Two Misdemeanor Charges

A Wyandanch man who was stopped for allegedly speeding down Newtown Lane in East Hampton Village on Saturday evening ended up with the driver under arrest on a misdemeanor charge of drug possession. Given that motorists were being kept off the roads because of the weather this week, there were few  arrests, but one man was charged with stealing a plastic snow shovel.

Kadeem W. Outlaw, 25, was arraigned before East Hampton Town Justice Steven Tekulsky Sunday morning. Police said a marijuana joint and a pipe “located in plain view in the storage compartment under the radio” were found in Mr. Outlaw’s vehicle. That charge was a violation, but police said a small, clear plastic bag containing a small amount of cocaine fell from Mr. Outlaw’s right pants leg onto Main Street, where he had actually stopped, leading to the misdemeanor charge.

During his arraignment, Justice Tekulsky noted that Mr. Outlaw had a case pending in Suffolk Criminal Court, in which he is charged with petty larceny. He had been arrested on that charge by Suffolk police on Nov. 10.

“Can I speak?” Mr. Outlaw asked during the arraignment. Justice Tekulsky warned him against doing so, saying the proceedings were being recorded and that anything he said could be used against him.

“What I did was wrong,” Mr. Outlaw said. “Uh, uh, uh,” Justice Tekulsky said, urging him not to talk about the charges. Because Mr. Outlaw had a pending Suffolk charge and did not have ties to East Hampton, Justice Tekulsky was about to set bail at $1,000. When asked, Mr. Outlaw said he had $1,100. But, he added that he had to pay his rent and his phone bill and would be left with only $100.

“I have an honorable discharge,” Mr. Outlaw said. “I just got caught up. . .” Justice Tekulsky again warned Mr. Outlaw against speaking about the charges. However, he said, “There is a veterans court in Southampton. It is possible that this case could be transferred there.”

Concerned about the choice between bail and rent, Mr. Outlaw asked if the matter could be resolved as soon as possible. Criminal cases are generally on the town Justice Court calendar on Thursdays, when Mr. Outlaw would be due back in court. But Mr. Tekulsky said it was unlikely that the case would be resolved then because the charge is a misdemeanor. He urged Mr. Outlaw, if he posted bail, to immediately consult with Legal Aid.

The snow shovel arrest last week brought  another misdemeanor charge. A Hampton Bays man, Manuel R. Pulla-Duchi, 32, was charged with stealing one plastic snow shovel from an Inkberry Street residence on Jan. 28, the day after the big storm. Police said the theft occurred at 1 p.m., with Mr. Pulla-Duchi being arrested about two and a half hours later.

He was charged with petty larceny, and was released from police headquarters after posting $100 bail. He is scheduled to be arraigned on Feb. 25.