Most Popular Videos Featured On KDKA.com
Jun 2, 2009 10:16 pm US/Eastern
Buchanan, Wecht Not Ready To Bury Hatchet
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) ―
U.S. Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan dropped the federal case against former Allegheny County coroner Dr. Cyril Wecht, but neither was ready to bury the hatchet.
The case began with 84 counts, was reduced to 14 and then none.
"Well the question is who's the biggest sore loser: LeBron James or Mary Beth Buchanan? At this point that's the question for the American public, maybe you guys ought to do a poll on that," Wecht said.
Wecht's lawyers handed him the court papers that ended the case.
Buchanan said the ruling by federal judge Sean McLaughlin that the search warrant for Wecht's records was too broad pretty much gutted the remaining 14 charges against Wecht.
"We decided that the right thing to do at this point is to dismiss the case and there are probably a lot of other criminals we could go after at this point," Buchanan said.
"Even with the tremendous criticism that has been dumped on this office, I still believe a crime was committed here and there was evidence to support that and I would have brought this case so if I could have a do-over I'd still bring the case," she said.
Buchanan insists the argument that the prosecution cost millions is an exaggeration.
"Even when you take into consideration the cost of reproducing all the evidence that we were ordered to do, the attorney time, the resources, it would not have cost over the years more than $500,000 - could not have," she said.
Wecht says the case has cost him much more.
"All that I built up and all that my wife and I saved is gone. And the money that I wanted to leave to my children and to my 11 grandchildren is all gone and I am very much in debt," he said.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
Painted Chickens Found Wandering At CMU
Click to enlarge
Stumble It!
Comments