NORWICH – In a packed family courtroom this morning, three youths ages 13 to 14 accused of causing an estimated $200,000 in damages to a Norwich synagogue were sent to detention centers following an appearance before Chenango County Court Judge W. Howard Sullivan.
The children, accused of vandalizing the Norwich Jewish Center, located at 70-76 South Broad St., were each represented by counsel in today’s proceedings.
One of three attorneys, Irad Ingraham, first addressed the court saying he had a definite conflict of interest in the case and wished to have his defendant reassigned. Sullivan granted the request, but ordered the attorney remain the defendant’s counsel for the morning’s proceedings.
Following statements by the defense, reiterating that each of the defendants deny all allegations, Prosecutor Frank B. Revoir laid out in detail the allegations against the boys.
Revoir asked that each of the boys be placed in detention homes while they await further court appearances, citing he felt they were a danger to the community.
Revoir said the defendants’ alleged crimes went far beyond any type of burglary and “served no legitimate purpose ... this is outrageous.”
It is estimated, according to the prosecutor, the damage caused by the three young men is over $200,000. Revoir told the court it was reported that the same three boys had been asked to leave the Eaton Center property just before they allegedly broke into the Jewish Center.
“There are four floors to the Jewish Center,” said Revoir. “These young men broke everything they could.”
“If these defendants were adults, the District Attorney’s office would be seeking state prison,” he said.
Revoir said two of the young men at the defense table had confessed to the crimes and within their confessions, further evidence about damage done at the Chenango County Council of the Arts building was indicated. “One of them said prior to the crime at the Jewish Center, they had broke into the Council of the Arts building, where they did the same thing,” he said.
For the past few months, there have been complaints from the CHIP-owned West Main Street building about acts of vandalism that included urinating on a piano, setting off a fire extinguisher and breaking doors and different items. Revoir said he was not 100 percent sure these same defendants were to blame for those incidents.
In response to the allegations, all the defense attorneys said they believed the likelihood that their clients would commit further crimes was unlikely.
Sullivan remanded the young men each to detention homes, saying, “These acts took place when they (the children) were with their families,” saying also that there are several allegations in the case and it would be safer to place them elsewhere.
Following their appearance, each defendant was taken to separate detention centers where they will stay until April 30, at which time they will return to court and Revoir will have to provide probable cause to further their stay.