Defendants Waive Right to Jury Trial – Update: Wednesday, 5:38pm
It was a thin courtroom that gathered at 3:45pm this afternoon. No family, no friends; just attorneys and media.
Ward counsel David Schertler rose with the defendant’s request to waive their right to trial by jury; AUSA Glenn Kirschner offered no objection.
Judge Leibovitz began by asking if...
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Pre-trial coverage
FLASH: BENCHED
Speak Truth
Voir Dire and Seating the “Ideal” Jury
Wednesday begins the process of voir dire – roughly meaning ’speak true’ – in which Judge Lynn Leibovitz and both legal teams will sort through the pool of seventy potentials to seat a jury of 12, with 4 alternates. (The alternates won’t know who they are, by the...
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Pre-trial Coverage – Day 2 Morning
All about Miranda
UPDATE 3:45pm Tuesday: Judge Leibovitz denies motions to sever; allows introduction of videotapes and statements as not-as-fact except for very brief excerpts for fact. More coming.
Statements continued as the issue of the day, and as expected Dylan Ward took the stand this morning, first questioned by Robert Spagnoletti. The thrust of...
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Pre-trial Coverage – Day 1 Wrap
Plus – A Surprise Witness Tuesday
The afternoon picked up with continuation of Detective Waid’s testimony on cross by Price defense counsel Bernie Grimm. Argument proceeded from this morning, with defense trying to establish length of time the defendants were at Violent Crimes Branch, the circumstances of their questioning, and whether they were free to...
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Purpose of this Site
On August 2nd, 2006, Washington attorney Robert E. Wone was murdered at 1509 Swann Street. Over two years passed before any criminal charges were filed - and then only conspiracy, obstruction of justice and crime scene tampering charges were brought against the Swann Street housemates, all present in the home on the night of the murder: Joe Price, Dylan Ward and Victor Zaborsky.
On May 17, 2010, a DC Superior Court trial got underway and all three defendants were all acquitted in that bench trial on those pending charges.
Nearly four years later, very little seems clear about what happened that night and who murdered Robert Wone. A cloud of suspicion remains over the Swann Street defendants who have denied any involvement in the murder of their friend or in the alleged cover up.
Judge Lynn Leibovitz found a moral certainty in their collective guilt, but not evidentiary certainty. Civil proceedings in a wrongful death suit filed by Robert's family is the next chapter in this tragic story.
We continue to work together seeking answers to the mystery of Robert Wone's murder and in finding justice for his memory and legacy.
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- Was a settlement reached in the civil case? http://t.co/TyAsD3O
- Plaintiff counsel files amended expert witness list - and an old name from the investigation surfaces. http://wp.me/pVtne-4T4
- Results of yesterday's status non-hearing. A judge's order and a surprise visitor http://wp.me/pVtne-4SC
- 1509 Swann Street open house: Visiting the scene of the murder. Do Defendants' statements defy physics? Reason? http://wp.me/pVtne-4S4
- A look ahead at Tuesday's motion hearing in Wone civil: 5th Amendment is front and center, MPD efforts to quash too. http://wp.me/pVtne-4Q5