Friends and family of Barbara Sheehan crowded the 6th floor courtroom in Queens County Criminal Court on Monday morning to wait for the release of the Howard Beach school secretary acquitted in the murder of her husband, retired NYPD sergeant, Raymond Sheehan, in 2008.
Sheehan was led into court, her hands cuffed behind her back, before Justice Steven Paynter, where it was determined that her bail, according to the testimony of bail bondsman James Carfora of Affordable Bails New York, was still intact.
Following an exchange of paperwork and red tape, supporters were escorted out of the courtroom where they prepared for the moment they had been waiting for over the last 12 days while Sheehan was being held at Rikers island.
About an hour and a half after the hearing concluded, court officers opened the courtroom door and made way for Barbara Sheehan’s first steps of freedom. “I just want her out here so I can touch her,” said sister Robin Catanzarite. “I know she’s coming but I want to reach out and touch my sister. I want to just hold her.”
Sheehan appeared from behind the door to cheers from the family that has waited for what they termed seemed “an eternity.” After a round of hugs and well wishes, Sheehan was escorted onto an elevator and down to the front of the building where a sea of court reporters waited for her.
Outside the courthouse Sheehan and defense attorney Michael Dowd fielded questions centering around the upcoming appeal, scheduled sentencing on November 10 and the contradictory conviction on a gun charge.
“I don’t want to say too much about the criminal justice system right now,” said Sheehan, “but as for the jury, I thank God every day that they believed in me and they believed my story and they believed my children, because the story was the truth and they believe the truth.”
Attorney Michael Dowd expressed his satisfaction over the appeal of the gun conviction that offers new opportunities for the defense moving forward. Dowd bristled again over the fact that his client was denied the right to use the battered woman’s defense when Justice Arthur Cooperman ruled that expert testimony on Sheehan’s behalf would not be admissible into evidence.
The defense is also maintaining that the District Attorney’s office is in possession of copies of threatening text messages sent from Raymond Sheehan to his wife.
What clears up the reason that Sheehan reached for the second gun and fired the addi- tional shots, according to her defense and a large audience of supporters, is the battered woman’s defense they were prohibited from using. “The central fact that she was in fear for her life when she grabbed the second gun as she kept firing as she was backing up.”
But all that remains to be seen in the days of moving forward in the next part of the legal process.
What is the central focus for Barbara Shee- han now she says is helping other woman so they do not ever have to face the torture that she endured. “That is my purpose now. Some of these woman are not as lucky as I am to have help and support and a family. They have nothing,” Sheehan said. “But now they have me.”
No truer testament could have supported Sheehan’s sentiment than that which came on her walk from the courthouse to the parking garage. It came from a woman who approached Barbara Sheehan outside on the street. “I just wanted to tell you,” the woman said with open and outstretched arms. “My daughter was being beaten by her husband and she followed your story. Because of you she walked away from her situation. To her you are a hero. To me, you are the woman who saved my daughter’s life.”
The two woman embraced for a short time before tearfully pulling away from each other. “May God bless you and thank you for saving my daughter.”
Barbara Sheehan choked back the tears. “My God, for the first time I feel like it’s ok. Someone got help. Now it’s time to help a lot more.”
And to that end Sheehan says she will make herself available to the domestic violence community sharing her story and her life experience with anyone who needs to hear it or reaches out for her help. “I’ll be here for them. Form this day on.” Sheehan says one of the first things she will do is to get a post office box where victims can contact her readily.
By Patricia Adams
