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Law Offices of Michael A. Robbins

CNN:

Suspects in 1978 disappearances plead not guilty

Evans' attorney, Michael A. Robbins, maintains his client's innocence, citing Evans' full cooperation with authorities during the 1978 investigation into the disappearance of Randy Johnson, 16, Melvin Pittman,17, Ernest Taylor, 17, Alvin Turner, 16, all of Newark; and Michael McDowell, 16, of East Orange.
"In a case such as this, where the evidence has been lost, great care must be taken to prevent outrage, anger and emotion acting as a substitute in court for competent testimony, evidence and proof," Robbins said. "The magnitude of the tragedy in the case should not diminish the very sacredness of Mr. Evans' right to a fair trail."

Evans' attorney, Michael A. Robbins, says his client is innocent, pointing out that Evans cooperated with police in 1978 and passed a polygraph test.
"In a case such as this, where the evidence has been lost, great care must be taken to prevent outrage, anger and emotion acting as a substitute in court for competent testimony, evidence and proof," Robbins said in a statement.
"For the past 32 years he has led an unremarkable life of hard work and taking care of his family," said Robbins, Evans' lawyer, "and has had no contact with the criminal justice system."

The Star-Ledger:

A Jersey City woman charged with shooting her ex-boyfriend in the back of the head in 2014 has pleaded guilty to the homicide and will face a potential sentence of up to 10 years in prison.

The case was handled by Hudson County Assistant Prosecutor Karyn Darish and Nisbett is represented by defense attorney Michael Robbins.

However, after Robbins parsed an enlarged duplicate of the Spanish version of the Miranda rights document given to the defendant's mother, Arroyo admitted that there were 18 typos -- including omitted words and punctuation marks instead of letters within words.
"Do you tell her he (her son) doesn't have to answer anything without a lawyer," Robbins asked the detective. Arroyo said he did not.
"To have a narrator, someone who was actually present during the event. This was probably a huge break in the investigation," Robbins said.

"Michael Robbins, one of Essex County's highest-profile private criminal lawyers, is also currently defending Rolando Terrell, charged with the slayings of a popular cheerleading coach and three teenagers in Irvington on Sept. 8. Robbins has won acquittals for a number of homicide suspects, including Earl Easterling, accused of killing two people during a botched robbery at Vertus Financial in Irvington. He represents Gerardo Gomez, one of three juveniles waived up."
Said Robbins, "at the risk of sounding prosaic, it's a lawyer's obligation to the system and the law to sometimes 'defend the indefensible."

"This terrible tragedy did not occur at the hands of this child," Michael Robbins said as Gerardo Gomez, 16, and five others made their first court appearance since being indicted in the killings.
Robbins claims Gomez was no more than a bystander in the killings. He said he was with the older defendants but had no role in the violence.

Terrell's lawyer Michael Robbins, said the surrender underscores his client's innocence. He described the four victims as Terrell's "friends and family." "It is inconceivable that he would be involved in any way with this horrible crime."

"This kid had nothing to do with it," said Michael Robbins, attorney for Gerardo Gomez. "There is no blood on his hands for what happened in that schoolyard."
Robbins made his comments -- the only statement so far by a defense attorney in the case -- after Gomez and Shahid Baskerville, 16, made their first appearances in adult court to face charges for the Aug. 4 killings.
"The allegations appear to be that, while present, he did not at any time possess the machete or the handgun," Robbins said.

Wilson’s attorney, Michael A. Robbins, said Friday that Wilson had no choice but to kill Stubblefield during a violent confrontation.
“This is a classic case of self-defense with all the hallmarks of legal justification,” Robbins said. “She was violently attacked in her own home by the much larger Mr. Stubblefield,”

Lalley's attorney, Michael A. Robbins, said his client has had a exemplary career in law enforcement and deserves the benefit of the doubt along with the presumption of innocence.
"For 20 years Michael J. Lalley has protected and served the people of the city of Newark with honor and distinction," Robbins said.

"We now have the ability to examine the tragic event on that night, not in the darkness and chaos of night, but in the bright light of day," Robbins said.
"The defense is confident that after all the facts, the whole story comes out, that he'll be released, acquitted," said Robbins, who is also defending one of the suspects charged in the Newark school yard slayings.

North Jersey.com

The attorney for McDowell, Michael Robbins, countered that there is only “one nightmare” that comes close to the alleged crimes of terrorizing, kidnapping and sexually assault, and that is “to be innocent and to be falsely accused of having committed” such crimes.
Robbins told jurors the woman falsely accused his client because she had kept their prior affair a secret from her husband. He said she initially told investigators that she had only had sex with him one time — during the ski trip. But six days after the alleged assault, she called detectives to say she had downplayed their prior sexual relationship, Robbins said.
The woman “wanted to keep her marriage together,” Robbins said, and she told police she had been raped and held against her will because she knew her husband “wasn’t that open minded.”