Notes from the Rockefeller case

By Frank Girardot on June 12, 2009 10:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) |

Clark Rockefeller has been found guilty on two of four counts in his parental abduction trial. Rockefeller, whose real name is Christian Karl Gerhartsreiter, will be sentenced later this morning.

So far the jury has issued a statement, as have other officials.

Here's what Suffolk County DA Spokesman Jake Wark wrote following the verdicts this a.m.:

In a complete rejection of his insanity defense, jurors convicted GERHARTSREITER of custodial kidnapping and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. Jurors acquitted him outright -- that is, not for lack of criminal responsibility -- on charges of providing a false name to police and assault and battery. Judge Gaziano will sentence the defendant at 2:00 pm in courtroom 906.

As for the jruors, a panel of four men and eight women. They've issued a joint statement. Here's what it said:

First, this was a complicated case and not as clear cut as it might seem to those who have only followed it in the media. We were very thorough in our deliberations. We considered every element of every charge and every defense -- as evidence by our legal questions to Judge Graziano and our request to have twelve copies of the written jury instructions. The seriousness of out task demanded that we do no less.

Second, we want to be very clear that -- as the Judge repeatedly instructed us -- we considered all of the evidence presented at trial. We are confident that our verdict is fair and just and based only on the information that we were legally allowed to consider.

Third, this was a case where expert witnesses figured prominently. We gave due weight to the testimony of experts, but we also considered that testimony in light of the substantial factual evidence presented at trial.

Finally, our verdict is a unanimous one -- as the law requires -- and all of us stand by the verdict completely.