Get physical at NYPD-bribe trial
The NYPD corruption trial descended into chaos Tuesday as two lawyers got into a shoving match over the government’s star witness.
Defense lawyer John Meringolo, who represents exNYPD Deputy Inspector James Grant, pushed prosecutor Martin Bell, claiming he felt “threatened.”
“I did not pop him in his mouth, but I pushed him away from me,” Meringolo later told Manhattan federal Judge Gregory Woods.
Bell said he confronted Meringolo in the hallway of the Pearl Street courthouse because the defense attorney had attempted to intimidate key witness Jona Rechnitz as he entered the courtroom. “Mr. Meringolo apparently walked up to Mr. Rechnitz and said something along the lines of ‘You’re a disgrace,’ ” Bell told the judge.
“This was something heard not only by Mr. Rechnitz, but by the FBI agent and by Mr. Rechnitz’s counsel, Allen Levine, an officer of the court.
“I came out to Mr. Meringolo and told him, essentially, if you wake up and do something like that again, you’d better apologize,” Bell said in court. “That’s incredibly improper.”
A witness told The Post that Bell barreled out of the courtroom, warning Meringolo, “You gotta wake up from this dream.”
Meringolo angrily responded, “Who the f--k do you think you’re talking to?” while shoving Bell away, the witness said.
Bell said he never got physical with Meringolo.
“He shoved me in the chest. There was no contact on my part,” Bell insisted.
Meringolo, a well-known lawyer in Mafia cases whose clients have included John “Junior” Gotti and reputed Philadelphia mob boss Joey “Skinny Joey” Merlino, denied saying anything to Rechnitz — and claimed footage from the courthouse hallway will prove it.
But the tapes don’t pick up audio, sources said.
“It didn’t happen with Rechnitz. It did not happen,” Meringolo insisted to the judge. “[Bell] came out and threatened me. You’re not allowed to come out running the court, run in the hallway, and move towards me, and threaten me, and threaten my life. You’re not allowed to do that. You can’t do that.”
Meringolo said four or five people in the hallway witnessed the scuffle between him and Bell.
“Where’s the cameras? The cameras are here. Where are the FBI agents? Let’s put everybody on the stand,” Meringolo said in the courtroom.
Bell initially suggested that Meringolo be either sanctioned or charged with contempt, but then said he wouldn’t pursue either.
The judge said he would pull the tapes and ordered the lawyers back for a hearing while dismissing jurors for the day.
When they returned for the hearing, lawyers for both sides begged the judge to drop the issue.
“We’ve all worked really hard on this trial,” said Susan Nechles, lawyer for accused briber Jeremy Reichberg. “Tempers were up,” she said, “but we want it to move forward.”
But the judge remained concerned that the prospect of criminal charges against Meringolo — for threatening a witness and violence to a federal prosecutor — could impact his representation of Grant, who is accused of taking bribes in exchange for favors.
Grant said he understood the risks and still wanted Meringolo to be his lawyer.
Rechnitz has been testifying against Grant and Reichberg, a self-described Brooklyn police liaison who is charged with bribing the highest ranks of the NYPD, including Grant and others.
Rechnitz has admitted to bribing cops.