At a Christmas meal for the needy at the Rev. Al Sharpton's Harlem headquarters, Gov. Paterson further discussed his controversial decision to commute the sentence of John White, the Long Island man who was convicted of killing a teenager in a racially-charged 2006 incident. Paterson was widely criticized for not talking with the parents of victim Daniel Cicciaro Jr. before announcing his decision. When he did finally speak to them after the fact, he said he "heard the pain" in mother Joanne Cicciaro's voice: "At times, I must say, in spite of her anger, in spite of her passion, in spite of her absolute gall at hearing what I had done, she and her husband, Mike, were very, very gracious," Paterson said. more ›

Governor Paterson's decision to commute the prison sentence for a man who killed a teenager in a racially-charged confrontation gets worked over once more as the Post reports that the governor's panel of legal advisers apparently told him not to commute John White. But Paterson responded to the Post's story today by saying, "There’s no official panel. There are people in the office who had different types of opinions, many of whom did not see the entire case, and we had varying opinions on what to do with this situation from giving a pardon to doing absolutely nothing about it." He added, "“First of all it’s not a pardon - do we have that straight? Do you think you can get that on paper that it was not a pardon?” more ›

Yesterday, Gov. Paterson commuted the sentence of John White, the Long Island man who was convicted of killing a teenager in a racially-charged 2006 incident, saying he wanted to "ameliorate the profound suffering that occurred as a result of this tragic event." But maybe he should have spoken to the parents of victim Daniel Cicciaro Jr. before announcing his decision. "In retrospect, I would have sought the family's input," Paterson said today, after speaking with the Cicciaro family for nearly an hour about the situation. more ›

The Long Island man who was convicted of killing a teenager in a racially-charged 2006 incident had his sentence commuted by Gov. Paterson today. John White, 56, had served only seven months of his two-to-four year prison sentence for the fatal shooting of 17-year-old Daniel Cicciaro Jr. when Paterson released him from prison. "While the incident and Mr. White's trial engendered much controversy and comment, and varying assessments of justice were perceived, its most common feature was heartbreak. My decision today may be an affront to some and a joy to others, but my objective is only to seek to ameliorate the profound suffering that occurred as a result of this tragic event," Paterson said today. more ›

John White is free on bail after being convicted of manslaughter, and yesterday called for the arrest of the father of the 17-year-old Long Island man he killed. His son Aaron filed a complaint with police after Daniel Cicciaro Sr. seemed to threaten his life. White was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to two to four years for the death of Daniel Cicciaro Jr., who he shot in the head during an altercation in August 2006. The victim's father was apoplectic following the sentencing, which he deemed inappropriately light. In front of news cameras, Cicciaro Sr. went on a profanity-laced tirade. "Let's see what happens when Aaron White gets shot!" he yelled at one point. more ›

A Long Island man raged at the sentence given to his son's killer, John White, saying, "Let's see what happens when Aaron White gets shot! Let's see what the laws are then!" Daniel Cicciaro Sr.'s implied threat prompted police to protect White's house in Miller Place. more ›

Staten Island Borough President James Molinaro, and some young constituents, unveiled two new 10-ton fish tanks at the St. George ferry terminal. Molinaro said the tanks will liven up people's commutes; in July, he told the Advance, "It's very soothing because we live on an Island and it's very pleasant, so it fits perfectly." more ›

The Reverend Al Sharpton organized a rally of about 400 people outside the Suffolk County courthouse to protest the conviction of a black homeower in a white teen's death. They chanted, "Step down, DA, step down, DA" as well as "Free John White! Free John White!" more ›

A week has passed after a Long Island jury found John White guilty of manslaughter, but details of what happened in the jury room and talk of an appeal continues. more ›

Though a guilty verdict was handed by jurors on Saturday, a second juror is speaking out about not wanting to find a Long Island man guilty of manslaughter. Donna Marshak told the Post, "I haven't felt right since the trial ended. I definitely have some regrets about not sticking to it." more ›

Over the weekend, a jury found a black man guilty of second degree manslaughter and criminal possession of a weapon in the August 2006 shooting of a 17-year-old on Long Island. The defendant, John White, grabbed a pistol when a group of teens (who were white) swarmed around his home. The teens were angry at White's son and in the standoff, White shot Daniel Cicciaro in the face. more ›