True Stories

The following true stories are based on real cases involving people who came to Steven Goldman for help, as they have been doing for over three decades. In each of these cases, the facts initially seemed to point towards conviction. And in each of them, Goldman uncovered the true story and convinced a jury that his client was not guilty. Each of these people was facing many years in prison if convicted, but each of them walked out of court a free individual.

Note that while the following stories are true, the names have been changed to protect the client's confidentiality.

Accused of Murder

One hot July evening in the Summer of 1999, a fight began in the hallway of a Bronx housing complex. A single shot rang-out. A man was shot and seriously injured. Joseph Tyler was arrested and eventually indicted for attempted murder in the man's shooting. He said he was innocent.

Joseph sat in jail for two years while his case lingered in court. The prosecutor offered a plea deal of ten years, an offer which Joseph refused. Joseph understood that he could be sentenced to as much as 25 years if he were convicted after trial.

The prosecutor had five eye-witnesses, all of whom testified that they saw Joseph pull the gun and shoot the victim one time from a distance of only several feet. Goldman hired an investigator who found a witness who said that Joseph did not have a gun and that the shooter was someone else.

Drawing on the witness's testimony, Goldman argued on summation that the real shooter was the victim's friend. The friend must have been aiming at Joseph, with whom he had argued, but missed and accidentally shot his own friend. The victim, Goldman told the Jury, accused Joseph of doing the shooting in order to protect his friend.

After waiting for two years, the jury found Joseph not guilty of all charges. Joseph walked out of the courthouse a free man.

Read another story here.