White Plains Mayor Is Convicted and Vows to Appeal

(COURTESY OF NEW YORK TMES) Bradley was found guilty of attempted assault, harassment and contempt of court, all misdemeanors, and could face a year in jail when sentenced on March 17, officials said, though it would be unusual if he were to receive jail time given his clean previous record. He was found guilty of five charges and not guilty of four more, including the most serious charge of third-degree assault by District Court Judge Susan M. Capeci, who heard the case without a jury.
The charges stem from several episodes in the past year with his estranged wife, Fumika Bradley, who testified during the trial that Mr. Bradley had, in several instances, slammed her fingers in a door and threw scalding tea on her.
Neal Comer, a lawyer representing Mrs. Bradley in her civil divorce trail against Mr. Bradley, said he was satisfied with the verdict.
“I think this is a very fair judge,” he said. “I think Adam’s lawyer did a very good job of creating reasonable doubt about the charges of which he was acquitted.”
Directly after the verdict, Mr. Bradley, dressed in a navy suit, blue shirt and maroon tie, slapped Mr. Comer on the back and said, “I hope you’re happy.”
To which Mr. Comer replied, “There’s nothing to be happy about here.”
Luis Andrew Penichet, Mr. Bradley’s lawyer, called the verdict “repugnant” and said he would appeal the case on the grounds that the court did not allow him to call several witnesses to the stand, including two psychologists who acted as marriage counselors to the Bradleys from 2006 to 2009, he said.
“I was able to call a third of my witnesses to the stand and they were allowed to testify a quarter of what they knew,” Mr. Penichet said.
He said he would file papers to appeal within 30 to 40 days and expects to be back in court this spring.
Mr. Bradley was found guilty of one count of attempted third-degree assault, three counts of second-degree harassment and one count of being in contempt of court. Not guilty verdicts were reached on two counts of third-degree assault, one count of third-degree attempted assault and witness tampering.
Mr. Bradley, a former state assemblyman, was elected mayor of White Plains in 2009. He married Mrs. Bradley in 2003; they have two daughters, ages 7 and 5.

Mr. Bradley was arrested in February when Mrs. Bradley said that he kicked and shoved her and slammed her hands in a door in a fight at their home. In court she testified that six weeks prior to that he had flung hot tea and burned her chest. The couple filed for divorce in September.

Despite being convicted, Mr. Bradley is not required to resign; state law bars those convicted of a felony from holding public office.

Keith Lawson, 61, a White Plains resident who came to court Thursday to watch the verdict, said he thought the verdict was “fair and understandable.”

“He tried to use his political power and portray his wife as a villain,” he said. “But I think the judge is the fairest around.”

Mr. Bradley, once considered a rising star in the state Democratic Party, is up for re-election in 2013.

Paul Hoffman, 50, who lives in Somers, N.Y., was at the courthouse when the verdict was announced.

“I think he should step down,” he said. “It’s not right. It’s telling the taxpayers that public officials can be criminals.” BY NATE SCHWEBER