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NY Attorney Charged With Sex Crimes

By William Vogeler, Esq. on January 08, 2019 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

Criminal lawyers usually don't want their clients tried in the court of public opinion.

It's not fair, they say, because the media can publish prejudicial information that a judge would never allow in the courtroom. But sometimes clients publish their own damning information.

And while it's almost reasonable that clients may not know that a social media post can hurt their case, surprisingly it seems that one New York attorney didn't either. He boasted on social media about aggression, and now he is facing multiple charges for sexually attacking women.

Sexual Assault

The Brooklyn lawyer, Ra'Shaun Kelly, was arrested and charged for cold-case sex crimes dating back to 2014. According to police, he assaulted three women.

In each case, he allegedly followed the women to their apartment buildings and groped them. He was seen entering the buildings on video surveillance, but the victims and police could not identify him.

In one case, however, he apparently left behind a pair of headphones. Investigators later tied him to the scene with DNA from a hair sample.

Local media said Kelly, a business lawyer, led a double life. They found signs in his past.

Facebook Post

The Daily Beast said Kelly described himself on Facebook as an avid poker and chess player who believed in the power of aggression.

"Whether it's poker, chess, or life, the victory goes to the aggressive," Kelly posted in 2010.

Christopher Carrion, Kelly's former law partner, appeared in court on his behalf. He said his client, held on $200,000 bail, denied the allegations.

"If this is true, it's the first I've heard of him behaving this way -- and we intend to mount a vigorous defense," Carrion told NBC 4 New York.

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