After three days of deliberations a Brooklyn jury today found 77-year-old former district leader Ralph Perfetto guilty of impersonating a lawyer. Last year Perfetto handed in a “notice of appearance” form at the arraignment of his cousin's son Anthony Martire, putting his name in the space for attorney (with “PI” for private investigator after his name) and even addressing the judge. And though the former Bay Ridge power broker said he was not trying to act as a lawyer, the jury decided that is what he had done. He now faces up to a year in prison for the single misdemeanor account.
Perfetto handled the situation today gracefully, however, speaking of how the prosecutor "taught him a lesson," namely that "No matter how noble your intentions are, you have to be careful because you can't cross the line."
The decision was reportedly a hard one for the jury. One juror told the News afterwards that the process was "not easy. We truly believed he had no malintent" but the law does not factor intentions.
Though he is eligible, Perfetto is not expected to receive any jail time at his sentencing on July 18 due to his age and his long record of public service.
