Judge must decide DeWeese trial site
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Bill DeWeese
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HARRISBURG -- A Commonwealth Court judge is expected to rule by the end of the week on whether state Rep. Bill DeWeese should stand trial for public corruption in Harrisburg or in his Greene County district.
Defense attorney William Costopoulos, representing Mr. DeWeese, told the court Monday that it would be a hardship on 30 defense witnesses who would have to travel to Dauphin County to testify and that the case should be tried in Greene County, where prosecutors say many of the alleged crimes occurred.
"I'd rather take my chances with a Greene County jury versus a Dauphin County jury because that's Bill DeWeese's backyard," Mr. Costopoulos said in an interview before the hearing. "That's the district he represents and, indeed, these are the people who re-elected him in the last election knowing he was under indictment."
Mr. DeWeese, D-Waynesburg, stands accused of illegally using state resources for political campaigns.
Prosecutor Frank Fina said Mr. DeWeese had deep and long-standing ties to many in Greene County and that it would be difficult to seat a jury there.
If Commonwealth Judge Barry F. Feudale grants the motion, a judge would have to be brought in from another county because all three Greene County Common Pleas judges have said they would recuse themselves due to conflicts of interest stemming from personal, professional and political relationships with Mr. DeWeese.
Mr. DeWeese did not address the court but spoke to reporters after the hearing.
"I want a fair trial by my peers ... and my peers are in those hills of Greene County," he said.
Mr. Costopoulos conceded that his client also had peers in Dauphin County, but that co-defendant Sharon Rodavich -- who worked in Mr. DeWeese's Waynesburg office -- had no connection to the Harrisburg area.
She and Mr. DeWeese each are charged with four counts of theft, one count of criminal conspiracy and one count of conflict of interest.
The case against them is built around the testimony of two former high-ranking staffers, Kevin Sidella and Mike Manzo. Mr. Sidella is testifying under an immunity deal, and Mr. Manzo is cooperating as part of a plea agreement in a separate corruption case known as Bonusgate.
First Published June 28, 2011 12:00 am
