Alycia Lane, the Philadelphia newswoman who punched a female NYPD police officer, was relieved after appearing at Manhattan Criminal Court today. The Manhattan DA's office basically dismissed her case, for an "adjournment in contemplation of dismissal." Prosecutors said the female cop's injuries "were not serious enough" to support the felony assault charge, so charges were reduced to obstruction of governmental administration and harassment. Lane, who allegedly called the cop a "dyke bitch" during a run-in......

Despite some bizarre behavior during his arraignment earlier this week, David Tarloff has been found fit to stand trial for the cleaver-hacking murder of psychologist Kathryn Faughey. The initial target of Tarloff's wrath was Dr. Kent Shinbach, whose office was next door to Faughey's. Shinbach apparently had Tarloff institutionalized some years ago and the schizophrenic man had undergone electro-shock treatments. Tarloff was examined by two psychiatrists who found him "not incapacitated," meaning he can participate......

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration proposed $464,600 in fines over two contractors' safety lapses at the Deutsche Bank building. Contractor Bovis Lend Lease, which had been retained by the state government, and its former subcontractor John Galt Corporation had been dismantling the building when a seven-alarm fire, caused by a worker's smoking, broke out last August. Two firefighters died during the blaze, it was revealed pieces of the standpipe (which lets water for firefighters......

Update: Police have arrested David Tarloff, a Queens resident and former patient of Shinbach's, for Faughey's murder. The Post reports Tarloff, described as overweight with a bald spot by neighbors, has a history of violent crime. Apparently fingerprints found on suitcases left at the crime scene led the police to Tarloff. Earlier: As the family and friends prepare to say good-bye at a funeral for psychologist Kathryn Faughey today, the police have been questioning a......

The Manhattan DA's office really wants to make sure people understand that jumping off the Empire State Building is not legal! Last year, a judge dismissed charges against "daredevil" Jeb Corliss who attempted to jump off the Empire State Building - with a parachute - in April 2006. The Manhattan DA's office appeal notes "it took a number of security guards, police officers, two pairs of handcuffs, and the actual removal of a portion......

Anthony Marshall, the son of the late Brooke Astor, might have chosen a different lawyer if he suspected that he'd be eventually accused of looting his mother's estate. Or perhaps Francis X. Morrissey was the perfect man for the job. Papers are reporting today that Marshall's lawyer has a long history of profiting from soon-to-be-deceased clients. He was in court yesterday, arriving handcuffed, but leaving free on bail.It would seem to be the darkest moment......

Ten years ago today, Camden Sylvia and Michael Sullivan left their rent-stabilized loft in downtown Manhattan, went for a jog, rented a video and were never seen again. Today, the Daily News revisits the mystery and speaks to Sylvia's mother. Laurie Sylvia says, "I want to know what happened. Each year that goes by I think, maybe this year. I never imagined I would be doing that for 10 years." Sylvia, then 36, and Sullivan,......

Facing numerous drug charges that could put him away for the rest of his life, convicted murderer Robert Chambers pleaded not guilty during a Thursday court appearance. Chambers, 41, and his companion, 39-year-old Shawn Kovell, are accused of selling drugs from Kovell's rent-stabilized one-bedroom apartment on East 57th Street in Manhattan. Earlier this week, the couple were busted by undercover officers. The Manhattan DA's office, no stranger to Chambers after the infamous 1986 murder of......

The city has hired a criminal defense lawyer to represent its various agencies who are coming under attack for the Deutsche Bank fire that claimed two firefighters lives. The Manhattan DA's office started a criminal probe, after some disturbing practices by the contractors and questionable omissions by the Fire Department and the Buildings Department came to light. Eventually smoking, by workers hired to help dismantle the WTC-dust contaminated building, was cited as the probable cause......

There are many questions surrounding Saturday's Deutsche Bank building fire that took the lives of two firefighters. Were firefighters using outdated information? WABC 7 says that a FDNY report, which is used by fire commanders for planning how they will attack the fire, indicated that the building had 38 floors (when it was really 26) and that the standpipe was working (it wasn't connected). Did the FDNY ignore post-9/11 advice? The NY Times reports that......

Maybe there is good reason to try to stay off Forbes' list of 400 wealthiest people. The Manhattan DA's office charged a 24-year-old Russian national with an elaborate identity ring that targeted rich Americans. Igor Klopov recruited people in the U.S., via sites like Monster.com and CareerBuilder.com, to help him and he managed to steal $1.5 million from four people. But Klopov was nabbed during an attempt to take $10.7 million from Anthony Pritzker, of......

The Manhattan DA's office petitioned a judge for the release of 20-year-old Asuncion Dejesus-Garcia. Dejesus-Garcia was the primary suspect in a string of sexual assaults (see map) over the Lower East Side and East Village in recent weeks, but on Thursday, a woman was attacked under a similar MO - while Dejesus-Garcia was in jail. The victim was assaulted on East 16th Street after her attacker opened the door to her building for her. He......

The Manhattan DA's office announced that thirteen people were indicted in a identity theft scam. Credit card information from diners in Chinatown and other areas (Brooklyn, Westchester, Long Island, Florida, New Hampshire, New Jersey, and Connecticut) would be stolen by wait staff, using handheld credit card skimmers. A list of restaurants where the scam took place was not released. One defendant, JD Kenny, would pay $35-50 per skimmed card information, and then use that information......

A woman who used to work as a secretary at a financial firm is suing her former boss for the unseemly tasks she was asked to do. How unseemly? Fatima Monahan claims she was appointed "pu--y coordinator" by boss Frederick Iseman of Caxton Iseman. She also claims that Iseman suggested she have an affair with his ex-wife and that she flew to London to bring him his erectile dysfunction medicine. Oh, and Iseman allegedly told......

Marc Anthony may have gotten a deal from the Manhattan District Attorney's office to pay $2.5 million in back taxes, interest and penalties for - ahem - not filing tax returns for five years but can he still be found guilty of being really stupid? The Manhattan DA's office said they couldn't prove Anthony "knowingly did not file" because the problems started when Anthony changed managers and accountants in 2000. DA Robert Morgenthau excused Anthony's......

The sex trial that almost had director Steven Soderbergh as a juror heard testimony from one of the prosecution's star witnesses. The Manhattan DA's office says that former Montessori school principal Lina Sinha had affairs with two very underage male students. One of the victims, now a 24-year-old police officer, testified that Sinha kissed him when he was upset after losing an academic competition in 1995. He was 13 at the time, while Sinha was......

The Manhattan DA Robert Morgenthau announced that the NYPD shut down a sport betting and numbers ring in the Bronx, indicting 11 people, 3 of whom have links to the Lucchese and Genovese crime families. NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly admited that "the size of this operation was not particularly significant" - it only generated $200,000 in yearly profits - but the gambling ring was run out of the Hunts Point market. And the ring was......

The police say a police sergeant accidentally fired his gun at a Sunday party in an Upper East Side housing complex. Fifteen year old Luke Saintel had been shot in the leg by what police now say are "spent fragments" of a bullet that hit the floor. The police had arrived after someone complained about 60 people "spilling out" of an apartment, according to the NY Times:...[A] preliminary analysis of the shooting, including an account......

Some more background on the twentysomething robbing relatives, Joe and Shemini Kirby, who were arrested for three bank heists this month. Friends tell the NY Post that the Kirbys had grown up in a Catskills cult, being "psychologically abused" in a "strange 'hyper-religious'" community. Joe Kirby was "kept him in line by doling out punishments like being locked in a closet or forced to stand naked in front of a group of adults." The Kirbys......

Bouncer Stephen Sakai, who killed one patron and shot three others outside Chelsea club Opus 22 on Tuesday, was officially charged with and arraigned on that night's crimes, but police are investigating still trying to understand his connection to three other murders. Here are the murders in question, using info from the Post:- Wayne Tyson, found stabbed to death in Brownsville on September 1 - Irving Matos, former co-worker and potential partner of Sakai's, found......

Gothamist loves art. But we also love public safety. So when we hear that one of the dopey kids who visited New York City and hurled paint cans from the roof of their 17 floor hotel - and hurled them at a police precinct, no less - has a lawyer who says they were just being artists, because they are art students on an art class field trip to visit art museums and art stuff......

The Manhattan DA's office has announced they will charge Catherine Woods' yoga-instructing boyfriend with her murder. Paul Cortez, who was a person of interest when the young woman with dreams of being a dancer but the reality of being a stripper to make ends meet was found dead in her Upper East Side apartment after Thanksgiving, will be charged later this week. The prosecutors said they found a bloody fingerprint at the crime scene that......

The Campaign Finance Board's records show that Manhattan Borough President C. Virginia Fields has not reimbursed her government drivers for driving her to campaign events. Newsday points out that Fields hasn't "paid for gas or parking used during those appearances" and that in the past week, only two of her many events were job-related. Fields' campaign manager, Chung Seto, claims that the drivers/city will be reimbursed, but she doesn't know why it's taking so long.......

There are some really dumb landlords out there: One Upper East Side landlord, who wanted to get rid of his 87 year-old tenant who only paid $158 a month for his two bedroom apartment - whereas tenants paid $1500, dumped the tenant's belongings out and apparently dragged the old man out when he tried to complain. The Daily News says that Hop Eng, a retired cook, found his apartment's locks at 172 East 89th changed......