Daily
Times Herald |
September
28, 2006 |
Iowa newspaper columnist covering murder trial in federal court described Dale L. Smith as “by far the most effective attorney on the case when it came to keeping the jury engaged….”
♦ ♦ ♦
New
York Post |
December
8, 2005 |
Dale L. Smith quoted in news article after the U.S. Department of Justice announces its decision not to seek the death penalty against his client.
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New
York Post |
November
23, 2005 |
News story reported the dismissal of criminal charges against Dale L. Smith’s client, a respected Midtown plastic surgeon, accused of molesting a female patient. The doctor “was only cleared after intensive detective work by [his] defense lawyer”, Mr. Smith, who convinced the prosecutor to dismiss all charges.
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Gang
Land |
October
21, 2004 |
Online news article quoted Dale L. Smith in connection with his representation of a client charged with capital murder in federal court.
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The
Village Voice |
January
28, 2004 |
News story quoted Dale L. Smith about whether the insanity defense will be raised at the trial of his client charged with fraud, racketeering and extortion in Brooklyn federal court.
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New
York Post |
January
26, 2004 |
Dale L. Smith quoted in article about bail revocation for a client charged with mail fraud as part of a labor racketeering indictment.
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Gang
Land |
December
11, 2003 |
Online news article quoted Dale L. Smith about his expected trial strategy and the strength of the government's case against his client.
♦ ♦ ♦
New York Daily News; New York Post |
August
2, 2002 |
News stories quoted Dale L. Smith about the arraignment and not guilty plea in State Supreme Court of his client, a former district leader of the Democratic Party.
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New
York Daily News |
February
7, 2002 |
News story, which focused on government cooperating witness who wore a recording device for three years, recorded more than 500 conversations and testified at trial in U.S. District Court, reported that “…[Dale L. Smith's client] was acquitted of all charges”.
♦ ♦ ♦
New
York Daily News |
March
13, 2001 |
News story entitled, “Mob Snitch Slammed as Liar at Trial”, reported that Dale L. Smith caused “[t]he still-feisty former Luchese crime family acting boss, [Alfonse D'Arco to lose] his cool at several points during cross-examination…in Brooklyn Federal Court”.
♦ ♦ ♦
Virgin Islands Daily News |
October
24, 2000 |
News story reported the successful arguments of Dale L. Smith requesting bail at a detention hearing in U.S. District Court in St. Croix on behalf of a client charged in a complex money laundering conspiracy involving approximately 2 million dollars of alleged drug-trafficking proceeds, which the FBI claimed was traced to a Columbian drug cartel.
♦ ♦ ♦
July
2000 |
Federal Jury Acquits Antigua Businessman
On Friday, July 14, 2000, a jury sitting in the courtroom of U.S. District Judge I. Leo Glasser in Brooklyn acquitted a businessman from the island nation of Antigua after a one-week trial. Alex John a U.S. citizen traveling from Antigua to the United States on business in November 1999 was arrested at John F. Kennedy Airport (JFK) on a federal arrest warrant issued in 1997.
He was accused with several other men of being involved in a conspiracy to steal luxury automobiles, including a Mercedes Benz 600 SL, Porsche 911's and luxury Sport Utility Vehicles from Long Island, Queens and Brooklyn and export them to Antigua and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
After less than one full day of deliberations, the jury returned a not guilty verdict on each of the five (5) counts in the indictment. A joint investigation by U.S. Customs Service, New York City Police Department Auto Crimes Division and New Jersey State Police led to the seizure of more than one hundred (100) cars valued in excess of two (2) million dollars ($2,000,000.00) between 1993 and 1997.
Several of the men alleged to be part of the conspiracy, including three (3) admitted car thieves and one man responsible for altering the Vehicle Identification Numbers (VIN) pled guilty to the indictment and agreed to cooperate with the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York.
After his arrival on a flight from Antigua to JFK, Mr. John was taken before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in Brooklyn, appointed counsel and detained without bail. He later retained New York Criminal Defense Attorney Dale L. Smith who convinced the Magistrate Judge to release him on bail pending trial.
At trial, the government represented by Assistant United States Attorney, Noah B. Perlman, called as the main witness a freight forwarder who claimed to have had several face to face meetings with Mr. John and recorded more than eighteen (18) conversations with him discussing the shipment of stolen cars. The government also called as a witness a car thief who claimed that he stole a late model Porsche, which he sold to Mr. John for five thousand dollars ($5,000.00). Finally the government called two (2) law enforcement witnesses one of whom identified Mr. John as the person in surveillance photographs taken at the scene of the crimes.
Through skillful cross-examination Mr. Smith discredited the government's main witness who had been paid a total of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000.00) by U.S. Customs for his cooperation in this and other cases over a period of several years. Mr. Smith began his summation by telling the jury, “There are 50,000 reasons why Alex John should be found not guilty”. According to Mr. Smith, this was a simple case of mistaken identification compounded by inadequate police investigation. Fortunately the system worked and Mr. John is now free. However, he cautioned that the system does not always work that way.
