A Manhattan judge ordered a Columbia University admitting clinician jailed Thursday after he had spent roughly two months on supervised release following an arraignment in a case in which prosecutors say he violently attacked his estranged wife.
Tyler Phelan, 43, was indicted on charges that include attempted assault and strangulation and pleaded not guilty at his Manhattan Supreme Court arraignment. Justice Michele Rodney set bail at $50,000; prosecutors had sought a $200,000 bond and argued the alleged July 21 attack was a "vicious and brutal" assault, according to court filings and statements made in court.
Prosecutors say Phelan assaulted his wife in their Manhattan apartment, repeatedly striking her head and attempting to strangle her. The criminal complaint alleges he smashed her head into a stovetop, knocked her to the floor, grabbed her hair, slammed her head against the floor and then placed his hands around her neck and applied pressure. The complaint also says the woman escaped to a bedroom, and that Phelan later went to the apartment roof and had to be persuaded to come down after about two-and-a-half hours of negotiations with emergency services.
At the initial July arraignment, Manhattan Criminal Court Judge Michelle Weber ordered supervised release rather than setting bail, a decision that prompted criticism from prosecutors and alarm from the alleged victim’s friends. Assistant District Attorney Ryan Murphy said in the later Supreme Court hearing that the facts could only be described as a "vicious and brutal attack on his spouse." Defense attorney Nicole Guliano urged continued supervised release, citing Phelan’s medical education and career and saying he has no prior criminal record.
Guliano told the court that Phelan earned a master’s degree from Yale School of Medicine and has worked at several major New York hospitals, including Weill-Cornell and NewYork-Presbyterian, and that he has been employed at Columbia University Irving Medical Center since July 2023. She said he has enrolled in therapy since his arrest. The defense characterized the allegations as a single instant of violence.
A friend of the alleged victim, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the woman has been receiving ongoing medical care and intensive therapy and has been spending much of her time outside New York while returning for appointments. The friend said the woman is seeking a divorce and is supported by family and friends.
Judge Rodney warned Phelan to comply with the order of protection before he was taken into custody; court observers said the detention, while not expected to be lengthy if bail is posted, followed intense prosecutorial focus on the severity of the alleged incident. Phelan is expected to be able to post the $50,000 bail and was scheduled to return to court on Nov. 20.
The case has drawn attention to judicial discretion in domestic violence and bail decisions in New York courts. Prosecutors argued for higher bail, citing the severity of the allegations, while the defense stressed the defendant’s professional background and lack of prior convictions.
Phelan’s arraignment in Manhattan Supreme Court followed a grand jury indictment and continued proceedings in the criminal justice system. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges contained in the indictment. Further hearings are set to determine pretrial conditions and scheduling.
