Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
[STK]
[IN]
[SU] LAW
-- WITH PHOTO -- TO BUSINESS, AND LEGAL AFFAIRS EDITORS:
Brownstone Appellate Law Firm Files Initial Brief to Contend Against
Client's Conviction in Florida-Based Case for Dalia Dippolito
ORLANDO, Fla., March 20, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Brownstone Appellate Law
Firm, led by attorneys Robert Sirianni, Michael Brownlee, and Andrew
Greenlee, file the initial brief challenging the conviction and
sentence in Dalia Dippolito case. In their brief, appellate lawyers
at Brownstone contend that Dalia Dippolito was wrongly convicted in
Palm Beach County.
Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140320/PH86927-a
Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140320/PH86927LOGO-b
Ms. Dippolito appeals her conviction on the charge of solicitation to
commit first degree murder. The State alleged that Ms. Dippolito paid
an undercover officer to murder her husband. At trial, the defense
maintained that her husband, a reality television fanatic, engineered
the plot to take his own life to garner media attention that would
allow him to pursue opportunities in reality television.
During the course of the investigation, law enforcement conducted
video surveillance of the solicitation. Law enforcement also took the
unusual step of inviting a reality television show, COPS, to document
the events as they unfolded. The Boynton Beach Police Department
staged a fake crime scene and invited the COPS crew to film Ms.
Dippolito's reaction as she was informed (falsely) that her husband
had been killed. The video footage went viral on the internet, and,
as a consequence, the case garnered an extraordinary amount of media
attention in advance of litigation. The jury found Ms. Dippolito
guilty as charged.
Ms. Dippolito raises four issues on appeal:
The trial court denied an unopposed request to conduct individual voir
dire of prospective jurors. Then, after a potential juror informed
the venire of a Palm Beach Post report that Ms. Dippolito tried to
poison her husband with antifreeze, an allegation previously deemed
inadmissible, the trial court denied motions to strike the panel and
for mistrial. Did the court abuse its discretion?
At trial, the State presented the perpetuated deposition testimony of
a key witness who was not only available to testify, but was arrested
for DUI in South Florida in the middle of trial. Did the admission of
his perpetuated testimony violate Ms. Dippolito's rights under the
Confrontation Clause?
Is Ms. Dippolito entitled to a new trial where the trial court
introduced prior bad act evidence featured at trial that was not
inextricably intertwined with the charged crime and was not supported
by clear and convincing evidence?
During closing, the State improperly commented on Ms. Dippolito's
right to a fair trial and right to remain silent.
Media Contact: Robert L. Sirianni, Jr. (855) 776-2773
www.brownstonelaw.com
Read more news from Brownstone Appellate Law Firm.
SOURCE Brownstone Appellate Law Firm
-0- 03/20/2014
/Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140320/PH86927-a
http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140320/PH86927LOGO-b
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
/Web Site: http://www.brownstonelaw.com
CO: Brownstone Appellate Law Firm
ST: Florida
SU: LAW
PRN
-- PH86927 --
0000 03/20/2014 12:30:00 EDT http://www.prnewswire.com
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
