Prosecutors Say They Will Retry Celebrity Coroner

Criminal Justice

Prosecutors Say They Will Retry Celebrity Coroner

Posted Apr 10, 2008, 01:41 pm CDT
By Debra Cassens Weiss

Prosecutors say they will retry celebrity pathologist Cyril Wecht after jurors deadlocked in his prosecution for mail and wire fraud.

A new trial is set for May 27, but Wecht’s lawyers are seeking a delay while they challenge the charges and work on other matters, WTAE-TV reports. Wecht is represented by lawyers from Kirkpatrick & Lockhart Preston Gates Ellis, the American Lawyer reports. His lead lawyer is Jerry McDevitt, who has represented pro wrestler Hulk Hogan. Another lawyer is former Attorney General Dick Thornburgh.

Wecht, the former coroner for Allegheny County, is accused of using his public office for private financial gain. Among other things, the government alleges Wecht used county employees for work related to his private practice.

Defense lawyers claim the prosecution is politically motivated. Thornburgh has reportedly discussed weaknesses in the case with Attorney General Michael Mukasey.

The Rev. Stanley Albright, a juror who was dismissed for medical reasons during deliberations, told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette the government didn’t prove that Wecht schemed to defraud the county or his private clients. A different juror, the foreman, said none of Wecht’s clients had complained about any problems until the government began the investigation, and even then none of them asked for action against him.

Rev. Albright agreed with the foreman’s observation. "Do you know how many clients Cyril Wecht had?” he said. “They couldn't find one to come into that courthouse and get on the stand and say, 'Yeah, he defrauded me, I want my money back.' "

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