FROM: HOLLEY CARNRIGHT
DATE: APRIL 15, 2019
RE: PRESS RELEASE – RAYMOND DUCKER CONVICTION
Following a jury trial, on April 12, 2019 Raymond Ducker, of Ellenville, was convicted of three counts of Aggravated Family Offense and four counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child.
Ducker, a prior felon, assaulted the mother of his child in the presence of four children on August 6, 2018. While driving through the towns of Rochester, Wawarsing and Marbletown, the defendant repeatedly struck the victim, looped a phone cord around her neck and burned her face with a lit cigarette. The victim suffered a concussion, extensive bruising and a burn scar that lasted for months. An 8 year old, 3 year old and two infants were in the car while the defendant terrorized the victim.
At trial the defendant testified in his own defense. He denied striking the victim and said that she was burned by the cigarette accidently while he was pushing her away.
This is the defendant's fourth domestic violence conviction. He has previously been convicted of Stalking in the 1st Degree, Criminal Contempt in the 1st Degree, Criminal Contempt in the 2nd Degree and Criminal Mischief in the 4th Degree. The defendant's prior convictions each involved different intimate partners.
In New York State, in almost all instances, juries are not allowed to know the specifics of a defendant’s prior domestic violence history when the defendant is on trial for a domestic violence. In addition to Ducker’s domestic violence history his criminal history includes 23 arrests and 18 convictions dating back to 2001. He has failed to appear in court on 5 separate occasions, been sentenced to probation and had his probation revoked on 2 separate occasions and has had his parole revoked.
Aggravated Family Offense was a law specifically created by the New York State legislature to address domestic violence offenders who continue to offend after previously being convicted of a domestic violence offense.
The defendant faces up to two to four years in state prison for his convictions. He is scheduled to be sentenced June 26, 2019. The prosecution was handled by Sr. Assistant District Attorney Gerard Van Loan and Assistant District Attorney Carly Burkhardt. Ducker was represented by the Ulster County Public Defender’s Office.