From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Joel Steinberg
Joel Steinberg
Joel Steinberg (born May 25, 1941), a former New York that time, first degree murder applied only to those who
criminal defense attorney, attracted international media killed police officers or had committed murder while al-
attention when he was accused of murder and convicted ready serving a sentence for a previous murder), the jury
of manslaughter in the November 1, 1987, death of a six- convicted him of the second most serious charge, first-
year-old girl, Elizabeth ("Lisa"), whom he and his live- degree manslaughter. The judge then sentenced him to
in partner Hedda Nussbaum had illegally adopted. Stein- the maximum penalty then available for that charge — 8
berg had reportedly been hired by a single mother to lo- 1/3 to 25 years in prison.
cate a suitable adoptive family for Lisa, but instead took
the child home and raised her with Nussbaum, never fil-
ing formal adoption papers.
Early life
Joel Steinberg was born in the Bronx section of New York
City in 1941. In 1962 he graduated from Fordham Univer-
sity. Following his graduation Steinberg was commis-
sioned in the US Air Force. Following his military career
he attended law school and was admitted to the New
York bar in 1970, taking advantage of a provision that ex-
empted veterans from taking the bar exam. [1]
The grave of Lisa Launders in Gate of Heaven Cemetery
Crime and punishment On two occasions, Steinberg was denied discretionary
parole, mainly because he never expressed remorse for
Steinberg was specifically accused of hitting Lisa on the
the killing. However, on June 30, 2004, he was paroled un-
head and then not seeking medical attention for the
der the state’s "good time" law, which mandates release
child, supposedly because he was under the influence of
of inmates who exhibit good behavior while incarcerat-
crack cocaine. She died at St. Vincent Hospital after be-
ed after having served as little as two-thirds of the max-
ing removed from life support on November 4, 1987 three
imum possible sentence. (New York State has since in-
days later after being transported from the apartment in
creased this ratio to six-sevenths of the maximum term
New York’s Greenwich Village that Steinberg shared with
for persons convicted of violent felonies.) Steinberg had
Lisa, Mitchell (a younger child also adopted by Steinberg,
spent most of his imprisonment at New York State’s "Su-
18 months old at the time of Lisa’s death), and Stein-
permax" prison, the Southport Correctional Facility, pre-
berg’s partner Hedda Nussbaum. Both the boy and Nuss-
sumably to prevent him from being attacked by other in-
baum showed signs of physical abuse, and Nussbaum’s
mates.
battered, unkempt appearance did much to fuel the me-
After his release, Steinberg moved to Harlem, where
dia frenzy that accompanied the story of Lisa’s death.
he took up work in the construction industry. He contin-
In exchange for her testimony against Steinberg,
ues to maintain his innocence.[2]
Nussbaum was not prosecuted for events related to Lisa’s
Meanwhile, the other child in the case ended up be-
death (Nussbaum was alone in the apartment with an un-
ing reunited with his biological mother, Nicole Bridget
conscious and bleeding Lisa for over ten hours without
Smigiel.
seeking any medical attention for the girl). At Steinberg’s
trial, his defense suggested that Nussbaum’s extensive
injuries, which included severe damage to the face and Lawsuit
permanent spinal damage,[citation needed] resulted from a
On January 16, 2007, the New York Supreme Court, Ap-
consensual sadomasochistic relationship between the
pellate Division (New York’s intermediate appellate
two. Her attorneys claimed her remaining with him
court) upheld a $15 million award against Steinberg to
when he beat her was a sign of battered woman syn-
Michele Launders, Lisa’s birth mother. In its opinion,[3]
drome.
the court rejected the position that Steinberg, acting as
Unable to convict Steinberg on the more serious
his own attorney, put forth:
charge of second-degree murder (in New York State at
1
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Joel Steinberg
[F]or Steinberg to dismiss the 8 to 10 hours [2] "The Monster Now," The New York Daily News,
preceding Lisa’s death as "at most eight hours of July 10, 2006
pain and suffering" or as he alternatively states, a [3] ^ Launders v. Steinberg, 2007 NY Slip Op 00246 (Jan.
"quick loss of consciousness" (emphasis supplied), 16, 2007 N.Y. App. Div).
demonstrates that he is as devoid of any empathy
or human emotion now as he was almost 20 years
ago when he stood trial for Lisa’s homicide. As any
Further reading
parent and, no doubt, most adults who have taken • Johnson, Joyce (1 April 1991). What Lisa knew: the
trips with young children can attest, the oft-heard truths and lies of the Steinberg case. Kensington Pub.
question, "are we there yet?" is a clear illustration Corp.. ISBN 978-0-8217-3387-5.
that, the more anticipated an event or destination http://books.google.com/books?id=j-P-puJZPmYC.
so, seemingly slower the passage of time in a Retrieved 10 September 2011.
child’s mind. For Lisa, lying on a bathroom floor,
her body aching from bruises of "varying ages,"
her brain swelling from her father’s "staggering
External links
blow," those 8 to 10 hours so cavalierly dismissed • http://www.docs.state.ny.us/PressRel/
by Steinberg must have seemed like eternity as she steinbergrelease.pdf
waited and wondered when someone would come • http://www.fiu.edu/~cat/steinberg1.htm
to comfort her and help make the pain go away.[3] • http://www.crimelibrary.com/notorious_murders/
family/lisa_steinberg/1.html
• Lisa Steinberg Memorial at Find A Grave
In popular culture • http://www.nyu.edu/classes/stephens/
The case was adapted with modifications as a 1990 Law Steinberg%20page.htm
& Order episode, "Indifference", which ended with a dis- Persondata
claimer that was read aloud pointing out the actual con- Name Steinberg, Joel
clusion of the real case. Fourteen years later, in an
episode entitled "Fixed," the program brought back the Alternative names
character inspired by Steinberg (Jacob Lowenstein) who Short description
was killed after being released on parole. The episode was Date of birth May 25, 1941
inspired by Steinberg’s actual release.
Place of birth
Date of death
References Place of death
[1] http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/
notorious_murders/family/lisa_steinberg/1.html
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Joel_Steinberg&oldid=458570616"
Categories:
• 1941 births
• American Jews
• American people convicted of manslaughter
• Criminal defense lawyers
• Disbarred lawyers
• Fordham University alumni
• Living people
• Filicides
• People from New York City
• United States Air Force officers
This page was last modified on 2 November 2011 at 02:12. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-
ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. See Terms of use for details. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of
the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.Contact us
Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers Mobile view
2