Posted on Wed, Jan. 03, 2007 on timesleader.com
State aims to prevent Hugo move
Attorney for Department of Corrections says Selenski should continue serving his sentence where he is.
By DAVID WEISS dweiss@timesleader.com
WILKES-BARRE – Prison officials have joined the fight to keep homicide suspect Hugo Selenski locked up in a state jail.
An attorney for the state Department of Corrections on Tuesday filed court papers saying Selenski should not be moved from the State Correctional Institution at Frackville to the county jail because it would “circumvent” his current prison sentence.
“Such an order would undermine the (prison’s) obligation to enforce this sentence,” prison attorney Vincent R. Mazeski wrote in the court papers. Mazeski’s filing, the latest in the developing squabble over Selenski’s housing, asks Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas Judge Chester Muroski to make sure Selenski stays at Frackville.
It started after Selenski’s lead attorney, John Pike, filed court papers in December asking for Selenski to be housed indefinitely at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility, where Selenski made a dramatic escape in October 2003.
Pike asked for the move because he believed meetings at the state prison were impractical and violated Selenski’s attorney/client privilege.
District Attorney David Lupas later objected to the move, saying the meetings do not violate the privilege and are only impractical because the prison needs to ensure safety. The prosecutors were reluctant to have Selenski housed at the county jail because of “witness safety, co-conspirator contact and security for” Selenski.
A hearing on the issue, initially scheduled for Thursday, has been postponed until Jan. 11. Selenski remains at Frackville.
Selenski and Paul Weakley are awaiting trial in the deaths of pharmacist Michael Kerkowski and his girlfriend, Tammy Fassett. The two went missing in May 2002 before the pharmacist was to be sentenced in Wyoming County Court on numerous charges, including fraud and illegal distribution of drugs.
Police found their bodies buried behind Selenski’s Kingston Township home in June 2003.
They also found bones from at least three other people and first charged Selenski with killing suspected drug dealers Adeiye Keiler and Frank James.
Selenski was cleared of killing the men, but convicted of burning their bodies. He was sentenced to two to four years in state prison and has been serving that sentence at Frackville.
The prison’s attorney, Mazeski, joined Lupas’ battle Tuesday, filing a request to intervene in the case.
Mazeski said the prison has an “obligation to faithfully execute lawful sentences and its duty to provide care, custody and control of inmates placed in its custody.”
Moving Selenski to the county prison would essentially allow Selenski to serve the rest of his state sentence at the county level, Mazeski, said.
He also said Muroski does not have the authority to make such a decision.
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David Weiss, a Times Leader staff writer, may be reached at 831-7397.
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Hey, 'Fracks', you never would have been in this position if you didn't try to violate attorney-client privilege! 'NUFF SAID, BIATCH!!!!!!!!!!!! 
I get real pissy when I'm not feelin good.. OBVIOUSLY!! 
It's my las t day off of 6 and I got sick last night 
I go back to work tomorrow but at least not until noon instead of 8am, thank you KT my buddy.. At least I can't give it to anyone online!!! 
