Attorney William Gerace Featured in NBC Connecticut Coverage of UConn Case
NBC Connecticut Covers Attorney William Gerace's Advocacy in High-Profile UConn Manslaughter Case
Hartford, Connecticut — Attorney William T. "Bill" Gerace of Gerace & Cavallari LLC was featured in NBC Connecticut's coverage of one of the state's most closely watched criminal cases of 2011. In an Associated Press report published by NBC Connecticut on June 3, 2011 , headlined "Lawyers Want Judge's Intervention in UConn Death," Gerace is identified as the defense lawyer for Edi Rapo of East Hartford, a 20-year-old charged with manslaughter in the death of Jafar Karzoun during Spring Weekend festivities at the University of Connecticut.
Gerace's Role in the Case
According to the NBC Connecticut report, prosecutors and defense attorneys asked a judge to intervene in plea negotiations in the case. Authorities said Rapo, who was not a UConn student, punched 20-year-old Jafar Karzoun of Milford outside a restaurant on April 23, 2010, during the annual weekend of parties; Karzoun fell, hit his head, and later died.
As Rapo's defense attorney, Gerace told the court that the sentencing range under the proposed deal was too wide, and said he expected his client to reject it. Per the report, a new court date was scheduled for June 10 before Judge Terrence Sullivan.
What This Coverage Illustrates
The NBC Connecticut report captures Gerace doing exactly what a criminal defense attorney is supposed to do: scrutinizing the terms of a proposed plea agreement and refusing to accept conditions he believed were not in his client's interest — on the record, in open court, in a case the entire state was watching.
Plea negotiations decide the outcome of the overwhelming majority of criminal cases in Connecticut. An attorney willing to push back on unfavorable terms, and prepared to take a case to trial if necessary, can make a decisive difference in a client's future.
Decades of Statewide Media Recognition
The 2011 NBC Connecticut coverage is part of a long record of state and national media attention to Gerace's casework. His trials and commentary have also been featured by HBO, CBS News' 48 Hours , CNN, FOX61, WFSB, the Hartford Courant, and the New Haven Register. Practicing since 1985, Gerace holds a Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent peer rating and has tried hundreds of criminal cases across Connecticut, including the most serious Part A felony matters.
Read the Original Coverage
The original Associated Press report, as published by NBC Connecticut, is available directly from the source:
- Read the Full Article on NBC Connecticut — "Lawyers Want Judge's Intervention in UConn Death" (June 3, 2011).
Talk to a Hartford Criminal Defense Attorney
If you or a loved one is facing manslaughter, assault, or other serious felony charges anywhere in Connecticut, the trial-tested team at Gerace & Cavallari LLC is ready to help. Our office at 21 Oak Street in Hartford serves English- and Spanish-speaking clients throughout the state.
