TNT DISCLAIMER: The following article is property of the cited newspaper and/or author. I did not write it nor do not make any claims to have written it. Read at your own risk!

Judge: Extend Selenski trial timeline
He says speedy-trial deadline should be extended because of defense motions that were filed.

Posted on Wed, Feb. 28, 2007
By DAVID WEISS dweiss@timesleader.com
TIMES LEADER

WILKES-BARRE – A judge on Tuesday said the deadline to bring homicide suspect Hugo Selenski to trial in accordance with the state’s speedy-trial rule should be extended by about seven months – so far.

The speedy-trial rule requires prosecutors to bring a defendant to trial within a year of arrest. But that deadline could be extended if defense motions in the case are filed.

Selenski was charged in March 2006, but his first motion was filed in July, Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas Judge Chester Muroski said in an order issued Tuesday.

Once that defense motion was filed, the speedy-trial deadline began extending. It will continue to extend until the defense motions are disposed of, the judge said.

Muroski did not yet set a trial date for Selenski or Paul Weakley.

Selenski’s lead attorney, John Pike, said on Tuesday he believes Muroski did not set a trial date because the deadline under the speedy-trial rule cannot be established until he resolves the outstanding motions.

Weakley has waived his right to a speedy trial. Selenski has not.

The two were charged last year with homicide and other offenses in the deaths of pharmacist Michael Kerkowski and Tammy Fassett.

The two went missing before Kerkowski was to be sentenced in Wyoming County on numerous drug-related charges.

The bodies were found more than a year later buried in the yard of Selenski’s former residence on Mount Olivet Road in Kingston Township.

Selenski was cleared of killing two suspected drug dealers before being charged in the Kerkowski and Fassett deaths.

A spokeswoman for the District Attorney’s Office could not be reached Tuesday evening.
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As far as I know, no comment yet from the DAs. No surprise. They're probably real happy to be able to keep someone behind bars longer with no work to be done by their office.

Curious like a cat, meooow (ha ha), to find out the outspoken defendant's reaction to the significant extension, especially since it could go even further. Surprised the TL or CV didn't go running to Dallas for an interview. I guess they're afraid they'll get subpoenaed again...

Okaaaaay, so I'm late in posting this. Sorry! I've failed you!!! Anyway, of course he was gonna appeal. Even though some of you may have already read this, I wanted to post this article so you could read the defense's logical, sane, sound reasoning behind the appeal to the PA Supreme Court's unfounded, illogical, nonsensical and unreasonable overturning of the escape charges being thrown out. Like my play on words???

TNT DISCLAIMER: The following article is property of the cited newspaper and/or author. I did not write it nor do not make any claims to have written it. Read at your own risk!

Hugo wants high court to decide if he’ll be tried for escape
BY JAMES CONMY, CITIZENS VOICE STAFF WRITER
02/22/2007

Hugo Selenski wants the entire Pennsylvania Superior Court to determine whether he can be tried on charges stemming from his daring 2003 escape from the Luzerne County Correctional Facility.

A three-judge Superior Court panel ruled earlier this month Luzerne County Judge Peter Paul Olszewski Jr. misconstrued a legal requirement in February 2006 when he threw out escape charges against Selenski. The central issue is whether the proper documents were filed to legally bind the escape charges to two murder charges for trial purposes. Selenski eventually was cleared of the murders of Frank James and Adeiye Keiler last March.

If Selenski’s latest request is granted, a larger panel of Superior Court justices would hear arguments in the case and could reaffirm the ruling reinstating the charges or reverse that decision and uphold Olszewski’s original decision. Should the Superior Court decline Selenski’s request, he would then have to appeal to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court or federal court, or stand county trial on charges of escape and instruments of escape. If convicted, Selenski faces a maximum of 12 years in prison.

Luzerne County District Attorney David Lupas maintains the charges were joined at the preliminary hearing and, furthermore, all legal documents in the case included both cases numbers — essentially binding the escape and murder charges for trial purposes.

“I anticipated (Selenski’s attorneys) would ask for a further appeal,” Lupas said Wednesday. “Again, we feel the Superior Court opinion was correct and we’re hopeful it won’t be disturbed by any further appellate review. We’ll file a response and it will be up to the (Superior) court if they want to hear (Selenski’s appeal) or not.”

Attorney Mike Senape, Selenski’s lead counsel on the escape charges, is asking the entire Superior Court to reconsider the case for four reasons:

¦ The charges were not joined at the preliminary hearing level because arguments were held for the homicide charges, but not the escape charges. Selenski waived his right to a preliminary hearing on the escape and was never notified the district attorney’s office intended to try the cases together.

¦ The lack of a proper consolidation denied Selenski a right to argue whether the cases could be legally joined for trial purposes.

¦ The state Superior Court “overlooked and/or misapprehended” that Selenski and his counsel “assumed” the cases had been legally connected. Former Selenski attorney Demetrius Fannick never filed paperwork that indicate the cases had been joined.

¦ The district attorney’s office, by its own admission, did not file its policies and procedures for joining the cases.

jconmy@citizensvoice.com ©The Citizens Voice 2007

Duuuuuuuuuuuuuuude (that's my word, ha ha!!), the DA's office, bumbling as it is, ADMITTED they dropped the ball! Um, I'm sorry, if you know me you know how I usually stand but an escape should be an open and shut case!! But when you screw up, don't cross your t's, dot your i's, file your paperwork, properly consolidate your cases, keep sealed documents from being opened, and bring defendants to trial in a speedy and reasonable manner, etc. etc. etc., it's nothing but a big loss for you. I guess the Supreme Court is just trying to help you save face; perfect timing, since May is two months away for two people... Tsk, tsk, tsk.

Although, I thought one race was cut and dry for who I would vote for but after catching up on my current events and seeing the utterly tangled web and who else is involved, DAAAAAMN!!! Makes me wonder if someone has another ulterior motive for wanting someone elected... Ugh, sick to my stomach, one thing after another...

Or maybe I just need some sleep????

Uggggh... gotta work the overnight in Dallas tonight. My first (and hopefully my last) overnight shift. Althoooough, if I like it, these shifts DO pay more. Heh... I've been sleeping a few hours and awake a few hours since I've gotten off work Saturday at 6pm to get ready for this. It's crazy!!! Then tomorrow, I have an interview at 2pm....... More on THAT later!

I hope I get more hours this week. Only 18 so far this week and only 28 last week. And I'm a 40-hour per week person!!

Ohhh welllll, gotta run a couple errands before I go back to bed for the last time before I make the trek to Dallas for my 12-hour shiftie. Ta-ta for nowwww.

New pics, whatcha think??

You are from Hazleton if...

Yet another oldie but goodie! I'm from H-town, and I can relate to quite a few on the list...

The rest, I guess I am apparently too young.

And, yeahhh, if they ever stop making Farmer's, I WILL need to go to the Betty Ford clinic!!!!!!!! When I went to college in Philly, I brought a lottttt with me when I came from visiting home and when the family came for a visit, I made sure THEY brought a lotttttttttt!!! YUMMMM!!! Oh, well, I'd be addicted to Farmer's Iced Tea than anything else!

Shadowlands Haunted Places Index

Has anyone ever seen this page before? It's a behemoth of a page for the places in PA that are reportedly haunted. There are other pages, too, for every other state in the US. I've been here before, awhile ago, but was just reintroduced by a coworker. YAY!

Some highlights from the page:

"Gettysburg - Triangular Field - Located above the Devil's Den, Confederate sharpshooters have been sighted on the rocks down at the bottom of the field, at the end of the woods, prepared to shoot. They have also been heard resounding their famous "rebel yells" and have been known to actually cause "impressions" in the grass, coming towards visitors in the field. Union cannon can be heard as well as screaming and moaning of wounded/dying soldiers all throughout the field. Union soldiers have been sighted at the left of the gate-entrance of the field and have been known to approach visitors. Incidentally, many visitors have experienced their photographic equipment does NOT function in the Triangular Field ~ no matter how new or state-of-the-art their equipment may be! Distant drums have been reportedly heard by many, many visitors here."

I've been there, and I've felt 'odd', for lack of a better word. It's been awhile since I've been there. It was midsummer and HOT, but it was COOOOOOOLD in that field, and it is soooo unearthly quiet. If I can find my pics from my last visit I'll post 'em...

"Hazleton - Bishop Hafey High School - There's been stories of hearing screams and strange noises coming from the library windows of the school at night. People say there was a girl who committed suicide at that location `outside the library in the mid/late 1970's, and must still linger around there."

I've honestly never heard of that one. I've lived near BHHS almost all my life...

"Hazleton - Key Theatre, Broad Street - Three ghosts are dressed n early 1900 attire. One man haunts the projector room. Sometimes you may see the projector turn on itself. Or hear old music playing, and before you can reach the door, its gone. The second ghost seems to like the concession stand. The last ghost is the most frequently seen in the ticket booth."

Now it's the Cinema & Drafthouse. Nice place. Wonder if it's still haunted??

"Philadelphia - Byberry Mental Hospital - Said to be haunted by the different patients that were mistreated in there. It was shut down for good in 1990 for poor living conditions and mistreatment of patients. People have gone into the catacombs only to run out crying. Its located by the Roller skate palace. Reports of screams bellowing from the basements."

One word: Shiiiiiiit!!!!!!!

"Philadelphia - Eastern State Penitentiary - Eastern State is haunted by hundreds of prisoners that have been executed, beaten to death, or committed suicide. The most famous sighting is of a prisoner that killed 27 people in an attempted prison break. Reports of feelings of someone there, and dread, strange sounds and shadows or apparitions."

I was an ESP member while a student at USP (odd how the acronyms are similar...). Yeah, the place is definitely haunted, there's definitely some history there. It's crazy how they do the Halloween event there- I still can't bring myself to go, maybe this year???

"Philadelphia - University of the Sciences - Osol Hall - was originally a Psychiatric Institute. Legend goes, that a girl who was admitted there, went crazy because of mistreatment, and ended up killing herself on the 6th floor. Several years later, the Institute became a dormitory/apartment- like suites for students at USP. Several residents have heard strange noises, seen bathroom doors propped open after insuring they were closed shut while toilet seats would be put down if a resident was sure he left it up. Many resident's have gotten strange sensations and weird feelings."

Hoooooooooly craaaaap!!!! I honestly don't know whether this is true or not. I came across this maybe in my fourth or fifth year of school. One of our residence halls being a former psychiatric institute? In the middle of West Philly? On the outskirts of Center City? Well, maybe. Since we're so close to UPenn... and right down the street from a halfway house... As for the hauntings, I don't know!!