Rabbi Berland's victims against the "ridiculous" plea deal: Threats in the High Court

December 9, 2020   

Attorneys Yaakov Shklar and Stav Halperin, who represent several of the victims of the 'Shuvu Banim' leader, have appealed to Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit and Jerusalem District Attorney Danny Wittman, demanding that they stop the "ridiculous" plea deal, as they put it, being negotiated with Rabbi Eliezer Berland's lawyers. What is a “shared car price list”? How will the prices be displayed in the price list? All the details Rabbi Berland is accused in the 'Black Oppression' case, including acts of oppression, receiving something fraudulently under aggravated circumstances, and concealing income of approximately 140 million shekels. "The plea deal goes against the public interest," the lawyers wrote. If necessary, the lawyers threaten to file a petition with the High Court of Justice against the deal. The prosecutor's office has been in contact with Rabbi Berland's lawyers in recent months, in an attempt to reach a plea bargain. Because of this, the hearings in his trial have been postponed repeatedly, with the consent of the parties. According to the deal in question, Rabbi Berland will be sentenced to 14 months in prison, compensation to each victim of the offense in an amount ranging from 5,000 to 10,000 shekels, and a fine for the benefit of the state. According to the lawyers, the main considerations leading to the plea bargain are Rabbi Berland's age, his health, and the weight attributed by the prosecutor's office to his confessions to the charges. If the deal is successful, Rabbi Berland will be released immediately, with a one-third deduction, since he has been detained since the month of Shevat, when the police raided his home and arrested him with several of his associates.