Did This (NY State) Senator Beat Up His Girlfriend?

[FourScore]

I know this guy is a Democrat, but we should all be outraged by this. The Democratic Party needs to send a resounding message of "NO TOLERANCE!" in this case. This is disgraceful. If you live in New York, please contact your local Democratic party and let them know that this is unacceptable!

Did This Senator Beat Up His Girlfriend?
by Amy Siskind

A New York state senator faces felony charges for allegedly slashing his girlfriend’s face—and some of the assault was caught on camera. So why is he still welcome in the state senate—and why are Democrats still holding fundraisers for him?

Which is worse: political leaders remaining silent about a colleague who slashes his girlfriend’s face, or political leaders actively funding and supporting the criminal slasher? Well, in the Empire State, we have both!

In the past few months, our country has witnessed two high-profile cases of violence against women—Chris Brown’s alleged assault of Rihanna and the beheading of Aasiya Hassan. In the aftermath, advocates for reducing domestic violence saw a ray of hope: Could our country finally start a much-needed dialogue about violence against women, bring it into the light of day, and work toward solutions? When New York State Senator Hiram Monserrate (D-Queens) was indicted and arraigned last week on six counts of assault for allegedly beating up his girlfriend, we stepped back into the darkness.

At least four security cameras in the Jackson Heights apartment building where the incident allegedly occurred caught parts of the attack on tape.

Members of the Democratic Party should have demanded that Monserrate step down immediately. Instead, not only have the Democrats in the New York State Senate stayed silent, they are also working to establish a legal defense fund for Monserrate.

Violence against women is wrong. It’s a despicable crime. Criminals who hurt women should be punished. So why is New York, purported state of enlightenment and sophistication, being so cowardly? Where is the national outrage?

As with many perpetrators of violence, Hiram Monserrate’s indictment did not come without warning. Monserrate has a history of mental-health problems. In 1999, he claimed to be suffering psychological problems as a New York City Police Department officer, writing: "I suffer with adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder." After an assessment by the NYPD’s psychological-services unit, Monserrate was forced to relinquish his gun. In 2001, trouble continued when Monserrate was arrested after allegedly using his car to run over the leg of a tow-truck operator who was attempting to tow away his car; the charges were later dropped.

Hiram Monserrate’s alleged assault of his girlfriend in December 2008 is a familiar tune. Man beats up woman in a jealous rage. Woman goes to hospital. Woman tells police that her intimate partner did this to her. Man is arrested. Woman recants statement, says it was an accident. Woman tries to drop charges.

But there was a difference this time: At least four security cameras in the Jackson Heights apartment building where the incident allegedly occurred caught parts of the attack on tape. The cameras recorded Monserrate in the second-floor hallway outside his apartment, allegedly yelling at his girlfriend, Karla Giraldo, about having another man’s police card, then throwing the card and his girlfriend’s handbag down the trash chute. Cameras then show Monserrate pulling his girlfriend down the stairs. Another camera recorded the girlfriend frantically knocking on her neighbor’s door. Finally, a camera recorded Monserrate grabbing his girlfriend’s arm and dragging her out of the apartment building as she tries to hold on to the door. At the hospital, Monserrate's girlfriend was given 20 to 25 stitches above the eye for a slash made by broken glass. (Davidson Goldin, a spokesperson for the senator, says both have since called it an accident...)

http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2009-04-06/did-this-senator-beat-up-his-girlfriend/

[Chulanowa]

1. Fucking disgusting

Unfortunately the logic probably being used is that we'll support him until the verdict comes in. Gross.

[TheWraith]

5. Actually he's much despised in NY state, other than some of his constituents.

He's one of the three State Senators who threatened to defect to the Republicans and give them back control of the State Senate if Malcolm Smith didn't kiss their feet, including meeting their demands about there being no gay marriage bill, and big chunks of extra pay.

Smith wasn't exactly brilliant in the situation, but the rest of the State Senate Dems refused to allow him to cave, so the three got some fig leaf "concessions" and backed down.

[AndyA]

2. That's horrible. Obviously the man has issues dealing with his anger.

Abuse of another is never the solution.

If the girl stays with him, it will likely happen again unless he gets help dealing with his rage. I hope the young woman is going to be OK. She needs to find another boyfriend, and dump this guy ASAP, but I fear that won't be the end of him, he'll likely stalk her and make her life miserable. He needs to get help.

[Lars39]

3. Correction....she just needs to get a away safely....another boyfriend

isn't necessary.

[delete_bush]

7. exactly.

anyone who would stay in this type of relationship needs to find out why there's an attraction in the first place. Her choice in men is not random. She needs help.

[AndyA]

10. I wasn't really suggesting she needed to get another boyfriend.

It was just my way of saying she needs to dump this loser.

[Lars39]

14. I know.

:hi:

[delete_bush]

4. It's crap like this that makes it difficult

at times to see any difference between us and the repukes.

There was some outcry: Senator Martin Golden (R-Brooklyn) spoke out against Monserrate being sworn in,

The New Agenda wrote an open letter to New York state senators asking that Monserrate be forced to step down. We sent this letter to every state senator. We also forwarded a copy to Valerie Jarrett, who chairs the newly formed White House Council on Women and Girls—after all, President Obama cited domestic violence as a main concern for the council’s focus. We received a response from only one political figure—Senator Catharine Young (R), who thanked us on behalf of herself and Senator Elizabeth Little (R). The only two Republican women in the New York State Senate, Young and Little had jointly issued a statement in protest of Monserrate.

Along with their vow of silence, Democratic state senators met behind closed doors last week. At this meeting, these elected officials decided to come to the aid of Monserrate and help raise funds to pay his legal fees. Their message: Political party trumps women’s rights. Didn’t these state senators realize that their collective actions would have consequences?

[TheWraith]

6. Never believe anything that a NYS Senate Republican says.

They lie more than a hooker with a broken leg. Golden doesn't give one single solitary shit about domestic violence, neither do either of the others. They're just engaging in theater and trying to tar Democrats. Same as their efforts to bleat about the "secretive" budget process which is far more open than the one they used when they were in power.

[FourScore]

8. But the Democrats are giving asses like Golden fodder for attack.

They need to do something about this, and fast. The Democrats are really damaging themselves. Every should be outraged over this.

[delete_bush]

9. I'm not saying I believe them,

I don't know anything about them and it's no doubt political posturing, but in the papers the D's are supporting this savage and the R's are supporting the woman. Sounds backwards to me, in more ways than one.

[TheWraith]

13. Most of them are actually just trying to avoid getting involved.

The other Democrats in the State Senate would be just as happy if he dropped dead tomorrow morning. I'm not saying all of those people are angels, but right now the biggest impediment to the case is the fact that his girlfriend, the one he allegedly assaulted, has told the police to basically go fuck themselves.

[hedgehog]

11. The state government in New York is as baroque as anything out

of Louisiana. Outside of New York City, what you have is an agricultural state with small to medium cities mostly tied to a failing manufacturing economy. The Democratic Party is dominated by NYC and the Republican Party has a stranglehold on upstate. The main theme of the Republicans is Upstate against New York City. Locally, it's the towns and suburbs against the people of Buffalo or Syracuse. Instead of an open budget process, we have weeks of display by various lobbying groups followed by deals made among the Governor, Assembly Speaker and Senate Majority leader, a.k.a. Three Men in a room.

[Jim Lane]

12. A legal defense fund is NOT a political fundraiser

From the boldfaced language at the beginning of the linked article, I thought the Dems were holding fundraisers to build Monserrate's campaign war chest. Not so -- they're helping him raise a legal defense fund.

The writer's objection seems to be that SHE has decided, based on what she read about the evidence (repeated references to four security cameras), that Monserrate is guilty, and therefore he doesn't deserve a legal defense. Well, call me old-fashioned, and maybe the Republicans would deride this as pre-9/11 thinking, but I still believe in the presumption of innocence, the rule of law, and the right of every criminal defendant to a fair trial.

Because of Monserrate's position, his case has been widely publicized. It will be harder for the courts to conduct a fair trial in his case than in the average case of alleged -- yes, I said "alleged" -- domestic violence. There's nothing wrong with people deciding that his defense will exceed the capabilities of a typical overworked and underpaid Legal Aid lawyer, which is what he'll have if he doesn't have the money to retain private counsel. (Before he was elected to public office, he was a policeman, so I doubt he has a large personal fortune.)

I personally wouldn't contribute to this fund. I have better uses for my money. But it's wrong to criticize people who do contribute.

[Pharlo]

15. What is a 'police card'?