[NY] After 20 face stitches, Senator-Elect, Ex-NYPD Monserrate's girlfriend Karla recants

...[Karla] Giraldo, who needed 20 stitches to close a gash over her eye... told cops Monserrate cut her face with a broken drinking glass after he discovered she had another man's police union card in her purse... She later said it was an accident....

ADAMS: NYPD PRIORITY TO 'PUBLICLY HUMILIATE' MONSERRATE
New York Daily News, NY - 12 hours ago
December 23, 2008
Sen. Eric Adams, who, like Senator-elect Hiram Monserrate is a former NYPD officer, is the first Senate Democrat to release a formal statement expressing support for his soon-to-be legislative colleague and also raises questions about the "unusual handling" of Monserrate's assault case. And, in his standard style, the Brooklyn senator pulls no punches, basically accusing the NYPD of wanting to get back at Monserrate because he has been an "outspoken advocate of police reform." "As a former NYPD Captain, I have some serious concerns regarding the unusual handling of the case against Councilman Monserrate," Adams said. "The primary goal of investigating a complaint of domestic violence is to ensure the safety of the innocent victim." "However, the police department and the DA appear to have ignored Ms. Giraldo’s repeated insistence that the injury she sustained was the result of an accident, a fact that has been publicly supported by Ms. Giraldo's family in interviews with the press." "Second, the department departed from standard operating procedures by requiring a public ‘perp walk’ past TV cameras, rather than following the normal routine of taking someone out the back door through the precinct’s private lot. A 'perp walk' is used when the the NYPD wants to expose a suspect to public view." "These questions raise serious doubts regarding the motivating factor behind the arrest and charges against Councilman Monserrate. Specifically, these facts suggest that the Police Department’s priority is to publicly humiliate the accused rather than following the evidence." "It is well known that Councilman Monserrate has been an outspoken advocate for police reform. I believe his role as an agent for change cause him to be denied his rights and a thorough investigation.” [LINK]

IT WAS ALL AN ACCIDENT, HIRAM MONSERRATE SEZ OF ASSAULT
New York Daily News
By Ryan Strong,
Larry Mcshane lmcshane@nydailynews.com
and Bill Hutchinson
DAILY NEWS WRITERS
December 21st 2008, 12:36 AM
[Excerpts] City Councilman Hiram Monserrate insisted Saturday night that charges he gashed his girlfriend's face with a broken glass stemmed from a "terribly unfortunate accident." The former cop, who was elected to the state Senate last month, called the domestic violence accusation against him "grossly erroneous and unjust." "I have been charged with offenses that I did not commit and am not capable of committing," Monserrate, 41, said in a statement. "As a son, a brother and a father, these accusations are offensive, and they are crushing on a personal level"... Giraldo, who needed 20 stitches to close a gash over her eye, initially claimed Monserrate attacked her with a broken water glass during a heated argument early Friday. She later said it was an accident... "I brought her a glass of water, I leaned over and tripped... As a police officer for 12 years, I worked to put men who abused women in jail"... Monserrate said his lawyers have instructed him not to comment on charges against him. However, he attempted to clarify why he drove Giraldo 14 miles to be treated at Long Island Jewish Medical Center instead of taking her to Elmhurst Hospital Center, which is just blocks from where he lives. "In her distress, she insisted that she would not go to Elmhurst Hospital," Monserrate said. "I took her to Long Island Jewish Hospital in Queens because my family has received excellent medical care there in the past."... "These are serious charges, about as bad as it gets," said state Sen. Martin Golden, (R-Brooklyn). "This is domestic violence at its worst. And he's going to be voting on bills about domestic violence?... [Full article here]
QUEENS CITY COUNCILMAN HIRAM MONSERRATE HAS SELF-PROFESSED HISTORY OF MENTAL PROBLEMS
NYDailyNews
BY ADAM LISBERG alisberg@nydailynews.com
Saturday, December 20th 2008, 1:03 AM
[Excerpts] Troubled pol Hiram Monserrate has a history of mental problems - he said so himself. "I suffer with adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder," Monserrate wrote in 1999. Monserrate - who just racked up his second arrest after an alleged violent outburst - claimed to be struggling with psychological issues when he quit the NYPD after 11 years. His May 19, 1999, application for a disability pension was troubling enough that cops immediately seized his guns, public court filings show... He was arrested in the early-morning hours of Sept. 11, 2001, on charges of trying to run over a tow truck operator attempting to repossess his car. The outcome of that case could not immediately be determined. [Full article here]

HIRAM MONSERRATE'S GIRLFRIEND PUSHES PROSECUTORS TO DROP ASSAULT CHARGES
NY DAILY NEWS
BY ELIZABETH BENJAMIN ebenjamin@nydailynews.com
and ALISON GENDAR
Tuesday, December 23rd 2008, 11:07 AM
Hiram Monserrate's girlfriend wants prosecutors to drop assault charges against the embattled Queens pol, despite telling cops last week that he slashed her in a jealous rage, law enforcement sources said yesterday. Karla Giraldo told cops Monserrate cut her face with a broken drinking glass after he discovered she had another man's police union card in her purse, sources said. Monserrate, a former cop, demanded to know more about the other man and why Giraldo accepted his Patrolmen's Benevolent Association card, a perk usually given to close friends or family, sources said. "He was jealous. It was in her purse. He didn't like her explanations, and it got nasty," a law enforcement source said... A doctor at the hospital called police after Giraldo, 30, told staff that Monserrate had attacked her, sources said. Giraldo decided not to cooperate with investigators when she saw the senator-elect was about to be arrested. "When the cuffs came out, her story changed. Now she doesn't want him to be charged. Now she is saying it is an accident, that he tripped," a law enforcement source said... [Full article here]

STATE SENATOR-ELECT ACCUSED OF SLASHING COMPANION’S FACE
New York Times
December 20, 2008
[Excerpts] ...At Mr. Monserrate’s arraignment in Queens Criminal Court on Friday evening, the assistant district attorney, Scott Kessler, said that Mr. Monserrate told the police he was bringing his companion, Karla Giraldo, 30, a glass of water and leaned over and tripped, and the glass hit her. But the prosecutor said that Ms. Giraldo later said that the couple had a “loud and boisterous” argument about an item he found in her purse. He was holding a glass, which broke in his hand, she told officers. “Then, in emotion, he stabbed her,” Mr. Kessler said. He said Ms. Giraldo was now saying that it was an accident and that she did not want an order of protection. Mr. Kessler noted that that was common in domestic violence cases... The authorities said Mr. Monserrate drove Ms. Giraldo to Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New Hyde Park in Nassau County... There are at least three hospitals closer, including Elmhurst Hospital Center, five blocks away. The incident took place several hours after Mr. Monserrate, a former police officer who has sponsored at least half a dozen domestic-violence bills in the City Council, gave a departing speech on Thursday in the Council, where colleagues praised his years of service... He is scheduled to be sworn into the State Senate in January... [Full article here]
[public official, recant, recanted]