At his arraignment today, the father of accused terrorist Najibullah Zazi pleaded not guilty to charges of obstructing the investigation of his son by destroying evidence—glasses, chemical bottles and masks that could have been the materials for homemade bombs. The hearing in Brooklyn Federal Court was kept secret and not marked on a public calendar, but there was a recording. After pleading not guilty, Mohamed Wali Zazi was told he'd no longer be released on bail (before today he was being monitored electronically). Prosecutors were against letting him free because of the "gravity of his charges" and the "risk of flight," reports the Post. more ›

As if taking the stand was not difficult enough for a woman who accuses her father, a rabbi, of molesting her for years, yesterday she had to face him as he cross-examined her at the trial—Rabbi Israel Weingarten is representing himself. more ›

Perfect for a Saturday in NY: A lovely, married head doctor accused of having sex with a prisoner! Psychologist Madgalena Sanchez was arraigned at Brooklyn Federal Court yesterday for having sex with an inmate under her care - and lying to the Department of Justice about it! more ›

Federal, city, and local NJ authorities are facing a big "d'oh!" on their faces after mistakenly putting a Chinese-American woman in Rikers for 8 days last year. Because now the woman, Hui Ping Wang, who was arrested at JFK Airport when she was returning from a trip to China, is suing many law enforcement agencies, incuding the Department of Immigration, the city's Department of Correction, and Bergen County NJ's sheriff's office. Why all the fuss? The Daily News explains:

Hui Ping Wang, 33, was locked up at Rikers Island on Aug. 10, 2005, after a computer check indicated a warrant had been issued for a woman named Hui Hua Wang in Bergen County, N.J. more ›

If you've ever been interested in the mafia, either the real live mob or the movie kind, Gothamist highly recommends that you follow the trial of former NYPD detectives Stephen Caracappa and Louis Eppolito, who are accused of racketeering (and being involved in eight murders), which is going on in Brooklyn Federal Court right now. The lead witness for the prosecution was a 72 year old convicted pot dealer, another witness said one of the cops used mob money to launch his screenwriting dreams in Hollywood and one of the defendants eats lunch at the Park Place diner - Newsday notes Eppolito likes pastrami on rye with mustard (but who doesn't?). All the local papers have had coverage that goes beyond colorful - it's like you're watching an episode of The Sopranos, only if that were crossed wtih NYPD Blue and The Shield. Today, the NY Times looks at how Eppolito's autobiography, Mafia Cop, is at the center of the trial, since Eppolito comes out seeming like a very "conflicted but ultimately dedicated" (NY Times) police officer as well as an imaginative writer; the Daily News' Denis Hamill mentioned a Mafia Cop quote: "I learned something about myself during that gunfight. I not only had the capacity to kill. I had the capacity to forget about it, to not let it bother me." Huh. [Fitting for this digital age, Pocket Books is offering the Mafia Cop for download on Amazon - and you don't have to feel like you might be supporting a possible murderer, as Eppolito doesn't get any residuals.] more ›