PIPE-BOMBING GRAMPS WON'T HEAR A THING OF NEW CHARGES

From: New York Post, NY - May 30, 2003

By DENISE BUFFA

May 30, 2003 -- A senior citizen serving 20 years behind bars for taking a pipe bomb to a cop's graduation party seemed to turn a deaf ear to a judge yesterday - but may have a hearing problem after all.

Wheelchair-bound Stephen Alster, 66, appeared to ignore Judge Neil Firetog's questions at his arraignment yesterday on new charges of planting another bomb in the car of Officer Yensey Thomas in downtown Brooklyn.

"Mr. Alster, can you afford an attorney?" Firetog asked from the bench in Brooklyn Supreme Court.

Alster, head down, didn't answer.

"Mr. Alster?" Firetog asked again in a louder voice. Again, there was no response.

"Is Mr. Alster deaf?" Firetog asked, prompting chuckles from the courtroom gallery.

The chuckles stopped when Alster, in response to his own lawyer's attempts to talk to him, snapped "I can't hear. I'm deaf!"

The lawyer, Scott Klein entered not-guilty pleas on on behalf of his graying client. Later, he asked the judge for medical treatment, saying Alster produced two hearing aids-both without batteries.

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