John Annese

@johnannese

Brooklyn courts reporter for the New York Daily News. Breaking news on Sundays. Husband. Father of two boys. Proud member of the NY Daily News Union. Signal: johnannese.56

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John Annese@johnannese· 26d

This wound up being our wood today.

The front page of the NY Daily News, with the headline:

TWENTY YEARS FOR HATE
Sentenced for fatal 2023 stab of dancer at a B'klyn gas station, killer contends it wasn't about sexuality

John Annese@johnannese· 28d

I feel like we’re burying the lede here. Also, fuck AI.

Realbotix, formerly known as Tokens.com, rebranded after acquiring the hyperrealistic sex doll company RealDoll in 2024. The company recently debuted a new line of unsettlingly lifelike robot companions.

John Annese@johnannese· 29d

Another detail -- the city refuses to represent Bassell in the suit by 5 women that names him as a defendant. And he's been having a rough go of finding a lawyer. "It appears that costs for civil litigation are prohibitively expensive, and are far beyond my reach as a public employee."

Dear Judge Matsumoto:
89 Mystic Drive
Ossining, NY 10562
December 15, 2025
I am currently one of the defendants in the aforementioned matter, and I am seeking a three-week
extension in exploring obtaining counsel. I am currently functioning pro se. I am inexperienced
in matters such as this, as I have never been involved in any litigation prior to this matter.
I am seeking the extension because:
1. I presumed that the NYC Corporation Counsel would represent me in this matter.
2. Because of a concurrent criminal matter (again, I have never been involved in any matter
of this sort either), the Corporation Counsel, even after an appeal, declined to represent
me.
3. I discussed this with the General Counsel for my union, and he followed up with a
possible attorney, Hanan Kolko. This attorney's firm declined to take on the case because
of an internal conflict.
4. I met with a second attorney today, Scott Korenbaum, who stated that he cannot represent
me because he is friends with one of the partners in the plaintiff's firm and is involved in
a class action lawsuit against New York City.
Hence, I am requesting this extension so that I can find appropriate counsel to represent me in
this matter.
Your consideration would be deeply appreciated.

Dear Judge Matsumoto:
This is in response to your communication to me instructing that I register a representative with
the Court for the case above by February 13, 2026
At this point, I am moving forward pro se, because my diligent search fo r an appropriate defense
attorney who I can afford has not been productive. Although moving ahead prose, l will
continue to seek an attorney who will j oin the case when arrangements have been made. Please
consider this letter a statement of my registering myself pro se.
This entire ordeal, on both the civil and criminal sides, has taken a tremendous toll on me and my
family, and my physica l health has progressively deteriorated as well. The juxtaposition of a
criminal cou1t hearing on February 23, 2026 and a pre-motion conference on February 20, 2026
has placed a further stress on me as I need to prepare for both concurrently.
I would be grateful if you would move the pre-motion conference ahead to mid-March so that I
can prepare what I need to defend myself in this case.
I have several questions:
1. Arn I required to attend the p re-motion confe rence?
2. Are there specific resources the Court offers fo r pro se defendants in addition to the
manual that I found onli ne and the recommendations that you made last time? I would be
grateful if you could guide me in that direction.
3. It appears that costs for civil litigation are prohibitively expensive, and are far beyond my
reach as a public employee. Are you able to share the income limits fo r pro bono
representation? How would that work and how would I find out more?
Your continued consideration would be deeply appreciated as I navigate thi s unfami liar territory

John Annese@johnannese· 29d

This didn't make the story, but there's an interesting exchange from a court hearing in March in one of the lawsuits, where a judge asks Bassell what he does to earn his principal's salary while he's on modified assignment at home.

THE COURT: What kind of work are you doing from
home?
MR. W. BASSELL: I'm sorry, Your Honor?
THE COURT: What kind of work are you doing from
home during your administrative situation?
MR. W. BASSELL: Usually I review documents that the DOE sends out and I keep myself informed on what the processes
are that are going on within the DOE.
THE COURT: Okay.
Other than informing yourself, what services are you
providing to the DOE in exchange for your salary?
MR. W. BASSELL: That's what I do, Your Honor

John Annese@johnannese· Jul 12

The ducks are multiplying

Thousands of tiny plastic ducks in a 7-quart crate

John Annese@johnannese· Jul 12

I’m going to be the coolest guy at the gym with my new Scorpius shirt. Gonna really turn heads at the supermarket checkout line!

A grey t-shirt with an image of Scorpius, the leather-clad bad guy (mostly bad guy) from Farscape.

John Annese@johnannese· Jul 9

Covered the Brooklyn Federal Court arraignment today of a suspected arsonist accused of firebombing churches, a deli and other buildings. He had some thoughts about the prosecutor, the victims and the proceedings. www.nydailynews.com/2026/07/09/m...

“Yes, I f—ing firebombed them. They’re Muslims, scum and terrorists,” he told investigators when asked about the smoke shop attack, Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashlyn Miranda said at Sayrange’s arraignment in Brooklyn Federal Court Thursday afternoon. Miranda said he’s linked to at least seven other acts of arson over the past two weeks.

Sayrange interrupted the Brooklyn Federal Court proceedings with several outbursts, calling the victims “criminal cartels” and “foreign enemies.”

“You’re protecting them, you dumb c—,” he yelled at the prosecutor. “It’s a free country. I can say whatever I f—ing want…. The government’s a criminal syndicate.”

Early in his arraignment, when the judge asked him if he understood his right to remain silent, Sayrange blurted out, “I don’t stand under you. You stand under me.”

She asked again and he responded, “You’re making false accusations and asking, ‘Do I agree with you?’ No I don’t.”

John Annese@johnannese· Jul 9

Last year I got take-out while in vacation in New Hampshire at a pretty awful taco place, and I still get their promotional emails. Here’s a photo they sent of some dreadful-looking s’mores cheesecake churros. I had to see them and now so do you!

A fairly gross looking churro dish on white and blue checkered paper.

John Annese@johnannese· Jul 3

Water pouring down a cliff, from the movie Mad Max: Fury Road

John Annese@johnannese· Jul 1

It looks like Pierce Hawthorne really was streets ahead…

THE BRIGHT SWORD
75

of his father's legacy. Arthur replied that he would be more than happy to talk it over with them the minute his fellow aristocrats pulled a sword trom a stone. In the meantime they could go ask the Saxons if Black Arthur was weak and sentimental.
He was naive at first — he started on most topics trom a position of unlettered ignorance, but Arthur always finished streets ahead of everyone else in the room, and he never had to be told a thing.

John Annese@johnannese· Jun 29

And here's two of the gamblers after Beasley made his fourth rebound of a game with 1.1 seconds left, getting him over the betting line, according to the indictment. Full indictment here: storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

John Annese@johnannese· Jun 29

Some interesting text exchanges in the latest NBA sports betting gambling indictment -- here's Mailk Beasley and Ed Davis, before they started fixing Bucks games in early 2024. Here's a gift link to my story about their indictment in EDNY: www.nydailynews.com/2026/06/29/f...

DAVIS: Only way you can beat Vegas is sports betting. Everything else they got the edge.

BEASLEY: Well yea my n[****]

BEASLEY: Trying to find like 2k

BEASLEY: I'll do my best to pay in full on 1st

John Annese@johnannese· Jun 28

YOU GUYS I understand this is the image they went with for the Doctor Strange card in Magic the Gathering.

A Magic the Gathering card for Doctor Strange where he’s wearing holding up a gloved hand like he’s about to go in deep.

John Annese@johnannese· Jun 27

One thing that stuck out in the reporting of this. The BOP didn't comment about the lawsuit or Wise's care, but a spox did reveal something shocking --that MDC Brookyn has fewer nurses on staff now than it did at the time of Wise's botched care.

A BOP spokesman declined to comment on the allegations in the lawsuit, but confirmed that Bialor is still the MDC’s clinical director, and Timothy and Awd still work at the jail.

The BOP also revealed that the jail has fewer nurses on staff now than it did at the time of Wise’s misdiagnosis — two doctors and five nurses as of June 26, compared to two doctors and eight nurses in spring 2024. The jail’s current population is currently 1,256, according to the BOP’s web site, compared to 1,352 on April 4, 2024.

John Annese@johnannese· Jun 26

Eleanor Shellstrop at the shrimp dispenser in The Good Place.

She’s played by Veronica Mars, who’s smiling because she’s about to give shrimp to the Dandy Warhols.

John Annese@johnannese· Jun 25

Yesterday reminded me of the scene outside EDNY in 2014 when former U.S. Rep Michael Grimm (R-Staten Island) pleaded guilty to tax fraud. We were all so young!