Crime and Law
During my time at Syracuse.com | The Post Standard I have specialized in law and order reporting. When I started in 2021 I focused on breaking news events. I listened to police scanners, tracked arrests and travelled to crime scenes. As my career evolved, I began to focus on legal reporting. I sit through criminal and civil proceedings, track court filings and built a network of sources in the Central New York legal community.
Lawyer Removed from Rare RICO case
​After a murder trial ended in a mistrial, the Onondaga County District Attorney chose to indict the defendants on a rarely used state law that resembles federal RICO laws. Months after the new indictment was filed, one of the defense attorneys assigned to the case was removed. She had witnesses the alleged crime that resulted in the mistrial and was now a key component of the RICO indictment.
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Lawyer taken off Syracuse racketeering case after witnessing alleged crime
Baby Dior Murder Trial
11-month-old Dior Harris was fatally shot in drive-by shooting that left two other young girls injured. For years, the motivations of the tragic shooting remained a mystery. At the trial for the accused shooter, a motive finally emerged. The car Dior sat in strapped to her car seat was mistakenly identified as a car involved in a fender-bender hours later.
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Road rage, a tragic mixup, a mother’s grief: the untold story of Baby Dior’s death
Vermont Cold Case Solved
George and Catherine Peacock were murdered in their home nearly 3 decades ago. In 2022, police used DNa to make an arrest. The alleged killer lived in Central New York. In a twist, investigators almost could nto find the DNA sample to complete the test that led to the arrest. ​
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Removal of Judge
Erin Gall
Two years after a Central New York judge had an inappropriate interaction with police and civilians at a graduation party, an oversight commission ruled she should be removed. After the initial breaking news story, I dug through the discovery that was released to the public to expand the story. The first package was centered around body camera footage. It mixed a written narrative with a multi-media presentation that gave readers a look inside the moment. The second story came from lengthy testimony Gall gave the commission in her defense.
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Watch videos that break down a Central NY judge’s racially offensive rants: ‘I’ll shoot them’
Suspended Central NY judge tried to downplay her racially insensitive comments: ‘I don’t see color’
A Mother's Grief: Brexi
The fatal shooting of 11-year-old Brexialee Torres-Ortiz rocked the Syracuse community. The young girl was shot on her way home after walking to a corner store just a block away from her front door. she was buying milk to make mac and cheese. On the eve of trial for one of Brexialee's accused killers, her mother sat down with me to discuss the evidence and the grieving process.​
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Brexi’s mom talks about the shooting, the killers, her daughter and forgiveness
Lawyers for Dogs
Abused animals are still considered the legal property of the people accused of mistreating them. Those animals can be trapped in shelters on "cruelty holds" for years while their owners go through the legal system. This prevents them from receiving the care they need, socializing and finding a new home. A group of volunteer lawyers in Syracuse are working to free them.
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Dogs seized in Syracuse abuse cases can be stuck in limbo in shelters. These lawyers free them
Chaos in Armory Square
Armory Square in Syracuse is one of the most popular nigh-life hubs in the city. When a fatal shooting happened just after midnight on a warm Saturday, chaos ensued. The morning after the shooting, I scoured social media to find people talking about the terrifying ordeal and spoke to them about their experiences.
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Shots, screams, partiers run: Witnesses describe Armory Square shooting that killed 1, injured 4
Syracuse Football Star Sues School
LeQuint Allen, Syracuse University’s rising star of a running back, was quietly suspended from the university following a fight at a student apartment building. The suspension and violent night that spurred it were kept under wraps until a lawsuit was filed. The lawsuit did not name Allen but reporter Emily Leiker and I were able to confirm his involvement and break the story. It was later picked up by national outlets. A follow up story written by Leiker and I later won a local journalism honor for best sports story of 2023.
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Syracuse star running back, suspended for season for fight, sues school to return to field
Fraudulent Bail Bonds
This story came from a tip from a local attorney. a mother and son were caught trying to use a fraudulent bail bond to order the release of one man from jail. The discovery of that false bond revealed a wide scale problem that led to the the release of multiple defendants. Dozens of families lost thousands and some men were forced back into custody.
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Bail bond scheme costs people thousands, lands loved ones back in Syracuse jail