Vindication will be had in the "'V' For Vendetta" case. Shantaya Lewis's attacker has finally been located and appeared in court earlier this week.
Carina Bernard, 18, of Bedford-Stuyvesant, has been arrested for allegedly slashing a "V" on the face of the Brooklyn teen. Bernard has a violent past according to authorities, and was arrested in Queens on Monday.
Bernard's arraignment was earlier this week in Brooklyn Criminal Court, where she faced charges of assault, harassment, and menacing. An important distinction in New York is the nomenclature for the criminal acts against a person-- while the charge of physically touching someone with an intent to cause harm is known as "battery" in many states, it is the crime of "assault" in New York. Similarly, the charge of "menacing" is what would commonly be known as "assault" in other states; where there is an apprehension of imminent harm.
Perhaps a brief primer on "arraignment" is called for since it is essentially an early stage in the criminal process. The arraignment usually comes after an arrest has been made and the suspect has been booked. A person is called before a judge in an arraignment to hear the charges against them. At this time, the suspect will be asked if they have retained a New York criminal defense attorney. If the suspect does not have a New York criminal defense attorney, he/she may have one appointed by the court.
It's usually wise to retain a New York criminal defense attorney prior to the arraignment due to the fact that the defendant will have to respond to the charges against her. At this time, a New York criminal defense attorney could provide some guidance on how to plead and on how the defendant should conduct themselves at court.
Subsequent to the arraignment, the defendant's other trial dates may be set. Bail may be set too.
At this stage, there is no word on Bernard's bail or on the issue of her New York criminal defense attorney.
Related Resources
- Stages of a Criminal Case: Arraignment (FindLaw)
- 'V' For Vendetta: Bklyn Girl's Face Slashed With 'V' (The New York Criminal Law Blog)
- Find a New York Criminal Defense Attorney (FindLaw)
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