​The 24-year-old accused of raping a Brooklyn woman in Sunset Park on Saturday was arraigned on Wednesday, the very same day he was supposed to have been married. Though police suspect four recent sexual assaults were all carried out by the same man, William Giraldo was identified by just one victim in a police lineup. Giraldo claims "it was a misunderstanding," and his lawyer say he has an "iron-clad" alibi -- he was allegedly driving a fare to JFK Airport. (The fiance seems to believe him because she stood by his side at the arraignment.) But the dark cloud remains: Now, only $100,000 cash bail or $200,000 bond will get him out of Rikers Island and down to Florida, where he was supposed to tie the knot. Rain on your wedding day suddenly sounds not so bad. [NYDN]

​Pity the prisoner. The one place seemingly protected from the 24-7 marketing blitz that is life in 2011, with all of its product-placement surround-sound digital marketed glory -- that is, jail -- has fallen prey to the great beast of advertising. Inmates at the Erie County Holding Center in Buffalo, New York, will now have the pleasure of watching ads featuring defense lawyers and bail bondsmen on high-definition TV screens, just minutes after they are arrested.

More >>

Author Jana Leo

​If someone strolls into your building because the front door's lock is broken, forces his way into your apartment, and then rapes you at gunpoint, can you sue your landlord?

The answer is yes, of course. And a new book, Rape New York, by conceptual artist and former Cooper Union prof Jana Leo, unfolds the tragic and strange court saga about what happens when a woman decides to do just that.

Rape New York opens with a terrifying scene.

More >>