Feds plan to drop 27 charges against Wecht for retrial
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The federal government announced today its intentions to drop 27 of the remaining 41 counts against former Allegheny County coroner Dr. Cyril Wecht.
In addition, prosecutors said that they are planning to file a motion for a change of venue to have the retrial of Dr. Wecht heard in Erie because it would be impossible to find "an unpolluted jury" in the Pittsburgh area because of "extraordinary" media coverage.
At a status conference this afternoon before newly assigned U.S. District Judge Sean J. McLaughlin, Assistant U.S. Attorney Leo Dillon said the government plans to file an amended indictment by next week.
That means that the case against Dr. Wecht, who is accused of using county resources for his private business, went from 84 counts when the original indictment was handed up in January 2006 to just 14.
"I don't know why they don't just drop the whole thing," said defense attorney Jerry McDevitt.
Dr. Wecht went on trial before U.S. District Judge Arthur J. Schwab in January. The case ended with a hung jury in April. The government immediately said it would retry the renowned coroner, but the defense filed an appeal with the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
Though the appeals court denied the motion to dismiss the case based on double jeopardy, the three-judge panel did decide to remove Judge Schwab from the case, saying everyone would benefit from having less hostility in the courtroom.
In an uneventful hearing before Judge McLaughlin, who came from Erie, both sides agreed to a briefing schedule.
The judge chose not to set a date for the retrial.
"I just don't think it makes good sense right now to throw a dart out there to try to hit a date that likely won't stick," he said.
First Published November 7, 2008 2:03 pm
