Attorney pushes court to overturn limo company operator’s conviction
FILE - Nauman Hussain, who ran the limousine company involved in the 2018 crash that killed 20 people, walks outside during a lunch break in a new trial in Schoharie, N.Y., on Monday, May 1, 2023. Judge Peter Lynch, rejected a plea agreement for Hussain to avoid prison time. (AP Photo / Hans Pennink)
ALBANY – An attorney representing convicted limousine company operator Naumin Hussain argued before a panel of State Supreme Court Appellate Division judges on Friday that Hussain’s 20 manslaughter convictions should be overturned due to the trial judge improperly charging the jury, and because Hussain only had 20 minutes to decide whether he wanted to accept a jail sentence or go to trial.
Back in August of 2023, Judge Peter Lynch, who had taken over the Hussain case after another judge retired, ripped up a previously agreed upon plea arrangement that would have allowed Hussain to serve five years probation and avoid prison time.
Hussain opted to withdraw his initial guilty plea and take his chances at trial.
The trial held in Schoharie County court earlier this year resulted in Hussain being convicted of 20 counts of manslaughter in the limousine tragedy that claimed 20 lives back in October 2018.
Several family members of the crash victims were in court Friday morning as attorney Steven Sharp argued his case.
NewsChannel 13’s Dan Levy was in court. He’ll have a full report on our newscasts starting Live at 4 and on WNYT.com.