Haredi Rabbi's Murder Trial Delayed

Koltun complained that his health has worsened in Orange County Jail, and he says he's been harassed there because he is a rabbi and a devout Hasidic Jew. He claimed the jail has not provided proper kosher food, so he has not eaten since Oct. 12. Undersheriff Kenneth T. Jones said he's unaware of any hunger strike by Koltun, and the jail abides by state requirements to provide food in keeping with individual inmates' religious beliefs. A visiting rabbi was bringing in large quantities of food to Koltun, Jones said, but the jail put a stop to that. "I think Rabbi Koltun and the truth rarely travel the same road."

 

Rabbi Victor Koltun mug shot, left, and yeshiva photo, right

Last-minute shifts delay rabbi's trial on murder charges
Heather Yakin • Times Herald-Record

GOSHEN — Prosecutors are ready for the murder-for-hire double-homicide trial of Victor Koltun, and the judge was prepared to start picking a jury. Instead, on Monday, Koltun got a new lawyer and an order for a new competency exam.

Koltun, 42, of Brooklyn, is the last defendant standing in the Nov. 4 slayings of former Lloyd cop Francis Piscopo, 49, and his nephew Gerald Piscopo, 28, of Highland. Koltun's co-defendants, Craig Fennell, 52, of Manhattan, and Frank Lewis, 57, of Brooklyn, pleaded guilty on Oct. 13 to conspiracy charges.

Koltun, at Orange County Court on Monday for a pre-trial hearing, told his court-appointed lawyer, James Winslow, that he intended to file a complaint against him. Winslow reported this development to Judge Jeffrey Berry, who had him read Koltun's written complaint into the court record.

Koltun's letter accused Winslow of failing to raise issues about the rabbi's frontal lobe epilepsy, bipolar disorder or multiple head trauma, which the rabbi believes could mitigate the case from first-degree murder to manslaughter. Koltun accused Winslow of not properly arguing for lower bail based on the rabbi's poorly controlled diabetes and seizures. Berry noted that Winslow made those arguments.

Koltun complained that his health has worsened in Orange County Jail, and he says he's been harassed there because he is a rabbi and a devout Hasidic Jew. He claimed the jail has not provided proper kosher food, so he has not eaten since Oct. 12.

Reached by phone, Undersheriff Kenneth T. Jones said he's unaware of any hunger strike by Koltun, and the jail abides by state requirements to provide food in keeping with individual inmates' religious beliefs.

A visiting rabbi was bringing in large quantities of food to Koltun, Jones said, but the jail put a stop to that.

"I think Rabbi Koltun and the truth rarely travel the same road," Jones said.

Koltun's letter also accused Winslow of losing a cellphone given to him in January which, according to the rabbi, contained a recording of the Nov. 4 events on its memory chip. Winslow acknowledged the phone was lost, but said he was not told of any recording on it until summer.

Berry ordered a new competency hearing based on possible cognitive issues. He appointed Paul Brite as Koltun's new lawyer and adjourned the case to Dec. 7.

"I think you've represented him very well on the record," Berry told Winslow. "The court and society thank you for your representation of Mr. Koltun."

Comments

If he's a rabbi I'm Laura Bush and Scottie is the Satmar Rebbe.

[David]

At least he removed his hat and yarmulke for the mug shot. I advocate that all frumma criminals do this to minimize the chillul Hashem.

[Shmarya]

If he's a rabbi I'm Laura Bush and Scottie is the Satmar Rebbe.

Posted by: | October 25, 2011 at 06:27 AM

Try looking here:

http://web.archive.org/web/20081220073254/http://www.ayshel.org/students2.htm

He got smicha under the name Naftali Koltun from Kollel Ayshel Avraham Rabbinical Seminary in Monsey, which is run by Rabbi Yaakov Spivack.

Have a nice life, Laura.

[seymour]

Posted by: | October 25, 2011 at 06:27 AM

maybe he is smarter than most frummas and decided not to dress like a frumma so not to embarrass to whole Jewish religion.

or maybe he says I am not going to use my religion to excuse my crimes like again most frummas do or use the antisemitic card

[Garnel Ironheart]

I dunno know if he's guilty or not but he doesn't look like he'd suffer too much from a hunger strike. Might do him some good...

[the usual chaim]

just as a point of reference, look at the "rabbinic" curriculum at:

http://web.archive.org/web/20081220073300/http://www.ayshel.org/contact.htm

this is not a real rabbinical school, nor is it a real semicha. they basically teach you how to be an MC at jewish lifecycle events.

[ultra haredi lite]

If he's a haredi rabbi then you're the 8th Lubavitcher rebbe. Spivak is the biggest joke around.

[Isa]

Hey
I went to their Web site and under "Who We Are" they list this bum as a graduate

Email these folks this article and see how quickly this bum's listing gets removed

[Rebitzman]

Wow- he's not a REAL rabbi.

I believe that excuse is #2 on the ah-pee-chorus list.
__________________

For the record, I also think his simcha is bogus, but that opinion is somewhat clouded by the fact that I think 95% of ALL haradi ordinations are bogus.

[WoolSilkCotton]

++they basically teach you how to be an MC at jewish lifecycle events++

Usual Chaim, visit most Chabad Houses and those are the kinds of 'rabbis' you'll find.

[WoolSilkCotton]

Looks like the other frummer murderer Grossman.

Soon Chabad will be jumping on his bandwagon.

[the usual chaim]

WSC - even chabad semicha is better than spivak's semicha. they at least go into mechaber, shach, taz on the basic topics common to all normative semichot (eg. basar ve-chalav, taaruvot etc.). I know this b/c i have chabad semicha (which is also why i never use the title "rabbi")

this aside. even saying "he is not a real rabbi" does not mean that he and his behavior have nothing to do with the orthodox community. he/they do.

[WoolSilkCotton]

Usual Chaim, thanks.

[Deremes]

WoolSilkCotton,
At times you are fair and don't fall trap here like other tuchas lekkers. Does he look haredi? Do YOU really believe that hes a haredi rabbi?

[Gevezener Chusid]

Spivack's crowd is not what I would call "Haredi".... tell me if I'm wrong, but I have thoguht that "Haredi" was supposed to refer to black-hat (e.g. Lakewood) orthodox and Hasidim, not to modern orthodox.

[Deremes]

Gevezener Chusid,
You not new here so you should know that on FM is no big deal to become haredi or a rabbi just commit a crime and that's the smicha on fm

[WoolSilkCotton]

Deremes, he calls himself orthodox ("devout hasidic jew"), dresses in black hat/black suit/white shirt (prior to being required to change into prison jumpsuit), went to orthodox yeshiva (even though it sounds like a crappy yeshiva), and he is making a very big stink with his so-called frumkeit to manipulate the prison system.

All the NY newspapers refer to him as "Rabbi".

We can all agree it is a horrific Chilul Hashem.

[Shmarya]

You not new here so you should know that on FM is no big deal to become haredi or a rabbi just commit a crime and that's the smicha on fm

Posted by: Deremes | October 25, 2011 at 11:59 AM

Still a lying, foolish piece of crap, I see.

If you look above in the comments, you'll see a provide a link to Koltun's haredi yeshiva that shows him as a rabbi.

At that link is his picture – the one you say doesn't look like he's a haredi rabbi.

But, like always, seeing that requires that you make a very small effort – following the link.

And, like always, you didn't do that.

As so many others have pointed out over the years, you're dishonest and you're not bright.

[Shmarya]

even chabad semicha is better than spivak's semicha. they at least go into mechaber, shach, taz on the basic topics common to all normative semichot (eg. basar ve-chalav, taaruvot etc.). I know this b/c i have chabad semicha (which is also why i never use the title "rabbi")

this aside. even saying "he is not a real rabbi" does not mean that he and his behavior have nothing to do with the orthodox community. he/they do.

Posted by: the usual chaim | October 25, 2011 at 10:57 AM
WoolSilkCotton

You seem to misunderstand what the curriculum is.

They're covering all the basic parts of smicha, but the titles of the material are stated as if they were college courses.

Perhaps you should look at the entrance requirements, which are far tougher and much more extensive than Chabad's.

After you do that, look carefully at the curriculum and you'll see that, too, is more extensive than Chabad's.

[Deremes]

He can call himself whatever he wants.
Do YOU WSC believe that he is haredi? Does he look haredi in any of these two pictures?
A chilul hashem it is huge as long as hes Jewish and true the more religious someone is the bigger the ch is.

[Shmarya]

Does he look haredi in any of these two pictures?…
Posted by: Deremes | October 25, 2011 at 12:33 PM

Perhaps if you pulled yourself out of that cesspool you live in and looked around in other haredi communities – like Cleveland, Miami, LA, and Chicago, for example – you'd see hundreds of haredim who look like him.

But just like you can't follow simple links that prove you wrong, or admit to basic facts that prove you wrong, you can't do this, either.

You're way too dishonest.

[the usual chaim]

shmarya - you are wrong. I know someone who went through this program. it is not at all focused on kashrut and shabbat like regular semicha programs. it does not give yoreh yorah semicha (and certainly not yadin yadin). it gives a form of "semicha" meant to give people the "skills" to conduct lifecycle events. call spivak to verify. If i'm wront i'll certainly admit it, but i dont think i am.

[Shmarya]

it is not at all focused on kashrut and shabbat like regular semicha programs. it does not give yoreh yorah semicha (and certainly not yadin yadin). it gives a form of "semicha" meant to give people the "skills" to conduct lifecycle events.

Again, look at the prerequisites. They're far more extensive than Chabad.

And Chabad's "focus" on kashrut and shabbos is almost always laughable, akin to learning 'smicha' out a ktizur shulkhan arukh.

[WoolSilkCotton]

Deremes, it's not me who is calling him haredi.

He himself calls himself "a rabbi and a devout hasidic Jew". He is making as much trouble as possible on the basis of his so-called "religious beliefs".

I know plenty of "devout hasidic Jews" and "hasidic rabbis" who can't even daven in Hebrew, and who violate basic rules of Shabbos and kashrus that astonishes me (even though I am not truly Shomer Shabbos and my kashrus is about as weak as it gets), and who routinely use 4-letter words in conversation.

I don't call any of them true hasidic Jews, but if they call themselves that, what can I do. If they want to commit murder, like this guy or Grossman, I hope the frumma don't come to me for a donation on his behalf.

[Deremes]

++Posted by: Shmarya | October 25, 2011 at 12:16 PM++

In the real world disagreements is not lying.
I think that when you wrote:
"Neturei Karta Calls For Death Of Haredi Leader" because they said yemach shemo is closer to lying then what i said or perhaps you misinformed what it means.

As many times you were challenged when you use the term rabbi or haredi you always had your way of saying why you call that person a rabbi even though that person is no rabbi whatsoever.
Interesting that on an other thread about the arrest of a monsey man you didn't use on the latest post the term rabbi.

[No Light]

Oh Derementalcase, tell me - why do you not believe he's one of your precious chareidim?

You keep trotting out the same, tired, 'No True Scotsman' arguments, and every time you open your mouth you look more foolish. APC's list might seem funny to some people, but it's actually uncannily accurate at pointing out how delusional and crazy your cultish mindset is.

If you're a product of the system (and apparently proud of it too) then I fear for the children of today, for when they're your age logic and truth will be as alien to them as cheeseburgers, and shirts that aren't white.

Do you really, truly think that by picking holes in the background/lifestyles of chareidi child rapists/murderers/fraudsters you'll somehow prove that it isn't a problem, that it's some goyishe conspiracy to make frumfucks look bad? Try telling the victims that, I dare you.

You're either insane or you have some seriously stacked-up skeletons in your closet, boy.

[Deremes]

++WoolSilkCotton | October 25, 2011 at 01:02 PM++

Good point.Then from now on i call myself Doctor and becuase of it WSC please call me Doctor.

[WoolSilkCotton]

Dr. Deremes, there are plenty of people who call themselves 'doctor' who I don't respect as doctors, even though some of them are nice people, but they did attend a school- even a lousy school- that gave them a diploma with the title, and so they can call themselves 'doctor'.

And so it is with the title 'rabbi'.

[Shmarya]

In the real world disagreements is not lying.…

Posted by: Deremes | October 25, 2011 at 01:02 PM

In the real world, facts are facts.

The problem is that in your twisted world, facts are only facts if you agree with them.

[ah-pee-chorus]

deremes-

please save time and bandwidth.

you are citing 1. and 2 . use the numbers.

how nice.

1. he's not charedi. shmarya photoshopped his picture.
2. he's not a REAL charedi. he just dressed and acted like one.
3. he couldnt have done it, he once gave tseddaka.
4. he was forced to rape children by secular jews.
5. the victims werent children but rather little actors who entrapped him.
6. he misunderstood certain parts of the torah and thought he was doing a mitzvah.
7. he's a true tzaddik. no futher defense needed.
8. the accusers and their families are lying anti-semites.
9. its loshon hara so that makes it not true.
10. who cares what he did? somebody was oiver the prohibition of mesira and thats what we should be concerned with.
11. if there werent 2 adult male witneses to the act it never happened or doesnt matter.

[Gevezener Chusid]

My question still stands:

Please define "Haredi" for me. I am (seriously) confused.

There was a time when even the NY Times would call anyone west of Cedarhurst "Hassidic" - is that what's going on here now with "Haredi"?

Is a Yeshiva University grad who is 100% shomer shabbos and kosher but who plays baseball on Friday afternoons and whose wife doesn't wear anything on her head considered "Haredi" or not? What are the criteria?

Is a Satmarer who goes to whorehouses and who eats lobster when nobody's looking but who keeps shabbos in public "Haredi" or not? What are the criteria?

Is a "Haredi" someone who looks orthodox but is a hypocrite or are sincerely orthodox good people also "haredim"?

[Gevezener Chusid]

and yes, however you slice it it is a horrific chillul ha-Shem.

[rebeljew]

There must be no true Rabbis in Scotland, just as there are no true Scotsmen.

[the usual chaim]

if the 500 pages of gemarra req. is actual then i hear you on a certain level. however, the guy i knew who went to this place was an utter ignoramus and i doubt he had learned even a whole masechta.

beyond that, the actual curriculum does not cover the basic areas of normative semicha. you studied for semicha, you know this. hilchot yesodei hatora is not there, nor are kidushin, milah, etc.

bottom line, he claims to be a rabbi and that has a certain weight. just because his semicha is to be questioned does not exonerate the haredism. lets just be clear about what sort of guy we are dealing with.

[Deremes]

WSC:
Which of the following are Haredi?
Which one looks Haredi as much as Koltun and is not Haredi?

1.Sheldon Silver
2.Ezra Merkin
3.Any of the Tendlers
4.Marc Schneier
5.Levy Aron
6.Ben Brafman
7.Joe Lieberman
8.Ron Perlman

Not that i am linking one with another but these names came to mind

[WoolSilkCotton]

Deremes, these are my opinions of the 8 people you listed. I am only going by the impression they give me, both in appearance, demeanor, and what I've read about them from various sources. I do not investigate what they do or don't do in private.

1. orthodox
2. don't know who he is
3. all look hasidic/haredi
4. orthodox
5. orthodox
6. Jewish, not orthodox, less religious than me
7. Jewish, about as religious as me
8. Jewish, not orthodox, less religious than me

These opinions are not based upon my opinion what they have done or said in other aspects of their lives. Example: Silver is an excellent political leader. Schneier is a piece of drek. Aron should immediately be crushed by a speeding bus. I wish Lieberman had been vice president. Brafman is an excellent attorney.

[abcdef]

Shmarya seems to confuse the terms "Chareidi" and orthodox.

He may be an "orthodox" Jew, and he may even have "orthodox" smicha (from a worthless yeshiva)and you can even call him an "orthodox rabbi," but chareidi, he is not.

A chareidi Jew would not sport a goatee, and definitely would not look the way the guy does. A chareidi Jew would not look the way he looks in his "yeshiva" photo, and especially not how he appears for his mugshot.

But accuracy in reporting has never been your thing, has it?

Now twist what I said and come up with some bogus answer, preferably starting with either "please," or "idiot." Thanks!

[Shmarya]

A chareidi Jew would not sport a goatee

Idiot.

There are hundred of haredim with goatees and many more who are clean shaven.

You're obviously not familiar with how haredim dress in smaller Jewish communities, let alone how some dress in Brooklyn.

I even know hasidim who are close to very big rebbes who are clean shaven.

Now crawl back in to that cesspool you call your life.

[Adams]

The term Rabbi covers alot of ground. It's not a literal term in many cases, For instance there are people who do pastoral care, they get the title Rabbi but they are limited to visiting the sick in hospitals and perhaps running a minyan there. In earlier times they were referred to as Reverends. It is actually a notable profession that end of it.Having the title Rabbi in Kashrus allows them to travel for Mashgiach work and get paid higher rate. Most Kashrus Mashgichim don't know very much but can be spoon fed a bit about Kashrus issues.

[Abracadabra]

You know, for all the crimes that Rubashkin and his family did, at least his picture was not AS hard on the eyes as this guy's mugshot!

Could you imagine if we had to look at this mugshot every time there was Rubashkin news?! It would drive people away from this website!!!

[anonymous]

hasidic my foot he looks like HE BECAME A Fake Baal Teshuva after he commited his crime in oto get special treatment and community support his name doesnt even sound jewish let alone hasidic if he is hasidic than shmarya is the satmar rebbe

[Shmarya]

He was frum before his arrests.

[taylor]

He was frum before his arrests.

And Shmarya was frum before he began blogging : )

[abcdef]

"There are hundred of haredim with goatees and many more who are clean shaven.

You're obviously not familiar with how haredim dress in smaller Jewish communities, let alone how some dress in Brooklyn.

I even know hasidim who are close to very big rebbes who are clean shaven...

Posted by: Shmarya | October 25, 2011 at 05:55 PM "

Clean shaven - yes. Goatees - no. When people sport a goatee they are perceived as declaring themselves to be modern orthodox. I can't explain why, but that's how it is. I can't explain why chareidim don't wear yellow yarmulkas either, but that's just how it is, and even if you call me an idiot again, it wouldn't make me agree that chareidim wear yellow yarmulkas, nor that they sport goatees.

I am very familiar with the dress of chareidim, as I am one myself.

[Yoel Mechanic]

I am very familiar with the dress of chareidim, as I am one myself.

Posted by: abcdef | October 25, 2011 at 11:05 PM
-------------------------------------
well, there goes your credibility.
How can we know if you have any clue about
this subject!

[WoolSilkCotton]

You can't be haredi. You at least know the first 6 letters of the alphabet.

[Shmarya]

Clean shaven - yes. Goatees - no. When people sport a goatee they are perceived as declaring themselves to be modern orthodox. I can't explain why, but that's how it is

Please.

That may be how it was in the 60s and 70s, but it isn't that way today.

[Guest]

Clean shaven - yes. Goatees - no. When people sport a goatee they are perceived as declaring themselves to be modern orthodox. I can't explain why, but that's how it is

Please.

That may be how it was in the 60s and 70s, but it isn't that way today.

Posted by: Shmarya | October 26, 2011 at 04:18 AM

I know haredim that sport a goatee.

That said, this man does not look like a haredi.