TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. In addition to the evidence detailed above, the prosecution marshaled a wealth of circumstantial evidence that, in the words of the Appellate Division, when attentively review[ed] and critically assesse[d] , and after applying all natural and reasonable inferences, led to the inescapable conclusion that Bierenbaum murdered his wife on July 7, 1985, and the evidence excludes beyond a reasonable doubt any reasonable hypothesis of innocence. People v. Bierenbaum, 748 N.Y.S.2d 563, 574 (N.Y.App.Div.2002). ''And people would just be like, 'Hey buddy, don't touch me. Baran also noted that Katz-Bierenbaum had been apartmenthunting, had gotten a manicure and had bought birth control devicesjust before she vanished. Bierenbaum faults his trial counsel for failing to object when the prosecution argued in summation that Bierenbaum allowed an argument to get explosive and choked Katz as he had done before, only this time to her death.4 He argues that the statements invited the jury to consider the 1983 choking incident as evidence of propensity, and that there was no evidence that Katz died by strangulation or that Bierenbaum stood over her as she died. Dr. Leigh McCullough, Katz's employer in the fall of 1983, noticed bruises on Katz's neck one day. ''I have no idea what you've done in the past, you have no idea what I've done,'' Mr. Hussey concluded last week, after the verdict, seated in a restaurant near Minot International Airport, which has one baggage carousel. 1. That involved advice of counsel. A. Bierenbaum told Feis that they had had an argument, that she had gone to Central Park and not returned, and that she was still missing when he returned from a family party in New Jersey. Ive waited a very,very long time for this day. As of 2002 when his claim was adjudicated on the merits, and 2003 when his conviction became final, Ohio v. Roberts governed his claim. At that time the police had not searched his apartment or car. Rochester, NY - Trillium Health, a community health center with an emphasis on affordable health care and located in downtown Rochester, announced the appointment of Robert "Rob" Biernbaum, D.O. Segalas and Katz used cocaine together. Katz told her about an incident, precipitated by smoking, when Bierenbaum became enraged and attempted to strangle her. Bierenbaum argues that the challenged statements were inadmissible under either the Roberts or the Crawford and Davis standard: that the statements were admitted for their truth, that no hearsay exception applied, that the statements showed no particularized guarantees of trustworthiness, and that the statements were testimonial. ''Most people don't know that Minot, North Dakota, is on the face of the map, so why come here?'' Trial Tr. Boys don't touch boys here.' Often thereafter Katz would ask her for advice: would DeCesare leave her husband if he threatened to strangle her; had DeCesare's husband ever threatened to hurt her; should she leave Bierenbaum. See Richardson v. Greene, 497 F.3d 212, 217 (2d Cir.2007). After Bierenbaum's direct appeal was concluded, he filed a motion with the trial court to set aside the judgment on the grounds that trial and appellate counsel had rendered ineffective assistance of counsel. Again, we disagree. Bierenbaum had graduated from medical school in 1978, and was a surgical resident at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York. About Robert Bierenbaum . At FindLaw.com, we pride ourselves on being the number one source of free legal information and resources on the web. Gail Katz and Robert Bierenbaum were married in August 1982. Although the police wished to search for any evidence that would shed light on Katz's disappearance, the investigators felt they did not have probable cause to obtain a search warrant. This was not the first time Bierenbaum had choked her, but it was the first time that she lost consciousness. Sherman's testimony would not have undermined confidence in the jury's guilty verdict. His specialties include Emergency Medicine, Family Medicine. A state prisoner may fairly present to the state courts the constitutional nature of his claim by claim[ing] the deprivation of a particular right specifically protected by the Constitution. Daye v. Att'y Gen. of the State of N.Y., 696 F.2d 186, 193 (2d Cir.1982) (en banc). participates with the Rochester RHIO. Sherman heard the noise of the high-heeled shoes, then she heard the door slam, and both the shouting and the sound of high heels on the floor stopped. Its tuition is full-time: $38,920 (in-state) and full-time: $51,175 (out-of-state). '', See the article in its original context from. Katz asked Beale if she could move in with her. The passage quoted above demonstrates that the Appellate Division found particularized guarantees of trustworthiness in the challenged statements. When the trial court's attention was drawn to this error, it refused to order a mistrial, but offered an instruction, admonishing the jury that it could draw no negative inference from an individual's acting on advice of counsel. Detective O'Malley testified that Bierenbaum told him he'd made a mistake, and that Rivera wasn't sure when he'd seen Katz. Local doctors here studied the demographics, and did not think a plastic surgeon would arrive until at least 2005. Who would come willingly to a place where many professionals -- particularly doctors who draw patients from the surrounding 100,000 square miles -- must fly single-engine planes to work? ''We're from North Dakota and we trust people,'' said Mike Berg, a retired pharmacist and former head of the Rotary Club, who flew to Mexico with Dr. Bob. Bierenbaum had been out on $500,000 bail. Bierenbaum told Caruana that he had hired a private investigator who had found evidence that Katz was in California. If a state court decision rests on a state law ground that is independent of the federal question and adequate to support the judgment, Coleman v. Thompson, 501 U.S. 722, 729 (1991), we will not review the issue. Mr. Berg recalls it as the most remarkable experience of his life, one that ''fulfills a person's reason for being here.''. Three times Rowley loaded a bag containing one hundred ten pounds of sand and rice into the plane, flew out over the ocean, and ejected the bag, each time performing a different maneuver to get the bag out of the plane. It follows that the state court's rejection of Bierenbaum's ineffective assistance of counsel claim was not an unreasonable application of the Strickland standard. Of course, there is another explanation for what drew Dr. Bierenbaum here: the changes in medicine that have allowed the Trinity Health Center, where he worked, to become a regional hub. At 4:30 p.m. he was already in New Jersey, flying his rented airplane. His arrest came nearly 15. Denise Kasenbaum, a friend, testified that Katz had told her there were problems in the marriage, incidents of violence, that Bierenbaum was very controlling, and that she was not happy. He did not see her return. With bitter winters and little company, residents here have little use for moral condemnation. He only stopped when she was dead We think about the intimacy of strangulation. In a state that averages two people per square mile, it is more important to embrace newcomers than to fuss with details about the past. His wife had decided to leave medicine and begin law school about 200 miles away in Grand Forks, N.D., where she moved, creating a hectic commuter marriage. In fact, Bibb said, Bierenbaum knew very well that his wife wasdead. Now we will tell you that the evidence will also show that she is dead. Graduate School. He lets it get explosive and as he has done before, as only he has done before, he places his hands around her neck and begins to choke her. at 1889. Bierenbaum told Katz's friend Ellen Schwartz that he had spoken with Katz's therapist Dr. Baran, who had told him that Katz was very depressed and she was concerned that Katz might hurt herself. A forensic examination of the aircraft yielded no results. When a state court has adjudicated the merits of a petitioner's claim, a federal court may grant an application for a writ of habeas corpus only if the adjudication of the claim-(1) resulted in a decision that was contrary to, or involved an unreasonable application of, clearly established Federal law, as determined by the Supreme Court of the United States; or (2) resulted in a decision that was based on an unreasonable determination of the facts in light of the evidence presented in the State court proceeding. 28 U.S.C. ''The conversation lasted 30 seconds, and he wasn't as upset as I would have expected.''. On Saturday, July 6, 1985, Katz kept a follow-up appointment with her gynecologist, and made a further appointment in December. He faces 25 years to life and is to be sentenced on Nov. 20. Bierenbaum argues that even if it were within the range of reasonable strategic choices to concede that Katz was dead, it was not reasonable to concede that she died on the Sunday she disappeared. Close to midnight that evening Bierenbaum telephoned Dr. Yvette Feis, one of Katz's friends, asking if she knew where Katz was. Robert moved to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1989 and set up a medical practice in the city. The three psychiatrists, who treated Dr. Bierenbaum briefly in 1983, when he and his wife lived on the Upper East Side, warned his wife at the time that she was in danger. Write a Review . Indeed, Bierenbaum does not argue to this Court (except parenthetically) that the challenged hearsay declarations were in fact unreliable. ''We worry about today and tomorrow here, not last week.''. 20 by Justice Leslie Crocker Snyder. It is not offered for such a purpose and it must not be considered by you for such a purpose. Think about him standing over Gail Katz as she feels and he watches the life ebbing from her body. Maryann DeCesare, a friend, testified that Katz told her that she was afraid of Bierenbaum's temper and that he had threatened her. A reasonable probability is a probability sufficient to undermine confidence in the outcome. Id. A state court's determination of a factual issue is presumed to be correct, and may only be rebutted by clear and convincing evidence. His anger at his wife. Former NY surgeon admits killing wife, throwing body from airplane in 1985 (NCD) (NCD) NEW YORK Dr. Robert Bierenbaum maintained his innocence in 2000 as he was tried and convicted of killing . Robert previously worked for MultiCare Health System, an organization with a fast-paced trauma center, four community hospitals, and many neighborhood clinics based in Tacoma, Washington. DNA tests were not available at the time, but authorities believed that the remains were Gail's after conducting x-ray exams on the corpse. He advised O'Malley that their building doorman, Edgar, had seen Katz leave at about 11 a.m. on July 7. View info, ratings, reviews, specialties, education history, and more. 2254 in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. RochesterHealth.com is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) community-centered website serving as a connection to Rochester-area healthcare resources. Although on this record the Appellate Division could have found a claim of lack of intent to kill unpreserved, it addressed the legal sufficiency of both elements of second degree murder: The People proved beyond a reasonable doubt that this defendant had the opportunity, the motive, and the intent to kill his victim, and that it was he who did so. Bierenbaum, 748 N.Y. S.2d at 579. Flight Log the KeyIt was after prosecutors found Bierenbaums flight log, whichthe law requires pilots to maintain, that they suspected they couldmake a murder case against him. Counsel accepted the offer and the trial judge instructed the jury: Let me also state that the defendant had no legal obligation to allow the police to search his apartment at any point, but-and certain evidence came out concerning a search of his apartment. Ladies and gentlemen, eyeballing the bathtub and walking around the apartment are no substitute for a complete forensic search . Darrel Williams, a prominent eye surgeon and one of Dr. Bierenbaum's closest friends here, recalled of that morning, ''He looked a little haggard and seemed to be rushing around.'' vol. Think about the defendant. Dr. Prothrow-Stith is an internationally recognized public health leader, who since 2008 has advised top-tier healthcare, life sciences, academic and not-for-profit institutions on leadership and . Dr. Robert Bierenbaum is a health care provider primarily located in Grand Forks, ND. Please verify insurance information directly with your doctor's office as it may change frequently. See Bierenbaum v. Graham, No. Bierenbaum argued undue pre-indictment delay to the state court in his motion to set aside the judgment. 2254. If the jury harbored a reasonable doubt concerning Bierenbaum's guilt, an instruction on jurisdiction would not have assisted the defense. They resided in a twelfth-floor apartment on East 85th Street in Manhattan. No one, other than Bierenbaum, reported seeing Katz after July 6. Over defense objection eleven witnesses-friends, relatives, colleagues and Katz's therapist-were permitted to testify about conversations they had with Katz between 1983 and 1985 in which she talked about the state of her marriage, her fear of Bierenbaum's temper, his controlling behavior, his threats, and an argument in 1983 during which he choked her to the point of unconsciousness. The district court's denial of petitioner's application for a writ of habeas corpus is affirmed. In short, Minot has always been a good place to reinvent oneself or to hide. It was a reasonably defensible legal strategy to conclude that on the state of the evidence at trial the jury should be asked to make a choice between two, not three theories of the case. Anyone can read what you share. Bierenbaum, 44, was charged Tuesday with murdering Katz, loading her body into his twin-engine plane and flying out over the Atlantic to dump her in a watery grave. In a December parole hearing, however, Bierenbaum,. We're a community of medical and social service professionals who meet patients and clients in a healing and affirming environment where they can feel supported, cared for, and cared about. In determining whether prosecution has been unduly delayed, a New York court will balance five factors: (1) the extent of the delay; (2) the reason for the delay; (3) the nature of the underlying charge; (4) whether or not there has been an extended period of pretrial incarceration; and (5) whether or not there is any indication that the defense has been impaired by reason of the delay.. Dr. Jason Bierenbaum is an oncologist in McKeesport, Pennsylvania and is affiliated with multiple hospitals in the area, including UPMC Presbyterian Shadyside and UPMC East. In his opening statement counsel told the jury You will also learn that the police conducted a forensic examination of the doctor's apartment, the doctor's car, his friend's car that he borrowed some time that weekend, the airplane and found no evidence of blood or any other biological determinations because this case also turns on the lack of evidence. Id. ''. Before long, Dr. Bierenbaum, a plastic surgeon, and his wife, Dr. Janet Chollet, an obstetrician-gynecologist, had settled in to medical practices, pitched in on community projects, had a home, a dog and a baby on the way. All this means that the decision of the district court is properly affirmed. The same compassionate staff continues to provide personalized service in the same warm, caring atmosphere you have come to expect. It was not unreasonable for the Appellate Division to conclude that the reliability of Katz's statements was amply supported. Id. Sergeant Matthew Rowley of the New York police department's Aviation Unit executed three flights in a Cessna 172 from Caldwell Airport on October 11, 2000, during the trial. He has 45 years of experience. WebMD does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Members of the network collaborate on . O'Malley asked if Bierenbaum had ever hit his wife. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. The police searched for Katz between her apartment and Central Park and found no trace of her. Never, Bibb told the jurors shortly before they begandeliberations, did Bierenbaum, who has a pilots license, evermention that he had spent nearly two hours flying an airplane theafternoon after his wife was last seen. (quoting Williams v. Taylor, 529 U.S. 362, 413 (2000)). Robert BIERENBAUM, Petitioner-Appellant, v. Harold D. GRAHAM, The Superintendent of Auburn Correctional Facility, Andrew Cuomo, Attorney General State of New York, Respondents-Appellees. Rivera's testimony was not particularly damaging to Bierenbaum's case. One of the main reasons is because the defendant wouldn't let them search the apartment. In their last telephone conversation, Katz told DeCesare that she planned to ask Bierenbaum for a divorce, and that she had secretly borrowed $10,000.00 and put it in a safe deposit box to pay for a year of graduate school. Bierenbaum repeated that he had remained in the apartment all day until 5:30 p.m., when he left for the family party in New Jersey, arriving there at approximately 6:30 p.m. Dr. Robert Bierenbaum is a trained pilot serving 20 years to life in prison for the 1985 murder of his wife, Gail Katz. Depending on your income and household size, we can help you qualify for Child Health Plus, Family Health Plus, Medicaid, Healthy New York, EPIC, or the RPCN Community Health Care Plan. Bierenbaum lists nine errors that he contends are objectively unreasonable: (1) failing to move to dismiss the indictment due to pre-trial delay; (2) conceding that Katz died on July 7, 1985; (3) opening the door to testimony and argument that Dr. Bierenbaum and his lawyer refused to consent to a forensic search of his apartment; (4) failing to call two witnesses who allegedly would have supported his claim that Katz left the apartment on the morning of July 7; (5) failing to cross-examine effectively a witness who minimized his use of cocaine with Katz; (6) failing to object to the admission of the videotaped demonstration of the prosecution's theory of how Bierenbaum disposed of his wife's body; (7) failing to move for a trial order of dismissal on the grounds of insufficient evidence of the element of intent to kill; (8) failing to make a timely objection to improper remarks in summation; (9) failing to request a jury charge on jurisdiction. Relief and SorrowWhen the verdict was read, the victims sister, Alayne Katz ofIrvington, N.Y., burst into tears and slumped over the leg of herbrother, Steven, shaking and sobbing. 2254(d); see also, e.g., Brown v. Alexander, 543 F.3d 94, 100 (2d Cir.2008). She also told DeCesare that she thought she was being followed. . Dr. Sybil Baran, Katz's therapist, testified that Katz was afraid of Bierenbaum's anger. You watch as it literally squeeze[s] the life out of another human being. TermsPrivacyDisclaimerCookiesDo Not Sell My Information, Begin typing to search, use arrow keys to navigate, use enter to select, Stay up-to-date with FindLaw's newsletter for legal professionals. [I]n a proper case, a lengthy and unjustifiable delay in commencing the prosecution may require dismissal even though no actual prejudice to the defendant is shown. People v. Singer, 376 N.E.2d 179, 186 (N.Y.1978). The Appellate Division analyzed the reliability of the challenged statements under the rule for determining reliable hearsay set forth by the New York Court of Appeals in Nucci v. Proper, 744 N.E.2d 128 (N.Y.2001): Reliability is the sum of the circumstances surrounding the making of the statement that render the declarant worthy of belief. Katz told her that she was looking for an apartment and that she was going to tell her husband that weekend that she was leaving. O'Malley met with Bierenbaum on the 13th and requested details of the previous weekend. 4. Defense counsel did not move to dismiss the indictment for undue delay. A strong piece of the defense was the fact that there was no physical evidence to link Bierenbaum to the crime. Loma Linda, CA . Nontestimonial statements therefore do not implicate the Confrontation Clause. The email address cannot be subscribed. Claim your profile (701) 780-5260 . A New Life Re-examined; After Murder Verdict, Town Questions Doctor, https://www.nytimes.com/2000/10/30/nyregion/a-new-life-re-examined-after-murder-verdict-town-questions-doctor.html. About The Provider. On that point we agree with the Appellate Division, the post-judgment motion court and the district court that the contents of the videotape[s] depict a scenario that was anything but speculation. 2023 Rochester Health, Currently accepting new patients at this location. But his exotic skills and civic spirit soon won over the town: he published a bagel recipe in the local newspaper, read Hebrew amid the 20-some congregants of the tiny clapboard synagogue, even flew members of the Rotary Club to Mexico in his twin-engine Comanche to give free medical care to orphans. In Whorton v. Bockting, 549 U.S. 406, 421 (2007), the Supreme Court held that Crawford announced a new rule that would not apply retroactively on collateral review. Stay up-to-date with how the law affects your life. In September 1986 Hope Martin, an investigator from the District Attorney's office, was assigned to investigate Katz's disappearance. No one in the group would admit to shock when learning of the doctor's past, though the word ''surprise'' brought forth some thoughtful ''mmm-hmms.'' Petitioner-Appellant Robert Bierenbaum was convicted after a jury trial of murder in the second degree, see N.Y. It's still wrong and you didn't face it.'' Doctoral Student: Professors are approachable and dedicated, as well as being experts in their respective fields. Your recollection controls. N E W Y O R K, Oct. 24, 2000 -- Dr. Robert Bierenbaum, a plastic surgeon who wascharged with killing his wife 15 years ago and dropping her bodyinto the ocean from an airplane, was convicted today ofsecond-degree murder. In fact, the police were not permitted to conduct a forensic search of the apartment. Although trial counsel made no contemporaneous objection to the summation, before the jury was charged he moved for a mistrial on this and other grounds.5 The trial court denied the motion, finding that the prosecution had not argued propensity, but that the incident was probative of other issues in the case, particularly intent. The next morning he went to work, and that evening reported Katz missing. That is one of the theories that could have happened. Furthermore, the statements were made mostly to those close to her, in contexts completely devoid of coercion, not in response to anyone's questioning, nor under circumstances at all suggestive of any attempt to curry anyone's favor. Counsel's theory was that Katz left the apartment on Sunday, and met with foul play after she left. He also argued, among other issues, that the trial court erroneously 1) allowed the jury to learn of the existence and nature of the letter written to Katz by Bierenbaum's psychiatrist warning her of the danger Bierenbaum posed to her; (2) allowed various people to testify about Katz's verbal statements to them describing Bierenbaum's threatening remarks and behavior; and (3) permitted the jury to watch the videotaped demonstration showing how a pilot flying solo may load a duffel bag containing a 110-pound body into a Cessna 172 airplane, fly over the ocean and eject the bag. Randy Schwann, Trinity's marketing director, explained why Dr. Chollet and her husband, along with physicians from places like Walter Reed Army Medical Center and UCLA Medical Center, were recruited here. VI. Bierenbaum had contacted O'Malley on July 10 to inquire about the progress of the investigation. IV, 3212, Oct. 23, 2000. Had the defense gotten Segalas to admit that he and Katz used cocaine on several occasions, the defense suggestion that she may have been killed by drug dealers would still have been plagued by lack of evidence, as the state court noted. We addressed this point in connection with counsel's mistake in referring to a forensic examination in his opening statement, and found no prejudice. Under the circumstances, it was reasonable for defense counsel not to call Alvarez. I, 6. Bierenbaum claims that his counsel was ineffective because his motions did not specify that he was challenging the element of intent to kill, and that therefore he could not seek review of this claim on direct appeal. He told Karnofsky that he had gotten into an argument with his wife one day, that she went to cool off in Central Park, that she had been seen one time around the area of Central Park, but had never been seen again. All rights reserved. Law 470.05[2]. A petitioner has fairly presented his claim only if he has informed the state court of both the factual and the legal premises of the claim he asserts in federal court. Jones v. Keane, 329 F.3d 290, 294-95 (2d Cir.2003) (internal quotation marks omitted) (quoting Dorsey v. Kelly, 112 F.3d 50, 52 (2d Cir.1997)).