Thompson Appoints New Prosecutor to Review Case against Sam Kellner

By Shmarya Rosenberg
Failed Messiah
January 20, 2014

http://failedmessiah.typepad.com/failed_messiahcom/2014/01/thompson-appoints-new-prosecutor-to-review-case-against-sam-kellner-234.html

Kellner was a child sex abuse whistleblower in the Brooklyn hasidic community when he was suddenly charged with extortion by former District Attorney Charles J. Hynes based on evidence that has since proved to be false or tainted, causing many legal observers to believe that Kellner was set up by the family of accused pedophile Baruch Lebovits in conjunction with senior prosecutors in Hynes’ office.

The ever imploding case against accused extortionist Samuel Kellner got a new prosecutor today, the Daily News reported.

Kellner was a child sex abuse whistleblower in the Brooklyn hasidic community when he was suddenly charged with extortion by former District Attorney Charles J. Hynes based on evidence that has since proved to be false or tainted, causing many legal observers to believe that Kellner was set up by the family of accused pedophile Rabbi Baruch Lebovits in conjunction with senior prosecutors in Hynes’ office.

Kellner had brought several alleged victims of Lebovits to the D.A.'s Sex Crimes Unit, facilitating their prosecution of Lebovits.

Two prosecutors assigned to the case tried to drop the case against Kellner about three months ago and were summarily transferred and demoted by Hynes and his now Rackets Bureau chief Michael Vecchione.

Hynes was the first sitting D.A. in Brooklyn to be voted out of office in about 100 years. His term ended in December.

Vecchione – who has string of questionable and wrongful convictions, and who has been reprimanded by federal and state judges for his tactics and his inability to follow the laws regarding fair prosecution – resigned in December.

The new Brooklyn district attorney, Kenneth Thompson – who crushed Hynes in an unprecedented landslide – appointed sex crimes prosecutor Kevin O'Donnell to take over Kellner’s case and review it.

This will likely lead to charges against Kellner being dropped.

“[Thompson] probably wants a fresh pair of eyes to look at this case,” Kellner’s attorney, Niall MacGiollabhui, told the Daily News.

Meanwhile, Rabbi Baruch Lebovits – whose family was supposedly extorted by Kellner but who in reality most like extorted him – has a court date Thursday.

Lebovits was convicted on sexual abuse charges but had that conviction overturned more than a year ago based on a technical violation made by the prosecution. But the appellate court noted that despite that violation, the evidence against Lebovits was still strong.

Hynes promised to retry Lebovits but never did, and late last year he allegedly was in the process of offering Lebovits a no-prison plea deal as part of a quid-pro-quo deal made with Satmar, Munkatch and several other related hasidic groups for their bloc vote. Publicity of the allegedly pending plea deal stalled it, however, and Thompson’s public request to have the case frozen until he took office ended it.

[Hat Tip: Seymour.]