CROWN HEIGHTS [CHI] – Three and a half years later, the Crown Heights Shomrim Volunteers who were brutally persecuted in one of Crown Heights’ most ugly Mesiras to date have scored a final and definite victory, when a New York State court tossed out a $144 million lawsuit which has been hanging over their heads since December 2008.

Didan Notzach: $144M Suit Against Shomrim Tossed

CROWN HEIGHTS [CHI] – Three and a half years later, the Crown Heights Shomrim Volunteers who were brutally persecuted in one of Crown Heights’ most ugly Mesiras to date have scored a final and definite victory, when a New York State court tossed out a $144 million lawsuit which has been hanging over their heads since December 2008.

Shomrim is an all-volunteer anti-crime and assistance group, which patrols the streets of Crown Heights in the hopes of deterring crime; they also offer non-emergency assistance when possible. But on a Motzai Shabbos in December of ’07 the tables were turned. During a routine call involving a dispute between two roommates, the volunteers were attacked by a mob and became those who needed the community’s help.

Most of the community stood idly by and watched as the drama unfolded in the state’s criminal court system, where six Shomrim volunteers faced up to 15 years in prison for a concocted blood libel which accused them of gang assault. Those charges were thrown out by the judge before even reaching a jury.

Leading the charge was Paul ‘Levi’ Huebner, an attorney and member of Shmira – a rival patrol group – who operates under the auspices of the Crown Heights Jewish Community Council, with the assistance of Elie Poltorack, another attorney who was ousted from the Vaad Hakohol in the latest elections.

Mr. Huebner inserted himself into the police investigation from the very beginning by acting as a ‘translator’ for the ‘victims.’ He did this while setting himself up to represent the same victims in a civil lawsuit – a fact which he neglected to mention to the police department, leading to ethics charges against him.

During the criminal trial the defense lawyers chipped away at the prosecution’s case until the entire thing imploded. They innocently asked the ‘victims’ if they went to any doctors for follow-up visits or if they were on any long term medications resulting from the altercation, to which all but one responded that they had not. The only one who went for any sort of follow-up visit was Schneur Rotem, and he said that the doctor he visited was “his mother” – who used to be a nurse.

A year later Mr. Huebner brought the civil lawsuit against Shomrim, acting as a representative for the alleged ‘victims’ – members of the radical Mishechist faction: Elkon Moshe Gurfinkel, Zalman Bronshtein, Schneur Rotem, and Yakov Shatz – in charges that they suffered massive injuries, permanent in nature, from which they suffer daily. The quantified amount of money that added up to – according to their lawyer Paul Huebner’s lawsuit filing – was $144 million.

But the brilliant maneuvering of the defense lawyers in the criminal case basically undermined the entire civil case, because the victims had freely admitted that they did not in fact suffer any serious wounds.

This did not stop Paul Huebner from perusing the civil case – in the name of the discredited victims. Since his claims were entirely baseless, he employed delay tactics such as appearing in court and “mistakenly forgetting his briefcase on the subway,” or bringing doctors notes that he was on some form of medication which did not allow him to think clearly.

Finally on November 29, 2011, the honorable judge Bernadette Bayne got fed up and ordered that the case move forward; Shomrim, the defendants, issued a note of issue stating that they were ready for trial. A trial date was set for July 6, 2012.

When the day came around Shomrim’s lawyer was present in the courtroom at 360 Adams Street, but the plaintiffs’ lawyer was not. The judged then disposed of the case and struck it off the court calendars.

The conclusion of this civil lawsuit marks the end of the persecution of the ‘Shomrim Six.’

A spokesperson for Shomrim told CrownHeights.info: “the same feeling we had when the knife of 15 years in prison hung over our heads, we felt before today, and when that evil decree was lifted and we sang the words from Psalms 55 ‘Pada be’shalom nafshi’ – we are singing it today once again.”

25 Comments

  • A HAPPY CROWNHEIGHTSER

    B”H !!!

    WE SEE HASHEM’S HAND SO CLEARLY IN THIS CASE. YOU ALL DESERVE A WONDERFULLY CELEBRATED SHABBOS !

  • You guys are the best

    May our good GOD
    Send the Huebner Poltrack and their party
    To the place were Cohen godol sent the other goat

  • supporter

    BARUCH HASHEM!!! I am proud to say I was NOT one of the people who stood by & did nothing, I went to the trial a few times and made a donation. This is great news and a potch in panim to the mosrim inc Paul Huebner. Nachamu, Nachamu!

  • DeClasse- Intellectual

    You wonder why the Mosiach is not here–need any more explinations????????

  • CHLEAKS.COM

    Mazal Tov, this is great news.

    The once “hero” of the Crown Heights Meshichist Mossrim faction, Paul Huebner is once again a loser and NOBODY LIKES A LOSER!
    When these Mossrim thought they had the Mesira in the bag and all was going to happen as they planed it for 2 years, they were walking around with their head up high, they felt good, they felt strong and they felt untouchable.

    When a Mosser like Huebner walked in to 770 (hub for meshichistim mossrim), he felt like a hero, he got respect, he, Paul Huebner, will be the guy who finally took down Shomrim/Hershkop (insert evil laugh here: ha ha ha).

    According to plans Shomrim were expected to fall,after all they – the mossrim- worked so hard for two years making sure this case gets prosecuted in a court of law. The cabal at the Crown Heights Community Council, Inc., which included Chanina Sperlin, Eli Cohen, Yankle Spritzer and Co. worked overtime to push this through

    But Shomrim did not give in, Shomrim fought back, defended themselves, refused any plea deals from the District Attorney and were victorious.

    Shomrim became much stronger then ever!

    Currently: Where is the “hero” Paul Huebner? Do you see him around like you used to?

    Where are the Shmira mesira mossrim?

    Where is the Crown Heights Jewish Community Council, Inc.?

  • Not good enough

    It’s great news but not good enough.

    I for one will not celebrate any “victory? until those who were behind this blood libel fall. Each one of them, from top to bottom, must be punished!

    All these years victims of Mesira celebrated the fact that they won’t prosecuted*, that the mossrim did not get their way. Thats all good. But such a victory just sets the mossrim back a bit, a little time passes, they get over it and they get right back to doing Mesira and prosecuting innocent Jews.

    What we need is a true victory, an offensive victory for a change. A victory where the Mossrim loss everything.

    * and that they were able to keep their G-d given freedom.

  • just reading

    Mazel tov mazel Tov all 6 of you. Your great guys and do great work all of shomrim

  • Can they Counter Sue?

    To #14 who asked:“Can Heubner be counter sued for legal costs?”

    The ball is now in the hands of the defendants (the Shomrim Six) as to whether they want to reopen the case to deal with the counter claims made against the Plaintiffs.

    Huebner was not a Plaintiff in the case, he just pretended to represent the so called “victims”, the question is can Huebner be added on as a Plaintiff. After all we all know that Huebner and Co. orchestrated this Mesira, he’s a huge part of huge part of the conspiracy.

    The so called “victims”did not pursue Huebner , it was the other way around.

    FYI: If Shomrim Six do decide to counter-sue the role of defendant and plaintiff switch.

  • Can they Counter Sue?

    To add to my comment above:

    Huebner and Co. won’t be able to add or pursue his/their claims.

  • Forever gratefull!

    Thank G-d, thank g-d, thank g-d!! To think that these innocent men had 15 years on their lives makes me shudder! I cannot imagine what would have happened if the enemies (sadly, yes, we Jews have enemies-those who strive to be pure evil) had won. I would never had met my husband, never even had the chance to see the pure good that Shomrim do in this community.

    Shame on all those who supported the other side-and congratulations on all who won!

    May we only see victory and justice!

  • Follow the Money!!!

    What I’m interested in most, is who paid for Elkon Moshe Gurfinkel, Zalman Bronshtein, Schneur Rotem, and Yaakov Shatz, Shalom Cohen and Yisroel Noach Belinizkis tickets to come it to testify.

    Most if not all of the Mossrim mentioned above were on the other side of the planet (India and Bolivia etc…all across the globe), at the time period leading to the trial. When it came apparent that there would be a trial, they were all flown in.

    Bringing these mossrim in must have cost a lot of money.

    Who paid for their flights? Who paid for their housing and food? Who paid them to testify?

  • I was there

    I supported the Shomrim Six by donating money and showing up in court any time I had a chance to.

    The experience will stay with me for the rest of my life.
    I learned how to question everything, not to believe hearsay and how details, every single one, matters.

    What I found must interesting was how the defense team of the shomrim six were able to use the video the mossrim were trying to use as evidence against shomrim. The video actually showed the so called “victims” being the aggressors.

    As one of the Shomrim six told me while waiting outside in the lobby: “The video is the best thing for us”.

  • Saw the harm of messira

    Messira has become an epidemic in Crown Heights. And people wonder why Moshiach is not here. When we hear of messira, we right away assume, unfortunately correctly, that it is done by a Yid.Don’t these people know the consequences to themselves when they masser? Don’t you know that you are hurting yourself and your children? Even if we don’t know who they are, Hashem knows.Let these people get out of Crown Heights and away from Lubavitch. We do not need or want them here. Please, Do not taint Lubavitch!!!!! MOVE OUT111111 MOVE AWAY1111 LEAVE US ALONE11111 WE DON’T WANT YOU11111 YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE11111

  • #18

    #18,

    Thanks – my real question was in regards to a frivilous law suit.
    Is there any punitive action that can be taken against the Huebner clan for obviously obusing the system and the courts – as seen by the fact that they kept pushing things off and eventually, not even showing up?
    Or does this mean, If I have a lawyer, I can just intimidate and sue anyone at all times just to force them to get representation and defend themselves, and I never have to worry or be held accountable?

  • awacs

    “Is there any punitive action that can be taken against the Huebner clan for obviously obusing the system and the courts – as seen by the fact that they kept pushing things off and eventually, not even showing up?”

    Basically, no.

    “Or does this mean, If I have a lawyer, I can just intimidate and sue anyone at all times just to force them to get representation and defend themselves, and I never have to worry or be held accountable?”

    Yes. At least, you can get away with it for a while. Eventually, though, you tend to get hoisted on your own petard. :-)

  • Milhouse

    “you tend to get hoisted on your own petard”

    Nitpick: It’s hoist *by* your own petard. A petard is a bomb, so it’s impossible to be hoisted *on* it, but very easy to be hoist up in the air *by* it if one is not careful. As many Arab terrorists have learned the hard way, kein yirbu.

    Also: Brett Kimberlin (who is not a lawyer) seems to have got away with it for a long time, but his wings have recently been trimmed.