NEW ROCHELLE, NY — Judge Jared Rice today revoked the ROR (released on recognizance) status of Stephanie Lombardo of New Rochelle and ordered a MHATI psychological evaluation as a non-monetary bail condition.
Mental Health Alternatives to Incarceration (MHATI) provides community services to people with serious mental illnesses by using both intensive and supportive case management. People with serious mental health and those with co-occurring disorders who have been arrested on a misdemeanor or non-violent felony charge may be sentenced to participate in treatment and services under the supervision of the MHATI program.
Lombardo, is facing three separate counts of Aggravated Harassment — Second Degree, all Class A Misdemeanors with a possible sentence of up to three years in the Westchester County Jail.
Judge Rice today also expanded the list of persons covered under a Temporary Order of Protection obtained by David Lacher, bringing the total to 7 related to his complaint. Rice left unchanged TOPs for a current school board member and a Lacher family member who filed their complaint against Lombardo. There are now 10 persons covered under TOPs; Lombardo may not contact them or not say anything negative about Lacher.
ADA Sarah Martinez, on behalf of the People, argued that the charges relate to an “intimate relationship gone sour,” an alleged extramarital affair between Lombardo, aged 34, and David Lacher, age 68, of New Rochelle.
Christine Hall, appointed by the Court to represent Lombardo, taking over for Stacey Richman who represented Lombardo for purposes of her arraignment on May 21, argued the people’s case for ROR revocation was “frivolous” because since her arraignment Lombardo had been fully compliant with the Court.
Martinez argued for revoking Lombardo’s ROR status because Lombardo was a possible flight risk given the nature of the charges, potential long-term incarceration, and voluminous emails and voicemails that are “very troubling”. Martinez said Lombardo is “unstable”. She said the emails and voicemails contain “anti-Semitic slurs” and references to “sexual performance”, and that after her arraignment Lombardo gave information to the press, a reference to Talk of the Sound. Martinez said that Talk of the Sound reporting made the matter more difficult.
Under Judge Rice’s order, Lombardo is required to set up and undergo an evaluation by MHATI and provide a report from MHATI before her next court appearance on June 17.
EDITOR’S NOTE: As the ADA referenced Talk of the Sound, we note we published two articles related to the case, based on emails and text messages provided by Stephanie Lombardo in the period from April 12 to April 29, long before Lombardo was arraigned on May 21. We did not publish information from these emails and text messages at the time because, as we have explained previously, we considered the subject a personal matter. That all changed when Lacher and two other persons pursued criminal charges against Lombardo. That we are publishing information in May from these records provided in April is not an example of Lombardo providing information to the press after her arraignment.
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