Those who have attended hearing after hearing in the cases against five of the six attackers of Joey Borgen understand viscerally the frustration expressed by his father, Barry Borgen, at the April 17 House Judiciary Committee hearing in New York. Indeed, it has been almost two years since Joseph Borgen was attacked on May 20, 2021. However, there is significant movement forward in these cases, for which there is no lack of evidence.
On April 20, the Assistant D.A. asked that a trial date be set for defendants Mohammed Said Othman, Mohammed Othaman, and Mahmoud Musa. On May 11, there will be a hearing to determine the trial date. Judge Mennin has requested that June 5 be the trial date for all three defendants.
On Monday, April 24, Faisal Alezzi, pled guilty to Attempted Assault to Cause Injury as a Hate Crime and accepted the plea deal that was offered to him: 3 years of probation, sensitivity training, and the issuance of an apology in court. June 8 is the date set for his sentencing.
The six-month plea deal that had been offered to Waseem Awawdeh by the D.A.’s office was rejected by Judge Felicia Mennin and increased to 18 months in prison. On Tuesday, April 25, Awawdeh pled guilty to one count of Assault in the Second Degree as a Hate Crime with a sentence of one year in jail, and pled guilty to one count of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Fourth Degree with a sentence of six months in jail. These sentences will run consecutively for a total of 18 months in prison. Assistant D.A. Jonathan Junig said one condition of the plea deal was that he would have the opportunity to ask Awawdeh in court if Mohammed Said Othman, Mohammed Othaman, and Mahmoud Musa participated in the attack against Borgen; Awawdeh replied that they did. He also made an apology in court. Awawdeh›s case was adjourned to June 13, at which time he will be sentenced, and Joey Borgen will read a victim impact statement.
Joey Borgen has expressed how difficult it is to be in court with the people who wanted to kill him. He said, “I don’t like going to court. I do it because when I’m there with other people, a large group of Jewish individuals, it sends a message that we’re not lying down and taking this.” (NY Jewish Week, 3/21/23)
When asked about the importance of attending the hearings for the attackers who almost killed Borgen in their vicious, merciless, anti-Semitic beating, Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder said this:
“Joey Borgen was not some kid on a street corner. He was attacked because he was Jewish. If you don’t show, that does have an effect on the larger community. It has an effect on people watching. You need to show that there is pain that goes a lot further than the victim. It goes right through a community. I don’t think anyone understands that more than the Jewish Community. When you hurt one Jewish individual, you hurt the entire community.”
The next hearing is scheduled for May 11 at 100 Centre St., Part 62 at 9:30 a.m.
By Lynne Bursky Tammam
