumped by three guys---three against one over a parking space. He grabbed a bat to help defend himself when he thought that the father was coming after him to beat him some more. Think people. Put yourself in Campbell's shoes in this situation. Yes, he should have moved the car but also yes, the father could have called the police and not rely on his son as back up. It’s sad to say but due to history, police have the reputation of shooting black dudes first and ask questions later. Is it about race or rage? No one will ever know but there again is the pattern and many questions remain: Would he have killed Campbell if he were a White man or just some young White kid? Why did he have to shoot him three times? DiGuglielmo took a life when he had options to avoid it. This is why he is serving time because whether the jury was told that the witnesses changed their minds or not, he had the options to make different decisions ---- regardless of his own emotions.
If the situation was reversed and “Campbell was a White guy”, everyone would just about nit-pick the "bad judgment and lack of control of emotions" in the actions of the “black officer DiGuglielmo” and then say that officer needed to serve the time because at the very end, he took a life unnecessarily (whether black or White) when he was trusted by society to protect and serve.
His brother, the Rev. William Campbell, describes "Chazz" as "a wonderful athlete, wonderful person. He was a Christian. He loved kids, loved people, all people."
Are you kidding me? He gets a bat out of the back of his car and attacks another human being over a parking spot? And is described with these glorified words?
How was he supposed to stop this maniac from beating his father to death? What would the story have read had "Chazz" survived and the older DiGuglielmo died from further injuries?
Simply unbelievable.
Here's a man with a new Corvette stopping to get some Pizza not knowing of the parking situation in this Mini-Mall. He is then confronted by a complete stranger asking that he park somewhere else. The conversation probably went as follows....."I'm just going to get some Pizza" and the father said "Move the fucking car" knowing his son is on the scene, and he is a cop. Campbell then says"I'm not moving anything" and walks away to get his Pizza. During the interim the father slaps a No Parking Sticker on his new Corvette instead of calling the Police. (because his son will not be Impartial)
Campbell comes back sees the Sticker on his windshield freaks out and the fist fight ensues with the father, and two other family members jumping on Campbell. This is where the son should have identified himself as a Police Officer instead of ganging up on Campbell. Of this I am certain had the son said he was a cop the bat would never had appeared, and no one would've died......IMHO DeGuglielmo Jr. was of the opinion that since he is/was a NYCPO he would never go to jail for killing a Black Man. Well he was wrong, and he should be where he's at. So just shut up do your time like a man albeit you took a man's life like a Punk.
Would anybody stand aside at watch someone beat their loved one. No i think not. So when is it wrong to protect what you love.
Why did he shoot him three times in the chest? They say he was this wild athlete yet Richard is no little guy and there were three men against one. I think it was a racist thing. I think Richard and his family are bullies and there is no excuse for a guy half their age to have been violently shot like that. Something is fishy about the G families story. Who needs to shoot someone three times against a bat?
they say depraved indifference murder. does that mean they convicted him b/c it didn't seem to bother him that he killed someone? (idk if he was im just speculating) i wonder if he put it simply, i was just protecting my father? lawyers can get people to believe in anything. i think it's wrong that police got those witnesses to change their stories. i recently read that people's brains alter their memories and are not always accurate, therefore the police shouldn't be like "are you sure this didn't happen?" i think it's more wrong that they changed their stories to please the police. what happened to justice? what happened to the whole truth and nothing but the truth? i think he was justified in defending his father. stand by the truth.
We will never know exactly what happened the night Charles Campbell lost his life. Regardless of what one believes, there is some doubt as to the appropriateness of the conviction (the vacated sentence). While I deeply sympathize with any family over the loss of a loved one, our legal system is built upon the principle that it is better to let guilty men go free rather than convict even one innocent man. None of us will ever know the truth of that horrible night -- but if there's any reasonable doubt about what happened, then justice is not served and the public is not safer by forcing Richard DiGuglielmo Jr. back into prison.
the so called victim already broke an old man's wrist and shattered his kneecap and still had a weapon (the bat) in his hands. The cop did what he was trained to do, cops are taught to unload the weapon; so three shots would be standard. The only reason this man was charged is because this happened in new york and family was involved. Had he come upon the scene as a passerby then we would give him a metal for saving the old man. Justice Fails Again
I have practiced law for 35 years in the State of Montana. I have served as both a criminal prosecutor and as a criminal defense counsel. There is no substitute for the truth and that justice be served. The public's confidence in our criminal justice system is founded on the concept that those entrusted with the public trust to prosecute and defend will do so within the confines of the law with an eye towards seeing that justice is served. All I know about this case is what I read on t.he internet. However, I have to question whether or not the defendant had effective assistance of counsel. I make this remark after reading that Campell's preacher relative was allowed to testify in the manner in which he apparently did. His testimony appears to have been nothing more than pure speculation and conjecture. I,too, was involved in a deliberate homicide case where law enforcement had "turned" a witness. That's not justice; that's winning at all costs and justice be damned. Fortunately, in my case, the jury acquitted the defendant. Nine years later the real murderer was arrested, tried and sentenced to prison. Hopefully, the defendant here has a further avenue of appeal; may a writ of habeus corpus to the federal court. I don't know but I wish him luck.
As a minority who grewup in the south I am not suprised that the two witness changed their stories if as they said they were harassed by the police to give the police the story they wanted.
That happens more often than the majority of people know. Times are changing and the majority are in for a rude awaking because the police have begun to use the same harrasment on the majority when they want to convict someone. Mr. DiGuglielmo may be guilty of something, but not murder and he should have not been returned to prison.
Isn't it possible that they lied about changing their stories to the private detective because of pressure from him? You have to think of everything, people!
If a property owner told me to move my car, I would have immediately. If someone was swinging a baseball bat at a loved one's head, and I had a gun, I would do the same thing. In this case, justice WAS NOT SERVED.
If a property owner told me not to move my car, I would have immediately. If someone was swinging a baseball bat at a loved one's head, and I had a gun, I would do the same thing. In this case, justice WAS NOT SERVED.
I agree with Charles...I was not there and believe mistakes were made by both parties. Things get heated and we lose control. However, as Charles cleared stated, there are major issues with how we allow prosecuters to operate. There has been case after case where it is proven that a prosecutor(s) withheld information, looked only for the answer that will prove their case...not always the true....to grown their numbersand advance their careers. I strongly believe if it is proven, that someone severs one day in jail due to prosecutors misconduct...they should be given the same sentence in jail. Perhaps they would stop playing with people lives and get at the truth.
I agree with Charles...I was not there and believe mistakes were made by both parties. Things get heated and we lose control. However, as Charles cleared stated, there are major issues with how we allow prosecuters to operate. There has been case after case where it is proven that a prosecutor(s) withheld information, looked only for the answer that will prove their case...not always the true....to grown their numbersand advance their careers. I strongly believe if it is proven, that someone severs one day in jail due to prosecutors misconduct...they should be given the same sentence in jail. Perhaps they would stop playing with people lives and get at the truth.
If I saw my Dad get hit twice with a baseball bat, and fear that a fatal blow to the head was on its way, I think I would pull the trigger as well.
The bottom line here is the justice system screwed up. Clearly there was enough evidence for a judge to release this man so he shouldn't have ever been sent back to prison. There is obviously reasonable doubt as to his guilt for what happened. The justice system should be erring in the favor of letting people go if there is this much doubt as to whether they are guilty of something or not. How does that quote go? "It's better to let 100 guilty men go free then to lock up one innocent man" or something to that extent.
@Wonder - Really? The race card? Who pulls that anymore? Well, what if it were three American Indians and an Irish man? What if it were two boxers and a collie? No. Race doesn't matter here. Facts do. I wish I could find that blasted race card and tear it into pieces. The End.
@OmakaRocks, "At the end of the day, this man shot and killed someone. He is not innocent!!!"
So what you're saying no one has the right to defend anyone's life? Even if someone breaks into a home, threatens the family, and the owner shoots him that person should go to jail? So he should've just let Campbell beat his father to death? Campbell made the choice of returning to the car and pulling out the bat. At any point he could've stopped. It only takes a couple of seconds to swing a bat and crush someone skull. It can be a deadly weapon.
"If his goal was to protect his father he should have shot below the waist." - Defensive shooting classes (including for police officers) teach to fire 3 times to the chest. That's because there have been many many scenarios where someone has been shot in the limbs and were able to continue the threat for some time. There's a famous police video where they reenact a scenario of a man even shot in the head and continued to fight the police until he bled out. He did the right thing in protecting his father.
If the story were reverse, if three black men had ganged up on one whiteman... if the white man then says enough and walks away... then one of the black men who just got finished attacking him approaches him, "allegedly" to give him back his cell phone and shirt?????, prompting the white man to take out a bat to defend his self and then the white man is shot.. would you be so sympathetic to the black shooter?
Its funny, in retrospect it does not sound fair. But none of us were there, and we do not know what happened in that court room nor what happpened in front of that shop that day.
One mans life was lost, anothers ruined, and neither had to be. Thats a sad thing no matter how you look at it.
Really? What I would rather debate is the fact that people in general in society today do not have to be accountable for their actions. Campbell decided might makes right. When the table turns how did he suddenly become a sympathetic character? Getting the bat out was an aggressive act that did not end with 'Alright y'all, back on up'. It ended with Campbell finding out that he should have left the bat in the car and that punching an elderly man was not as good an idea as his tough guy persona thought. Maybe instead of teaching all the Richard DiGuglielmo Jr's that shooting a guy that is beating your father with a bat (a hard lesson to teach) is bad, we should be teaching all the Campbell's that a little discretion might be in order.
I think it might have been hard for prosecutors to let this go because there were three white men involved, one a cop vs. one young black kid. I imagine there was a lot of pressure to find justice for the shot black kid. I can understand how frustration would build for a store owner who constantly has to ask people to leave his spaces for patrons. He probably was not kind or curtious with his request. And I know how the guy picking up the pizza would justify his actions by expressing how it takes so little time to pick up a pizza... but that is so indicative of our self-entitled, what yours is mine society that we have built... It doesn't justify things. I ask myself "why would prosecutors need to interview witnesses over and over? wouldn't their first account (fresh in their minds) be most accurate. I can't imagine throwing a punch in this situation. I certainly don't see the necessity of the bat. And I think the bat adds the key element here. If Campbell brought a bat in to this situation... if Rich's father was clearly injured by the bat... then how could anyone say Campbell was unarmed or this guy wasn't justified in protecting his father. At Christmas and ederly man was beaten with a bat at a Walmart well witnesses just watched... I could not stand and watch that! And certainly I'd do the first thing that came to mind that would make it stop!
I feel justice is serve, that Richard had the up hand with a gun that powerful enough with one bullet,would have been enough. Shooting a person three time was no cause for. If he would have shot once that would have stated I'm protecting my family. He shot him in the chest, one bullet would have done enough dange if not killed him. Truly Charles should have obey the sign, as well as leaving and not gotten a bat . I'm sadden that both love ones are suffering. Twenty years is enough time for any one to stay for this case. Even getting out of prison the conscious will never be free of the past.
At the end of the day, this man shot and killed someone. He is not innocent!!! He is guilty and should have NEVER got the 18 months he got was better than he needed for what he did. If his goal was to protect his father he should have shot below the waist. Below the waist is when your goal is to protect, above is when you are trying to kill someone. Richard was also had training, so he should have been trained in this area. He knew what he was doing and robbed this family of a good man. I hope he rotts in the hell he created for himself. We all get mad and get into fights about little things, I would hate for someone to use this as an excuse to kill your family member for an incident like this.
Everyone needs to ask themselves one question,"If your father was being hit with an aluminum baseball bat, would you try and save him?" A split second decision that caused a double tragedy. He needs to be released. Enough is enough
There was definite prosecutorial misconduct. The man already served 10 years.A baseball bat swung at your head is certainly a deadly weapon. The defendant deserves a new trial and the N.Y. Supreme Court should let a jury be the finder of fact. They should have remanded the case and let the DA decide if he wanted to retry it. It does seem like the son over-reacted by shooting three times, but this amateur boxers fists could have been deadly, if the older man had no help.
There was definite prosecutorial misconduct. The man already served 10 years.A baseball bat swung at your head is certainly a deadly weapon. The defendant deserves a new trial and the N.Y. Supreme Court should let a jury be the finder of fact. They should have remanded the case and let the DA decide if he wanted to retry it. It does seem like the son over-reacted by shooting three times, but this amateur boxers fists could have been deadly, if the older man had no help.
The man went across the street to pick up a pizza. In the time it took to get that sticker and put on Campbell's window, he was back with the pizza. He should have either let it go for that little bit of time, or called a tow truck! It should have never escalated to a shooting. He is in jail because he belongs there. It is not a Black or White thing, it is a Stupid thing!
I believe it was way to easy for him to pull a gun and shoot someone, again we are talking about a parking space. If parking there was against the law then call the police and issue a ticket. If you have a gun chances are you are going to use it. If you see someone parking in a handicap space will you pull a gun on them? Come on!! If you asking him now if you had to do it all over again.. would you run the opposite direction to get a gun or just 2 or 3 of you rush him and kick his a$$ with his own bat.. battery instead of murder... I will take that.. what about you??
Witness that changes their story don't have an ounce of credibility, therefore should not be taken seriously. As for the Riche family... Papa can go to the jail to see his son, talk about the weather, plans for went he is release from prison and most of all one day he will have chance to hug and tell him how much he love him, but for the campbell family they will never have that oppurtunity. So Mr Riche I say live with you pain it is better than what the Campbell's have....Justice was served.
Further proof the US does not have a Justice system, it has a LEGAL system.
Although there is a problem with police corruption in this society, unfortunately there is also a big problem with dishonest, corrupt, and overzealous prosecutors. You cannot trust anyone these days. Let the situation speak for itself... when you pull out a baseball bat and beat an old man, you are pretty much asking to be shot.
I agree with Charles. The way I see it, is first, the guy parked his car in the wrong place. He should have listened and moved. It's just like kids and their parents at an amusement park. I get really angry when I see kids cutting in line and then the parents don't do anything. I don't believe this was racial, just one person believing he was entitled to ignore the law, and another who pushed it too far. Yes, I believe that the young man who used the gun is at fault for maybe overreacting, but that is all. I baseball bat in the hands of a strong, athletic man can be deadly. And a man has a right to protect his father, and his business. I don't think it should have ended the way it did, but I sure can see why. People just can't get enough violence these days. It's like we are immune to the suffering of others. First guy should have got back in his car and parked elsewhere. (not like he couldnt handle the walk). Second guy should have put the warning on the car and gone inside. Maybe then nothing would have happened. If people could just step back and look at the scene like human beings instead of pumped up bad guys, so much of this pain and agony could be avoided!
WOW! This is an amazing story! I feel bad for the man who was murdered family, losing their son to such senseless act. I also feel bad for Richie who made a horrible decision that day. I think the government needs to start doing something about witnesses that change their stories. Its happening all too often and too many people are being affected by it. I honestly can't say if justice was served because can justice truly be served when one man is no longer here? And then on the other hand, he's already done 10 years and I honestly think he has learned his lesson. Touchy, touchy story! May God have his way!
FREE RICHIE NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!
the main reason why he got screwed was due to the fact that he had already served ten years or so. So clearly justice had already been done he served his time I am sure he is never going to pull out a gun again so having him sit in jail for another 10 to 40 years will really change nothing. The incident is clearly a little hazy anyway as to what happened so he deserves sometime because you should never pull out a gun but i have a slight feeling that they other guy was not waving a bat around and he backed up clearly retarded hes not gonna back up away from his car and leave it there.
If the witnesses changed their story just once as well as at the same time, they can not be trusted and are not credible witnesses. The Supreme Court is acting on opinion only at that point. Not enought evidence. There is too much doubt to lead to a guilty verdict. This case against this man should be dropped.
If our justice system is the best in the world, the world is in very sad shape. Prosecutors, on the whole, are not interested in justice, they are intent on winning at all cost regardless of who gets hurt. They do not believe that proving any case with only the truth will get them re-elected, and that's all they are after. It's the same as a sports season...they keep score and brag. When they send some to prison who is not guilty, they are worse than the murderers themselves. they have committed a crime against humanity and the prosecutor that does that intentionally should be held accountable.
Any justice system that puts to death one innocent person is a failed system. When the justice system commits murder, who holds the system responsible? The system is just as guilty of murder as a person who commits murder.