NEW ROCHELLE, NY (May 10, 2022) — Edward Conklin, 62, of New Rochelle, NY, known locally as the Aggressive Panhandler, “settled all family business” Monday in New Rochelle Criminal Court in front of Judge Jared R. Rice and then did the same on Tuesday in White Plains Criminal Court in front of Judge Eric Press.
Conklin, who has been incarcerated at the Westchester County Jail in Valhalla since February, was brought in to both courts as a prisoner.
Attorney David Rifas, representing Conklin on a string of misdemeanor dockets, attempted to explain to his erratic client, that the plea deal offered by the Westchester County District Attorney would dispose of all pending cases against him in New Rochelle by borrowing a line from The Godfather: “we are resolving all family business today.”
“Today I settle all Family business, so don’t tell me you’re innocent, Carlo. Admit what you did.”
—- Michael Corleone
Edward Conklin, dressed in gray sweatpants and a threadbare, stained t-shirt, spent a good deal of his appearance attempting to make legal arguments or otherwise tell the judge about himself. He was repeatedly admonished by court officers to quiet down, listen and not interrupt the judge.
In New Rochelle, Conklin was facing 3 dockets: CR-04169-21 (panhandling), CR-04753-21 (knife in sock in jail), and CR-05129-21 (crack cocaine pipe).
When the lawyers sorted out the deal Conklin had approved — 6 month sentences to run concurrent with 2 months time served, out in 4 months — Conklin repeatedly delayed the voir dire.
It is typically perfunctory that an ADA asks the defendant a series of “yes” and “no” questions, such as whether the defendant understands what rights they are waiving in a plea agreement or whether they signed certain documents. Conklin took issue with many of the questions, demanding, for example, to be told each of the rights he was giving up. As Conklin became increasingly combative, Judge Rice admonished Conklin to stop talking, or he’d have to go sit in the prisoner holding room while his lawyer explained why he needed to calm himself.
Conklin was arrested in February 2022 on criminal possession of crack cocaine at the New Rochelle Home Depot.
In a series of rambling statements, Conklin said he had a knife in his left sock, he gets four hundred dollars a month from Yonkers Family Services, and he wants that money to go to the commissary at the Westchester County Jail. He said he slammed someone to the ground in White Plains. He said the truth will set me free. He said that he was in the US Army and had two honorable discharges, that he was a commando with 45 guys, he was born in Peekskill, July 10, 1959. He said, “I’m trying to defend myself”, that he was a homeless person victimized by other people on the street.
On Tuesday, Conklin was better behaved. In White Plains he was facing 5 dockets: CR-03175-21 (crack cocaine), CR-03176-21 (synthetic drug), CR-03802-21 (assault-3rd), CR-04465-21 (synthetic drug), and CR-06665-21 (synthetic drug, cocaine).
As part of the deal in New Rochelle, Judge Press stipulated to 4 of the 5 charges but separated out the Assault—3rd because there was an order of protection. The DA reduced the Assault—3rd to a Disorderly Conduct and made the order of protection permanent (meaning two years).
The plea deal was accepted. Conklin will serve all of his sentences concurrently, so he may be released in September.
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