throats. outraged over the verdict. >> this is absolutely a horrible, shameless horrendous injustice! >> reporter: this surveillance video shows the traffic stop. nassau county police officer vincent logiudice is using his knee to bash the driver repeatedly in the face. he also punches him and smashes him with a prosecutors say kyle howell was struck at least 18 times. he suffered a fractured eye socket, and his attorneys say his vision may be permanently impaired. but the officer who waived his right to a jury trial was found not guilty today. the judge ruling that the use of force was justifiable because kyle howell was lunging for the car's glove compartment in a desperate attempt to get rid of marijuana that was stashed there. something howell admitted at trial. he stated that he knew that what he was doing could cause

dangerous way, said the judge, yet he continued to do what he was doing, end quote. >> all the force used in this case was, in fact, reasonable, necessary, and justified under the circumstances. >> reporter: but howell was unarmed. and civil rights attorney fred brewington insists there's no justification for what happened to him. >> no matter what they said was going on, the force used on kyle howell was both inappropriate and illegal. >> reporter: joan howell is kyle howell's mother. >> since kyle, there's been many incidents, some reported, some unreported, some fatal, that continues to happen. >> reporter: the officer remains on desk duty but union leaders say he hopes to return to his regular job. the howell family has filed a civil suit and is demanding a federal civil rights investigation. live tonight at the nassau county courthouse, n.j. burkett, channel 7 eyewitness news. we turn now to the

with this unseasonably warm weather flowers are still in bloom at the bronx botanical garden, and it's mid-december, and it is going to get even warmer before it becomes seasonal, much to the delight of skaters and shoppers. meteorologist lee goldberg is outside our studios without a coat >> maybe it's pushing it a little bit over the next couple of hours as the breeze picks up. otherwise, it's only 0 christmas lights and holiday shopping bags that would tell you it's december. it's 60 degrees at 6:00. a beautiful look at midtown. a great night to walk around. no need to use the subway. stay above ground. it's too nice. the high was 61. 17 degrees above our normal high of 44. pretty amazing considering it was 38 last year on this date, a trace of snow in the morning hours. most of our suburbs still nice and mild.

he pattern. the cold can't come east. 64 saturday, four degrees shy of a record high. we're forecasting a broken record high on sunday at 66 despite the fact we have cloud cover around sunday mixed with subpoena. every day so far in december above normal. a third of the way through on pace for the warmest december on record. it would be the first time in 17 years we've had five straight days in the 60s in december. the next three days are in the 60 now. record highs on sunday, then a blast of winter chill is just about a week away. until then a lot of mild weather. also we will shoehorn in a rainstorm. that's all coming up in the seven-day forecast when i come inside. i don't know why. back to you in just a little while. five years ago today the first human remains found on a beach on long island. police have turned up zip on gilgo beach. at least 10 bodies, most of them prostitutes,

suffolk county cops are trying to jump-start this case. josh einiger was there for the first bodies, and he's there again tonight. >> reporter: it's hard to everystate how isolated it is down here on the barrier beach known as jones beach island. in the dark it's especially desolate. you have to look hard to see crosses like those. that's a memorial to a victim named amber, one of 10. tonight as the case has grown colder the suffolk police department is now leaning on the fbi for help. the newly appointed top cop toured the most notorious crime scene. his tour guide, the new chief of departments, stewart cameron who knows every inch of this once grizzly scene. >> reporter: what do you feel when you see this again? it all floods back? >> it floods back.

herculean effort that all the law enforcement agencies did. >> reporter: cameron was in charge of the search through miles of thorny brush. five years ago tonight his teams unearthed the first of ten victims, and five years later cameron says it's now time to call in the fbi. experience nationwide investigating serial killer cases than we do. so as we look through testified with them, maybe just bouncing things off each other will be useful. so i really am excited about the partnership with them. >> reporter: the feds were involved for one day back in april 2011 when they flew this block ledded with classified gear up and down the coast looking for more bodies. but when it comes to that investigative assistance, suffolk county never requested the help, as the case grew colder. >> obviously we're not standing here with someone in handcuffs. >> reporter: a former federal prosecutor now awaiting confirmation as police

why the fbi wasn't asked for help sooner. but did he say this. >> it's not about who gets the credit. that's not helpful. what's helpful is making sure that there's a climate and a culture where people are working together to solve serious crimes. >> reporter: it's important to point out that he was not here during the investigation up until now and had no decision making power until now. hasn't even officially been confirmed as commissioner yet. but the police department will not say specifically what the fbi will be doing, and the fbi has had no comment. >> josh, thank you. guilty. that is the verdict in the corruption trial for dean skelos and his so. both were found guilty in a bribery scheme that unraveled when investigators began recording their phone calls. the government said the elder skelos used his influence to

and other benefits for his son. >> they did a very good >> obviously very disappointed with the verdict. the next step is post-trial motions, and we intend to pursue them vigorously. >> the skelos case is the second high-profile political conviction new york in the last two weeks. former assembly speaker sheldon silver was convicted of bribery. falling bricks leaving many people without homes. the story tonight the streets around the apartments remaining closed until at least monday. busy streets, streets that feed into the 59th street bridge, closed on a gridlock alert day. darla miles with the story on the upper east side. darla. >> reporter: well, right now, i will tell you bill that the streets leading to the 59th street bridge are not closed but are very congested. this is 62nd street behind me. that is why the city is working around the clock to finish the repairs and get all of this finished up by rush

>> i just wish it wasn't affecting us as a business, having to shut down. it's not looking good. >> reporter: reason why two blocks of first avenue has been shut down is not under scrutiny. it just doesn't feel good for some business owners. >> it is difficult to not be working for that many days. it is going to be four or five days that we're out, and we have people calling. i can't even get in to answer the phones. >> we've got constituents from the 50s and 60 who are concerned about what's going on, and they do want the traffic opened. a lot of us have been trying to figure out how we can get the roads open so we can minimize the convenience. >> reporter: a 24-hour operation is underway, taking down each brick by hand. only when this is done can first avenue be reopened between east 64th and east 61st street. >> the last thing we wanted was another sheet the size of that bare spot to be coming down like it did late monday night.

brick collapse still under investigation. but at this point no negligence has been found. >> our preliminary assessment, we think that the brick ties that connect the facia brick to the concrete block behind it has somehow deteriorated. >> reporter: some businesses did open their doors friday but there's still little foot traffic because of the detour. >> i understand the severity of the problem. i'm happy nobody was hurt. but it is taking a toll on the business owners. >> reporter: now, in terms of the evacuations, only five apartments were asked to vacate. in terms of the other residents on this block they are allowed to go in and out but they have to show id to the officer at the post. reporting live on the upper east side, darla miles. new at 6:00, up to $10 million worth of diamonds stolen the jeweler filed a report yesterday but he believes they

he just noticed two boxes were missing. he admits he left the safe in his office on fifth avenue unlocked during business hours even though contractors were working there. as we continue with eyewitness news at 6:00 for this friday night if you were hoping to hit the slopes, sorry, charlie. sorry, liz. but you can hit the links. we'll talk about the pluses and minuses of these very warm temperatures. and the beginning of the end for

home heating oil prices are at their lowest levels in more than a decade. >> of course, no one is using

one of the benefits of this unseasonably warm weather. >> bad news if you run a ski resort. good news if you run a golf course, or if you are a golfer. >> that's right, liz. here's anthony johnson. >> reporter: bare mountain peaks of northwest new jersey are evidence that snow fun is on hold. the ski resorts are waiting for winter. >> this would be our typical opening weekend. but we're used to this. we're built for it. i think the weather pattern has changed. >> reporter: with two weeks before christmas the snow making efforts can't gear up until the air temperature and humidity are right. with the thermometer around 60 degrees, snow making efforts are grounded. >> remember, last year it was about the same. christmas week, it just started coming on, yet it ended up being a record setting year. >> reporter: no snow on the

work on my golf game. >> it's beautiful. >> reporter: the weather is warm. >> the weather is perfect. >> reporter: i'm in no hurry for the snow to show up. i'll keep playing. the days and weeks of comfortable weather have given golfers a chance to stay sharp at a time when the clubs are usually tucked away for winter. >> we've had a great november. so far this december, this weekend, we're practically sold out for saturday and sunday with four golf courses. >> reporter: this weekend's warm temperatures are expected to keep business hot. while some will marvel at the gingerbread display inside the lodge, others will play 18 holes. in hamburg, new jersey, anthony johnson, channel 7 eyewitness news. a task force put together by governor cuomo of new york is calling for an overhaul of common core learning standards. the recommendations include renaming common core,

testing students, and delaying plans to use the tests grade teachers. talk about a 10th avenue freeze-out, tickets for bruce springsteen's latest concert tour in our area taking only minutes to sell out. but fear not, you can still bay tickets. and it's been a december to remember, and it's about to

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fewer than 6% received 5 stars. among them was cancer treatment centers of america in philadelphia. cancercenter.com slash eastern. the tour is called the river, and it flooded ticketing websites today. tickets sold out in minutes this morning. the river tour brings the band back to new jersey for the first time in the last three years. but there is a secondary market. you can buy tickets that way, or bay a rolls royce, your choice, about the same. >> all good recommendations.

you've got a lot of money. >> so how does it feel outside any was wondering if your suit was cold. >> i've been working out. >> no question about that. >> wow. >> and we didn't mean it that way. >> turning to weather, i think she was referring to the layers that i'm wearing, which you need a coat if you go through the evening hours. a little cool out there with the breeze. otherwise, to be around 60 degrees here, on december 11th, amazing, southwest wind at 7, the high 6 1. when you compare it to average, 44 is our average high. we should be near freezing in the overnights. we haven't been below freezing yet. one of the latest in years. much of teaching will be spent in the 50s. it's already 54 in cold spring. still very mild in the northern suburbs. but we will have 40s in many of our suburbs tonight.

so partly to mostly cloudy overnight. tomorrow morning will start out at 50. or patchy fog. that will give way to sunshine. then waves of high clouds that dim the sunshine from time to time. because the sun angle is so low when the clouds do come over it can tend to look a little gloomy but it is not going to rain at any time. it will go from partly cloudy day. now. i think that's the routine we will go through tomorrow. the difference with sunday is because this warm front is getting closer we may have a little more cloudiness from the north and east but that will not stop our numbers. south of that warm front it is near 70 degrees. we will easily get into the low and mid-60s again on sunday. a few patchy clouds tomorrow morning, more in the afternoon hours. mostly cloudy on sunday morning, maybe even a shower north of i- '84.

it's hounder don county -- hunterdon county, that area, so partly cloudy and mild, fog late, 5 1. 64 tomorrow. unseasonably mild. sun sets at 4:28. only down to 54. 45 is our average daytime high this time of year. on sunday 66, record warmth. look at the afternoon sampling. upper 60s, south and west. lower 60s off to the north. on monday your rain is not steady in the morning. in fact, it might just be plain old cloudy. windy with showers more likely in the afternoon. windy and cooler on tuesday 59. the real cold is a week away after a thursday rain. this weekend. >> i was just trying to see if beg outside. >> we know what you were trying to do, liz.

>> don't think about it on this side. stay there. there's more big news on baseball's hot stove. plus the giants are running out of chances to save their season. we will talk to the quarterback. prognosis time for the jets. sports next. before we go to the break a holiday greeting from a local member of the military from our area who can't be home for the holidays. >> my name is mario. i am the commissary officer here in belgium. happy birthday to holiday season's just like football season... you got your big games... ...and regular games. get it all at a great price... ...and the holiday season is won. everything in one place.

holiday season's just like football season... you got your big games... ...and regular games. get it all at a great price... ...and the holiday season is won. everything in one place. my stop & shop. 64 degreesl that throw this team off? >> a game changer could be

looking good. third straight day on the field for darrelle revis. today full steam ahead getting ready for the titans. the first time rivas has been a full participant since that concussion. jets lost that game. they have won two games since. one more hurdle to clear. rivas would be back on the field at the meadowlands. >> i had a couple in the past. this has been the one that's kept me out the most but, you know, you can't play around these are serious. it's a blow to your head, so you've got to follow every protocol you can. giants take on the dolphins monday night without demon tray moore who i was told was asked to leave the practice facility this morning, then he was officially waved, leading a defense that hasn't gotten the job done late in games, but it's not just them. the offense has more than a little to do with what's going on. still, excited for the dolphins?

>> a lot of our stuff is going and installing, and i thought gaze were moving around, add good plan, good understanding of what we're trying to do, what we're expecting. now we have got to go and execute monday night. >> monday night football, the giants at miami. catch it all here on channel 7. coverage begins 8:00. gonna be good. that's monday night. the knicks wrap up their first west coast trip tomorrow in portland. something has got to give if they snap the losing streak. they had a chance last night in sacramento. demarcus cousins got things going for the kings, though. the knicks cut into that 19- point deficit, made at two- point game. carmelo anthony with the chance to win it. but not this time. we two to baseball now. mets sign shortstop asdrubal

heyward is headed to the cubs. eight years, $184 million. cubs add lack key, zobrist, and now this. devils at home against the red wings, and it is that time when ill litter ration runs wild. the power pigskin prognosis. the 3-9 titans against the jets. you are going to hear trapped a lot this weekend. after this, cowboys, patriots, and bills. jets say they're not good enough to look past anybody. put the trap talk away. a chance to win three straight games for the first time in four years and get to win number eight. tennessee's number 8 plans to give us a tough time but not this week. the jet d stands tall. ivory is running. fitzpatrick, almost 700 yards passing, six touchdowns, no picks since trimmed the beard.

the prognosis, the jets have fun with the titans, 28-20. that's what the machine says. but as always, your results may vary. >> 28-20. and the giants will be -- >> on monday. monday night football. i must say the giants' complex was all a twit we are the prognosticator from last week. >> really. >> somehow the machine -- >> that was a great call. just the wrong team winning. >> can't win them all. >> i'm all positive these days. thank you rob. >> let's check in with sade for some of the stories on eyewitness news at 11:00. police have released new information in connection with a series of robberies around central park. we are going to show you the video of people police want to talk to. also, a surprise performance by none other than andrea bocelli. that's tonight at 11:00. bill and liz.

thanks for watching.