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Zachary is a brilliant attorney - he has a keen understanding of the law, with years of experience and practices with diligence and integrity. It was a pleasure to work with and learn from Zach, as he provided thoughtful and meticulous guidance. Zach is undoubtedly a devoted and passionate advocate for his clients, who operates with confidence, reliability, and the utmost professionalism. — Vidya P.
In The News
DA's Office seeking to appeal ZMO client James Pugh's overturned conviction and request retrial
The Appellate Division, Fourth Department, last month affirmed State Supreme Court Justice Paul Wojtaszek's August 2023 decision to vacate the convictions of Brian Scott Lorenz and James Pugh. A jury convicted Lorenz and Pugh in 1994 of murdering Deborah Meindl, 33, in her home on Franklin Street in the City of Tonawanda in February 1993. The District Attorney's Office plans to submit an application for leave to appeal to the Court of Appeals. In court, prosecutors said they are "definitely retrying" the case. Zachary Margulis-Ohnuma responded that they are either “bluffing or seriously misguided.” Read more here.
ZMO Client James Pugh's co-defendant remains behind bars
James Pugh, Mr. Lorenz’s co-defendant, was released on parole in 2019. But the trial judge and an appellate judge in Rochester refused to intervene to release Mr. Lorenz pending another possible trial. In late June, his lawyers asked the chief judge of the Court of Appeals, New York’s highest court, to intervene. A spokesman said the court would “decide the motion at a future session.” Ilann Maazel, one of Mr. Lorenz’s lawyers, called his client’s continued imprisonment a “Kafkaesque nightmare” that is “intolerable, unconstitutional and wrong.” Read more here.
Shujun Wang convicted of spying for China
During trial, Zachary Margulis-Ohnuma portrayed Mr. Wang as a gregarious academic with nothing to hide. “In general, fair to say he was very open and talkative with you, right?” the defense attorney Zachary Margulis-Ohnuma asked an undercover agent who approached Wang in 2021 under the guise of being affiliated with the Chinese security ministry. “He was,” said the agent, who testified under a pseudonym. Read more here.
Co-founder of pro democracy group convicted of acting as a foreign agent
Wang and his defense did not deny that he communicated with the Chinese agents, but said his communication was largely benign, and did not contain sensitive information. “I think we showed pretty effectively at the trial that what he was doing … did no harm to the United States or to anyone here, said Wang’s attorney Zachary Margulis-Ohnuma. “I stand by what he said, that he’s pro-democracy and against the Chinese government,” he said. Read more here.
Shujun Wang Convicted of Spying
Outside the courthouse, principal attorney Zachary Margulis-Ohnuma said that he respected the verdict but did not believe Mr. Wang acted will ill intent. “He certainly didn’t mean to hurt anyone. He spent his life fighting the communist regime and, you know, life is complicated.” Read more here.
