Going Rogue with Defense Witness Petraco
After the lunch break, the defendants were sitting in their respective positions that they have sat throughout most of the trial with Joe Price separated from from Dylan Ward and Victor Zaborsky. Only AUSA Patrick Martin from the government was sitting at the government’s table when Judge Leibovitz entered...
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Fuzzy Legal Arguments, and Questions To Be Resolved
The afternoon’s portion of the status hearing began at 2:15, in an ever-so-slightly cooler courtroom.
Hopes ran to more accomplishments like what was seen in the morning. Hopes largely dashed…or at least postponed.
Judge Leibovitz began by returning to sexual orientation – an issue all thought resolved this morning,...
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Half the Story
In the clerk’s office this week was thirty pages of Defense Joint Response to Government Notice of Uncharged Conduct II and Some Other Stuff. Nowhere to be found was the government’s notice that this filing responds to, so this doc will have to serve as a study guide.
In the government’s first uncharged...
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The January 15 Status Hearing
DC Superior Court’s steam-powered rule that prohibits TV coverage of hearings has long vexed both seasoned journalists and cub reporters alike.
Not dissuaded, and taking a cue from the rascals who are reenacting the Prop 8 proceedings in California (the federal civil trial concerning the legality of same sex marriage), we offer a similar...
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A New Judge, And A New Attitude, In Moultrie >> New pic added
Long time Wone observers had become accustomed to the somewhat folksy ways and relaxed pace of Judge Fredrick Weisberg. Whatever else learned from today’s status hearing, it was obvious that new Judge Lynn Leibovitz came ready to rumble.
“I’m not inviting arguments, but...
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Government to Judge Weisberg: “Meh.”
It’ s still undecided whether the annual Superior Court felony calender swap will bring in a new judge – former prosecutor Lynn Leibowitz - to preside over the Wone case through the May 2010 trial. Judge Frederick Weisberg, already 13 months into this case, indicated he was neither inclined to stay...
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The Defense Pushes Hard and the Court Pushes Back.
The day’s legal action began long before Judge Frederick Weisberg gaveled in the status hearing at 2:01pm.
The defense this week has filed a range of motions – one to have Judge Weisberg permanently attached to the case (Rule 106), one to exclude the “unsubstantiated charges” –...
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Latest Defense Discovery Request Hints At Defense Strategy
At the last status hearing on September 11, much of the first half focused on whether radio communications between emergency personnel and MPD was evidence that was covered under the Jencks Act.
For the non-lawyers among us, which includes the four editors here at WMRW.com,we needed to...
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I Read The News Today, Oh God…
It’s accepted practice in Washington to release bad news late on a Friday afternoon. But it wasn’t mere bad news that was going to hit on Halloween weekend 2008; this was a real-life horror story.
Dominating the headlines as October 2008 was coming to a close, was the windup of Campaign ‘08. Barack...
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“What’s the Story with Dylan?”
We’ve seen the evolution of the Swann Street defendants’ legal representation; Price and Zaborsky first reaching out to friend Kathleen Voelker, and Ward’s immediate retaining of David Schertler. MetroWeekly’s Bob Roehr saw the looming challenges:
Parson acknowledges that with lawyers for the residents having become involved so quickly and the lack...
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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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