MidnightBlue
What time is the hearing? That's no chance of the draw that he will be standing in front of a sympathetic judge. Meicht should do some time in the County lockup where he belongs. Imagine, that guy was a teacher of young people. I can't imagine why anyone would let that guy teach anyone anything except how to wear a beret and sound like a moron.
This friday 1 pm
Who was the judge in this case, and what does this summary agreement mean? I have a son serving time in prison, a very long time. And he didn't lay a hand on a person. Especially not a girl or a cop.
Do you know who will be presiding at Meicht's hearing? I wish I could be there! I would like to see justice served for once, and not just political expediancy. Since I will miss the weekend rally, I wish you best of luck Skye, and please keep the website updated!
With you all the way, Skye!! Will continue to pray that justice will be served.
You can still file civil charges against him. It would be tort claim for Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress, or its closest Pennsylvania variant. A civil suit is not barred simply because of the criminal proceeding, and even if he is acquitted, you can still proceed.
I doubt that he has much in the way of resources, so your award may not be worth the hassle.
If you don't already have one, you should be able to find a personal injury lawyer who would take your case on a contingency fee basis - that is he/she would receive (typically) 30 percent of any court award, but otherwise represent you for free if you lost the case.
Best of luck!
I just happened upon your blog, I love it so far. When I saw this story I read as much as I could on it.. Oh that makes Me mad, I hope he gets the maximum sentence allowable. This "Peace Protestor" is nothing new really it seems like they think the laws to not apply to them and that the freedoms and privileges do.. Just not for you or any one who disagrees with them.
Skye: Thanks for the update you left and also here. Sending best wishes and prayers your way for tomorrow. M.I.M.
Allow me to answer some of those questions:
The presiding judge of District Court 15-1-04 is Gwenn S. Knapp, a Democrat who is known for being very lenient towards defendants facing criminal charges. Knapp is the only Democrat elected as a District Judge in Chester County.
The reason I made that statement in my original posting is by judging how she has handled certain criminal cases in her court, she strikes me as a "hug-a-thug" judge whose style is more suitable for Philadelphia as opposed to Chester County.
Skye, you may want to read the Pennsylvania Crime Victim's Bill of Rights before your hearing. You may also want to make clear to the DA that you will strongly oppose any "summary disposition agreement" - that's when a defendant would be permitted to plea to summary offenses and have misdemeanor or felony charges withdrawn in exchange for performance of community service or other conditions (mental health, drug-and-alcohol eval, etc).
If your hearing is at 1 pm, I will certainly be there. I'm there every Friday (though I may end up running late this morning as I have a friend who has to be in Common Pleas Court this morning - don't worry she's not a defendant) and if I see you, I can explain further as to what to expect.
If I don't see you tomorrow, good luck...
Skye,
Thanx for stepping up & doing the right thing. All to often we blow these things off figuring they are not worth our time or the hassle. As you stand up for what is right, you set an example for all to follow.
Commenting by HaloScan
