A defense lawyer with experience in death penalty cases was assigned Monday to represent one of the suspects in the killing of a Bronx cabbie. The defendant, Tommy Smalls, 26, appeared in the Southern District court in White Plains so an attorney from the “capital panel” of lawyers, specially trained in capital punishment law, could be officially named to represent him. Manhattan lawyer Peter Quijano, who received the assignment, would not comment on the case.
The charge against Smalls, carjacking with intent to cause death, carries a maximum sentence of life in prison or death. Prosecutors will decide later whether to seek the death penalty. The same charge was brought last week against Takiem Ewing, 21, Tyrone Felder, 25, and Kareem Martin, 26. They will have death-penalty lawyers as well. All are charged in the Aug. 12 carjacking killing of Aboubacar Bah. They have not entered pleas.
