District Attorney Hoovler Announces Guilty Verdict inCity of Newburgh Gun Case

Defendant Convicted After Jury Trial of Sole Count Submitted to the Jury

Defendant Faces up to 15 Years in State Prison

Defendant Was Previously Convicted of Gun Charge in 2018

Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler announced that on Friday, March 24, 2023, Nicholas Palm, 29, of Newburgh, was convicted after a jury trial before the Honorable Craig Stephen Brown in the Orange County Court of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree, the sole count against him.  Palm faces a maximum sentence of fifteen (15) years in state prison when he is sentenced on May 16, 2023.  The minimum sentence Palm faces is elevated based on his prior conviction for illegally possessing a firearm in 2018.  Palmwas remanded to the Orange County Jail without bail following the jury’s verdict.

As alleged at trial, on July 29, 2022 members of the City of Newburgh Police Department and the New York State Police responded to the area of Fullerton Avenue for a report of a man with a gun.  Upon arriving at that location, police officers found Palm, who matched the description of the man with the gun.  When the police approached Palm, his hands were at his waistband and a loaded 9mm Taurus firearm was recovered from his pants pocket near where his hands were. The firearm was later test fired and determined to be in operable condition.

District Attorney Hoovler thanked the City of Newburgh Police Department and New York State Police for their investigation and arrest of the defendant.

“Dangerous guns in the hands of dangerous recidivists are a recipe for disaster,” said District Attorney David. M. Hoovler.  “Thankfully, the prompt response by the police in this case assured that this repeat offender was held responsible for his crimes.  The City of Newburgh is safer because of the steadfastand often thankless efforts of the police.  I commend the work done by the prosecutor in this case to see that justice was done before a jury of this defendant’s peers.”

District Attorney Hoovler highly commended Assistant District Attorney Bryan Conway who prosecuted the case.

This criminal charge is merely an allegation that a defendant has committed a violation of the criminal law, and it is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to afair trial, during which it will be the State of New York’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.