Bursztyn: "I caved in" because...
Reb Yosel tells the A.P.P. one reason he pleaded guilty was "because community leaders have urged him not to further aggravate unrest between the community and the police."
APP
A rabbi whose arrest in Lakewood in June outraged the township's Orthodox Jewish community has pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice, although he continued Wednesday to maintain that the charges against him were unfounded.
Rabbi Yosef Bursztyn, 63, of Sixth Street, Lakewood, pleaded guilty to the disorderly persons offense Tuesday before Superior Court Judge Edward J. Turnbach.
But he released a statement Wednesday through his attorney, Daniel J. Carluccio, saying the case would have been easy to defend because "the charges against him were completely unfounded."
Bursztyn admitted to Turnbach Tuesday that he failed to comply with a directive of Lakewood Officer Erik Menck on June 26 while Menck was performing an official function, court documents said.
Turnbach imposed two fines on Bursztyn that are routine in every criminal case — a $50 Violent Crimes Compensation Board fine and a $75 Safe Neighborhood fine — but imposed no further penalties on the rabbi. The judge could have imposed an additional fine of up to $1,000, as well as a jail term of up to six months.
Under a plea bargain, the judge dismissed additional charges against Bursztyn of harassment and aggravated assault on a police officer, both indictable offenses, Ocean County Prosecutor Thomas F. Kelaher said...
A videotape from Menck's car, which Carluccio played for the As-bury Park Press Wednesday, showed that Menck told Bursztyn to back away from his niece's car and also not to approach the patrol car. It showed the rabbi walking away from his niece's car toward the patrol car, despite repeated orders from Menck to "walk away."
The tape, however, does not show what happened when the rabbi got to the patrol car, although it does record him asking for Menck's badge number and telling the officer that the woman he stopped was his niece..
But Bursztyn, in a telephone interview Wednesday, said he feels he "caved in" in pleading guilty. While his testimony in entering his guilty plea was technically truthful, he said doesn't believe he committed a crime, and he entered the plea to spare himself the expense, stress and time consumption of a trial.
The rabbi said a trial would have interfered with his personal and professional responsibilities. He also said he pleaded guilty because community leaders have urged him not to further aggravate unrest between the community and the police.
"Maybe a long trial was something I couldn't afford to do — pay lawyers and have the stress on my health," Bursztyn said...
APP
A rabbi whose arrest in Lakewood in June outraged the township's Orthodox Jewish community has pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice, although he continued Wednesday to maintain that the charges against him were unfounded.
Rabbi Yosef Bursztyn, 63, of Sixth Street, Lakewood, pleaded guilty to the disorderly persons offense Tuesday before Superior Court Judge Edward J. Turnbach.
But he released a statement Wednesday through his attorney, Daniel J. Carluccio, saying the case would have been easy to defend because "the charges against him were completely unfounded."
Bursztyn admitted to Turnbach Tuesday that he failed to comply with a directive of Lakewood Officer Erik Menck on June 26 while Menck was performing an official function, court documents said.
Turnbach imposed two fines on Bursztyn that are routine in every criminal case — a $50 Violent Crimes Compensation Board fine and a $75 Safe Neighborhood fine — but imposed no further penalties on the rabbi. The judge could have imposed an additional fine of up to $1,000, as well as a jail term of up to six months.
Under a plea bargain, the judge dismissed additional charges against Bursztyn of harassment and aggravated assault on a police officer, both indictable offenses, Ocean County Prosecutor Thomas F. Kelaher said...
A videotape from Menck's car, which Carluccio played for the As-bury Park Press Wednesday, showed that Menck told Bursztyn to back away from his niece's car and also not to approach the patrol car. It showed the rabbi walking away from his niece's car toward the patrol car, despite repeated orders from Menck to "walk away."
The tape, however, does not show what happened when the rabbi got to the patrol car, although it does record him asking for Menck's badge number and telling the officer that the woman he stopped was his niece..
But Bursztyn, in a telephone interview Wednesday, said he feels he "caved in" in pleading guilty. While his testimony in entering his guilty plea was technically truthful, he said doesn't believe he committed a crime, and he entered the plea to spare himself the expense, stress and time consumption of a trial.
The rabbi said a trial would have interfered with his personal and professional responsibilities. He also said he pleaded guilty because community leaders have urged him not to further aggravate unrest between the community and the police.
"Maybe a long trial was something I couldn't afford to do — pay lawyers and have the stress on my health," Bursztyn said...
posted by Yeshiva Orthodoxy
at 4:02 PM
21 Comments:
No the whole kehila caved in by not sopporting an inocent member of our community. We failed him, and we failed ourselfs. Who know where this will lead us, what is comming next. The askonim are here for themselfs everyone else can go jump.
Did HaRav Matisyahu Solomon ever give a shmooz on davening late, or after zman krias shemah? He's davening schachris on shabbos at 9:00am. Could you belive it. A local yeshivish minyan in lakewood would be put in cherem for that!
(I know satmar, the rabbinic mafia has no power over them)
I wonder how long ago this "offer" was made, does the timing of this have anything to do with the dinner? Did AK get the word from R' Elya Ber it is time to cut out the shtick or your entire courpt game will be exposed?
Yay Lichtenstein
It is time that AK and Lichtenstein be made to pay for this Chilul Hashem. They even Put R.A.M.K. on Reb yossels back. The Vaad just cares about staying in power they must be brought down. Maybe we should vote in Yudel Shain.
The Vaad feifs un the Tzibur at every issue. Lets start a new Vaad now.
AMEN...
Very well said
Maybe next election we can sneak someone in like M.M.
you got my vote
You got to check this out. The township is about to spend 50 million dollars on a new hockey stadium. WE are going to have to pay for this. If you want to to know where the VAAD is on this, I'll tell you. THEY ARE ACTIVELY HELPING. The land they plan to build on is owned by YESHIVA (cedarbridge dev. corp. is wholly owned by BMG) Yshiva of course is giving it to them since they got it originall from the township. Its complicated but you can read all about it at this link. Its todays cover of the APP
http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051216/NEWS/512160363
Cant wait to hear what the yeshiva/vaad will get in return-remember they only have their best interest in mind. They will be getting something biiiig for this deal- Happy everybody listened to the vaad--this needs to stop-- The tzibur is being taken for a ride purely to benefit the yeshiva only.
Cant wait for the stadium to be complete-look forward to another letter assuring anybody to even look at the stadium...
CANT WE PUT AN END TO ALL THIS CHARAH???
WHERE IS THE 50 MIL COMING FROM???? ALL OUR TAXES-YASHER KOACH TO THE VAAD!!!!
Next week the vaad will put in another full page add thanking everybody for being ignorant at the elections-and just voting for who ever the vaad says.
Lets use the same koach hatzibur the vaad preaches about to get them the hell out of town!!!!!
This is UNBELIVEABLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The article expressly says that the "districts tax revenue" will be use to pay of this 50 million dollar bond. Does any body realize how much 50 million doolar is per Lakewood family?? A COUPLE OF THOUSAND BUCKS!! But dont worry, you wont feel it since it'll be a bond spread out over 30 years (and it'll be 150 million once you calculate all the interest)
THIS HAS GOT TO BE STOPPED!!!!!!
Who do we turn to ??? The vaad ?? obviously not!!
There has to be someone here with a backbone to stand up in the name of the khal and put an end to this madness!!!
was there a vote to do this??
We need to find out how all this got pushed through so quietly.
There are People in lakweood who dont have money to put bread on the table for their tayira kinder and the yeshiva is out to sell themselves for a small profit!!!
Lets see the yeshiva take the grant they will get from this and give the money to tomchai shabbos of lakewood instead of using it for another slab of marble for some hallway.
PLEASE PLEASE cal bob singers office and ask for his legislative aid". TEll her that the community is opposed to this. the # is (732) 901-0702. If they get enough calls they might think twice.
I dont think the VAAD realizes that some people ( and yes, I'm one of them) struggle to pay out tution for our children
CALL BOB SINGER's OFFICE NOW
732- 901-0702
just called and was sent to her v/m. I left a nice message telling her how we feel it is not needed and that we have enough to cover with our taxes as is.....
PLEASE EVERYBODY CALL!!!!!!!!!!!
LETS SHOW THE VAAD WE CAN STOP THEM!!!
well said "the rock"
lets all call and the koach hatzibur will prevail.
k'ish echad b'laiv echad!!!
CALL CALL CALL. Your helping people who struggle every day to make ends meet. Its a Mitzva.
732- 901-0702
CAN SOMEONE WRITE SOMETHING UP TELLING PPL TO CALL BOB SINGER THAT WE CAN HANG IN EVERY SHUL???
WE NEED TO ENLIGHTEN THE TZIBUR TO STAND UP FOR THEMSELVES-CAUSE THE VAAD WONT!!!
Contact Info-line. The same service that the yeshiva uses to tell everyone to vote for the vaad.
It calls everyone in town with an automated message
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