Man Charged in Hanukkah Attack Pleads Not Guilty, Prosecutor Asks Sussman To Resign

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NEW CITY, N.Y. (AP) — The man charged in an attack at a suburban New York Hanukkah celebration that left five people wounded, one critically, pleaded not guilty to attempted murder and other charges on Thursday.

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Grafton Thomas appeared in Rockland County Court. On Monday, he also pleaded not guilty to federal hate crime charges. Thomas was arrested hours after five people were stabbed at an attack at a rabbi’s home in Monsey, an Orthodox Jewish community north of New York City.

His lawyer, Michael Sussman, has said Thomas suffers from mental illness and is not responsible for his actions.

Prosecutor Dominic Crispino said in court on Thursday that Sussman should resign from the case because he videotaped evidence being taken out of Thomas’ cabin and therefore became a witness, the Journal News reported.

Sussman said he would not be resigning. Judge Kevin Russo said he would rule on the matter when the prosecutor puts his request in writing.

Sussman also said he wants to visit Rabbi Chaim Rottenberg’s property in Monsey, where the attack occurred on Dec. 28, so he can get a sense of what Thomas was experiencing at the scene. Crispino argued against that; the judge said he would consider the request.

Sussman said he has no explanation as to why Thomas went to Rottenberg’s home and no indication that Thomas knew anyone in the congregation.

One of the victims, 72-year-old Josef Neumann, remains in a coma with a fractured skull and other injuries.


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Mr. Smith
Mr. Smith
4 years ago

They should let Sussman into the home and give Grafton a machete and leave them both alone there.

Yuddie
Yuddie
4 years ago

3 nazi maga hoonts arrested in VA as they planned an attack in Richmond this coming weekend. The VA Governor has declared a State of Emergency in his state due to alt-militias and maga nazis massing there w military style weapons.

Lenny
Lenny
4 years ago

Sussman is a lowlife piece of drek.

Nachum
Nachum
4 years ago

This is what is known as Yiddisha nachas- a Yiddisha Attorney defending a low life, accused of harming other Jews!

Mamala
Mamala
4 years ago

To anon21- point is you learned something. Maga=fine volk.
LEV PARNAS tonite on TV 9PM. MSNBC

Chossid Shoytah
Chossid Shoytah
4 years ago

He claims he is innocent and there is more to the story then revealed in the FBI indictment. He argues there is a paragraph left out that was not in the in report – H’maven Yovin

Rabbi Kolakowski
Rabbi Kolakowski
4 years ago

How is it that this Sussman manages to be involved in every anti-Hasidic case for over 20 years?