St. Lawrence trial, day 12. May 8, 2017
Resuming after the weekend break, Judge Cathy Seibel decided to resolve the problem of the reluctant witness Michael Reilly. Reilly has failed to provide sufficient medical reasons for not appearing when called as a prosecution witness, so the Judge has ordered a FedEx overnight notification of his required presence, and failing that, if he does not respond, U.S. Marshals will be sent to retrieve Mr. Reilly, and he will be charged with failure to appear.
Michael Klein arrived with two attorneys, and when seated, he refused to answer the first three questions posed by the prosecuting attorney. He cited his fifth amendment right to respectfully decline to answer. Judge Seibel stopped the proceedings, excused the jury, and then addressed Klein and the Prosecutors. She ordered Klein to testify but did grant him immunity, assuring him that if he didn’t lie, what he says could not be used in a criminal prosecution against him. If he were to lie, however, the order would be revoked and he would be prosecuted. [Read more…]