Home invasion

pixigirl said:

See the courts know...this time the world is watching.

YES!!!

andean_angel said:

jerseyjack said:

The "not guilty" is almost perfunctory and is generated by the defense lawyers. It is usually done in the hope of getting a plea offer. If you plead guilty, what can you bargain with?

This is what bothers me the most. What a waste of time and taxpayer resources. Do they really think the can bargain a plea?

Like it or not, it is his right.

Frankly, I prefer that he not cop a plea, get convicted, and be sentenced to ten times what the plea deal may have been.

I can't imagine any sane Prosecutor with a career in mind would even offer him a plea.

The defense will try to delay a trial until the outrage settles down. Once this happens it will be business as usual in the Essex County Courts and the guy will plead to a lesser charge and maybe be sentenced to five years or so, and be out way before that.

I can see him eventually pleading to something less than attempted murder, for example, aggravated assault, in addition to the other charges. That would still keep him behind bars for a very long time. In addition, you have the factor of an Essex County jury, which always adds an element of unpredictability, plus the fact that, quite honestly, he didn't try and kill the woman, rather beat her up severely and intimidate her. If you shoot someone and the bullet goes into their stomach but the person survives, that would be closer to attempted murder.

Once they play the video in front of a jury, and once the jury sees the child in the room, I think it's going to be pretty easy to summon up that outrage again.

this is one instance in which I would be pleased as punch to get a jury duty notice in the mail.

justgotlaidoff said:

this is one instance in which I would be pleased as punch to get a jury duty notice in the mail.

Exactly

justgotlaidoff said:

this is one instance in which I would be pleased as punch to get a jury duty notice in the mail.

my concern is that it's going to be near impossible to find a venue for the trial given the video and all the other media coverage which, as the expression goes, just about everyone and his mother has seen...where are they going to try this case?

Although attempted murder is a hard one to prove it shouldn't be in this case. If his main purpose was to silence her he could have subdued her and tied her up and gone on his merry way to rob the place but his repeated assaults including strangulation and then throwing her down the basement stairs shows his intent to kill her. Why would you just walk away out of the place if you think the victim/witness is still alive.

In the beginning of the video the woman obviously heard something and walked towards the other room when he broke in. He saw her and could have fled but he came at her anyway which is a big difference legally to somebody already burglarizing a home and being "caught in the act" by somebody walking in or waking up. He had every opportunity to run out that door but he chose to go after her anyway. That shows intent.

I don't care who is on that jury...either they are women or they all have mothers, girlfriends, daughters or sisters. There is no way anybody can look at that video and not find him guilty.

alha said:

justgotlaidoff said:

this is one instance in which I would be pleased as punch to get a jury duty notice in the mail.

my concern is that it's going to be near impossible to find a venue for the trial given the video and all the other media coverage which, as the expression goes, just about everyone and his mother has seen...where are they going to try this case?

his own girlfriend and the girlfriends daughter didn't see the video.

I just hope his lawyer doesn't find some technicality to get the video thrown out as evidence.

His girlfriend knew exactly what he did. She was hiding him. He's been in and out of jail for a good portion of his life for breaking and entering, do you believe she didn't know anything about that either? come on.

pixigirl said:

alha said:

justgotlaidoff said:

this is one instance in which I would be pleased as punch to get a jury duty notice in the mail.

my concern is that it's going to be near impossible to find a venue for the trial given the video and all the other media coverage which, as the expression goes, just about everyone and his mother has seen...where are they going to try this case?

his own girlfriend and the girlfriends daughter didn't see the video.

So, they say...

The girlfriend turned him in within an hour of his name being released and supposedly doesn't have a working T.V. That should be easy enough to check, and if true it's possible she heard about the video but didn't actually ever see it herself. At least she told cops he was with her as soon as they released his name

I think one of the posters here on MOL discovered the prior assault committed by the perp. The most frightening thing about this monster is that he's probably committed lots of other offenses -- during his periods of "parole" -- for which he was never apprehended. For sure there are likely other victims because that is what Custis does. This will make your hair stand on end.

http://www.nj.com/essex/index.ssf/2013/07/man_charged_in_millburn_attack_committed_identical_offense_20_years_ago.html#incart_river_default

this is the time to come forward because every single additional offense and sentence will have to be served consecutively.

This is all very strange to me. I apologize if I upset anyone when I was skeptical because of a camera set up in the living room. I guess that's more common than I thought it was.

My fault for posting bad theories. The whole thing seemed too weird to be believed. Maybe I WAS in denial that this could really happen.

Thanks to anyone who cut me some slack (in their thoughts, without posting them). I'll be watching the case as it unravels, and probably won't post any more "bonkers" theories.

To those who choose to divide the world into villains and heros (and trolls), sometimes a normal person can have a thought that needs to be aired and evaluated and discussed before they discard it. That's a part of a the process a discussion board allows - and, I thought, the reason the OP started this thread.

Peace.

Well done @spouse. I agree that people can be wrong without being malicious, and FWIW, I appreciate that you retracted your earlier theory in the face of available evidence.

DottyParker said:

I think one of the posters here on MOL discovered the prior assault committed by the perp. The most frightening thing about this monster is that he's probably committed lots of other offenses -- during his periods of "parole" -- for which he was never apprehended. For sure there are likely other victims because that is what Custis does. This will make your hair stand on end.

http://www.nj.com/essex/index.ssf/2013/07/man_charged_in_millburn_attack_committed_identical_offense_20_years_ago.html#incart_river_default

In addition to the article above, here's another article from the burglary committed by that same POS in 1991. I really hope they bring this up in trial, he is a danger to society! When will they stop letting him out? Until he murders someone on the next home invasion???!!
http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/local/burlington_county_times_news/ex-convict-caught-on-nanny-cam-has-criminal-history-in/article_96b6ced7-e4db-5883-a03f-4c2a4fd4b89c.html

spouse said:

This is all very strange to me. I apologize if I upset anyone when I was skeptical because of a camera set up in the living room. I guess that's more common than I thought it was.

My fault for posting bad theories. The whole thing seemed too weird to be believed. Maybe I WAS in denial that this could really happen.

Thanks to anyone who cut me some slack (in their thoughts, without posting them). I'll be watching the case as it unravels, and probably won't post any more "bonkers" theories.

To those who choose to divide the world into villains and heros (and trolls), sometimes a normal person can have a thought that needs to be aired and evaluated and discussed before they discard it. That's a part of a the process a discussion board allows - and, I thought, the reason the OP started this thread.

Peace.

Spouse, this post is one of the best I've ever read on MOL. As one who has been guilty of the kind of dividing you cite, thank you for being willing and able to come back and post this thoughtful reflection without malice. You've made MOL a better place, for me at least.

^^^What nakaille said.

I apologize for scouring MOL to use my favorite word (bonkers). Spouse, you are a class act.

Spouse: Nice. None of us want to believe that something so horrific could be so random. I wish your initial theories had been true. No harm done.

I do hope that at some point, somebody can get an explanation from Custis as to why he chose to break into that house, on that particular day... why was he in Millburn, and why did he pick that house, and what was he looking for -- stuff to steal, or somebody to beat up? Glad they got the guy but there are still too many unanswered questions.

It takes integrity to publicly admit you were wrong. Props for that, spouse.

rel="NolNat">/man_charged_in_millburn_attack_committed_identical_offense_20_years_ago.html#incart_river_default

In addition to the article above, here's another article from the burglary committed by that same POS in 1991. I really hope they bring this up in trial, he is a danger to society! When will they stop letting him out? Until he murders someone on the next home invasion???!!
http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/local/burlington_county_times_news/ex-convict-caught-on-nanny-cam-has-criminal-history-in/article_96b6ced7-e4db-5883-a03f-4c2a4fd4b89c.html

I believe evidence of his prior activities cannot be brought up unless he elects to take the stand in his own defense. The crime for which he is accused is supposed to be judged on its own evidence or lack. However, if he chooses to testify, then he can be questioned about it in the process of establishing his credibility as a witness.

Can it be taken into consideration in the sentencing phase?

I believe so. That is why some states have "3 strike" laws. However, in N.Y., motor vehicle courts, the judge doesn't get to know about prior offenses until the sentence is entered into the computer.

Here is a link to an excellent story in the Star Ledger about this thug and his history.

"Despite long criminal record, plea deals limited prison time for Millburn home invasion suspect"

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2013/07/despite_long_record_plea_deals_limited_prison_time_for_suspect_in_millburn_home_invasion.html