With more twists and turns than San Fransico's famed Lombard Street... Harlow Cuadra and Joseph Kerekes' defense teams have created more excuses for delays than the airlines do... and while not every one of these incidents can be solely blamed on the defense (though they were always the cause of it), I've gone ahead and compiled a list of actions, or mis-actions that have caused this trial to be delayed several times... with the most recent being yesterday:
November 23, 2007: 'Blum said a conflict existed with public defenders representing both men because the men, at trial, could accuse the other as the principal killer. Also, Blum and attorney Al Flora Jr., the county’s first assistant public defender, had represented Kocis in the past and might be witnesses at the homicide trial'.
December 4, 2007: 'Cuadra's attorneys want the trial delayed. They said they need more time to prepare'.
January 4, 2008: 'Homicide suspect Harlow Cuadra will get new attorneys and a new trial date'.
January 28, 2008 'Attorney Demetrius Fannick on Monday filed court papers indicating he will be representing Cuadra in his homicide case'.
March 19, 2008: 'Attorney Demetrius Fannick’s decision not to testify about his meetings with homicide suspect Joseph Kerekes led to the attorney being ousted from representing Cuadra.'
April 17, 2008: 'Harlow Cuadra has appealed a judge's ruling that forbid attorney Demetrius Fannick from representing him.'
July 9, 2008: 'Bufalino, one of three attorneys representing Kerekes, told the judge he and Paul Galante are associates in the same firm. Galante is one of three attorneys representing Cuadra. And, attorney John Pike, co-representing Kerekes, announced he had represented Robert Rodden, a prosecution witness'.
July 10, 2008: 'The two defense attorneys dismissed Wednesday from the capital murder case against Harlow Cuadra and Joseph Kerekes were aware of their potential conflict of interest since May and should have moved to remove themselves sooner, Luzerne County Judge Peter Paul Olszewski Jr. said'.
August 12, 2008: 'Kerekes' attorney, Shelley Centini, asked to continue the trial because she had not received Bufalino's file on the case. In addition, Cuadra's attorney, Michael Senape, said he has not yet been certified in defending capital murder trials.'
... all of which leads me to the poll question: "Do You Think Defense Attorneys are Deliberatley Delaying the Trial?"... I say yes... what are your thoughts?
November 23, 2007: 'Blum said a conflict existed with public defenders representing both men because the men, at trial, could accuse the other as the principal killer. Also, Blum and attorney Al Flora Jr., the county’s first assistant public defender, had represented Kocis in the past and might be witnesses at the homicide trial'.
December 4, 2007: 'Cuadra's attorneys want the trial delayed. They said they need more time to prepare'.
January 4, 2008: 'Homicide suspect Harlow Cuadra will get new attorneys and a new trial date'.
January 28, 2008 'Attorney Demetrius Fannick on Monday filed court papers indicating he will be representing Cuadra in his homicide case'.
March 19, 2008: 'Attorney Demetrius Fannick’s decision not to testify about his meetings with homicide suspect Joseph Kerekes led to the attorney being ousted from representing Cuadra.'
April 17, 2008: 'Harlow Cuadra has appealed a judge's ruling that forbid attorney Demetrius Fannick from representing him.'
July 9, 2008: 'Bufalino, one of three attorneys representing Kerekes, told the judge he and Paul Galante are associates in the same firm. Galante is one of three attorneys representing Cuadra. And, attorney John Pike, co-representing Kerekes, announced he had represented Robert Rodden, a prosecution witness'.
July 10, 2008: 'The two defense attorneys dismissed Wednesday from the capital murder case against Harlow Cuadra and Joseph Kerekes were aware of their potential conflict of interest since May and should have moved to remove themselves sooner, Luzerne County Judge Peter Paul Olszewski Jr. said'.
August 12, 2008: 'Kerekes' attorney, Shelley Centini, asked to continue the trial because she had not received Bufalino's file on the case. In addition, Cuadra's attorney, Michael Senape, said he has not yet been certified in defending capital murder trials.'
... all of which leads me to the poll question: "Do You Think Defense Attorneys are Deliberatley Delaying the Trial?"... I say yes... what are your thoughts?
