Accusers won't travel again for rape trial delayed by no-show defense lawyer; judge acquits
A judge in Pennsylvania has acquitted two men accused of rape after their accusers told prosecutors they wouldn’t travel again from Ohio for resumption of the trial, which was delayed after a defense lawyer failed to show up in court last month.
The trial of Ricardo Campbell and Dwayne Facey had been scheduled to resume Dec. 5, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports. Judge Philip Ignelzi acquitted the defendants after the prosecutor said the women indicated “they couldn’t bear it again.”
Testimony in the case had begun in the summer. The alleged victims said they had made the trip from Cincinnati to Pittsburgh seven times during the case, and there wouldn’t be an eighth time.
Lawyer Chris Urbano had said he was unable to make the Nov. 22 court date because was in North Carolina and was unable to get a flight back, according to the article.
Ignelzi held a contempt hearing the day after Urbano didn’t appear and ordered the lawyer jailed. Urbano was released after five days in jail as a result of an agreement that he receive drug, alcohol and behavior evaluations. A February review hearing is scheduled in the contempt case.
