Posted on 09/04/2006 4:37:29 PM PDT by wagglebee
A man who implicated two friends in the 1975 murder that sent Kennedy cousin Michael Skakel to prison has refused to testify, prompting a prosecutor to accuse him of making up the account.
Gitano (Tony) Bryant invoked his constitutional right against self-incrimination at his deposition recently in Miami and does not plan to testify at hearings on whether Skakel deserves a new trial, said Joel Denaro, his lawyer.
"What it strongly suggests to us is that Mr. Bryant's story is a fabrication and he is seeking to avoid testifying under oath for that reason," prosecutor Jonathan Benedict said.
Skakel's lawyers have said, in court papers, Bryant implicated two of his friends in the bludgeoning death of 15-year-old Martha Moxley. Skakel, who was 15 and a neighbour of Moxley's at the time of the murder, was convicted in 2002 of bludgeoning Moxley with a golf club and is serving 20 years to life in prison.
Bryant's claim in 2003 was the latest sensation in a case that sparked numerous books and criticism that local authorities showed too much deference to Skakel's wealthy connected family during the initial investigation.
Hope Seeley, Skakel's lawyer, said she will file a motion seeking to compel Bryant to testify.
"I think the fact that Mr. Bryant asserted his right against self-incrimination was not surprising once he hired a criminal defence attorney in light of the fact that he placed himself at the crime scene the night of the murder holding a golf club around the time of the murder," Seeley said.
Seeley noted her defence has a videotaped interview of Bryant giving his account. She said Bryant's credibility is up to a jury to assess.
"I think it's inappropriate for the state's attorney to be issuing statements about a person's credibility," Seeley said.
Denaro would not comment on whether Bryant stands by his account.
"After advice of counsel, Mr. Bryant has exercised his Fifth Amendment right to remain silent," Denaro said.
"We'll be taking the Fifth Amendment in any and all proceedings."
Skakel, a nephew of Ethel Kennedy, is seeking a new trial based on a claim by Bryant that two of his friends may have killed Moxley. The men, Adolph Hasbrouck and Burt Tinsley, earlier exercised their Fifth Amendment rights.
Neither of the men has returned repeated telephone calls. Hasbrouck's wife, who declined to give her name, said at the couple's home recently the allegation was "a lie."
"He didn't do anything. My husband is a good man," she said.
Bryant attended private school with Skakel when they were teenagers. His allegation surfaced a year after Skakel was convicted of killing Moxley in their gated neighbourhood in Greenwich, Conn., when they were both 15.
Skakel's lawyers said Bryant reported he was with two friends from New York City in the neighbourhood the night Moxley was killed. Court papers showed Bryant said one friend had met Moxley and "wanted to go caveman on her" and after he left them that night, they later told him: "We did what we had to do."
Some of the questions asked by Skakel's lawyers during the deposition were "accusatory in nature" toward Bryant, his lawyer said.
Seeley said Skakel's defence was not accusing Bryant of committing the crime.
"Our position is Tony Bryant came forward with information that should be put in front of a jury," Seeley said.
The petition for a new trial is separate from an appeal Skakel lost before the Connecticut Supreme Court earlier this year that argued, among other issues, the five-year statute of limitations had expired when he was charged in 2000. Skakel's lawyers have taken that issue to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Looks like he'll be out in less than 5.
His sentence was 20 years to life.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Skakel
Whitetrash with money is still "Whitetrash". There is more true honor and decency to be found, in the lowest trailer park, in Louisiana, than in the richest town in Massachusetts!!
Whatever the merits of your legal argument, I think the Gitano Bryant story is total bunk. Skakel is guilty as sin, and I hope he becomes an old man in prison for what he did to Martha Moxley and her family.
Me too....and I hope his "dance card" is full every night.
LOL! I hope so too!
I wouldn't worry to much about it. If he wanted to enjoy the benefits of being charged as a minor he should of turned himself in 30 years ago.
Being charged as a minor has to do with the age at which the person committed the crime, not their age when they were charged.
I'm sure there are plenty more we don't know about (including questions about Marilyn Monroe's death), but two out of three ain't bad.
baksheesh
There are one or two incorrect assumptions/beliefs contained in your post.
One: the Skakils are not "white trash".If you had ever been to Greenwich,CT you'd know that few if any such people live there.The Skakils were "old money"....*Greenwich* old money.They have *far* more in common,when it comes to general "outlook",with the Kerrys than they do with,say,Billy Bob Clinton.
Two: as mentioned above,they're from Connecticut,not MA.
HUH?
Since some of the finest people I know get paid by the hour (welcome in my home anytime), what is the special virtue in `old money'?
(Oh, BTW, I know the social distinction between old and new money. Worthless creeps can be found among both.)
Baksheesh is a term used to describe both charitable giving and certain forms of political corruption and bribery in the Middle East and Southwest Asia.
Well, then that makes more sense.
I was thinking that you had the gift of tongues.
:>)
There's no virtue,special or otherwise,to being "old money".The Skakils,like the Kerrys,are essentially amoral as is Billy Bob Clinton.But that's where the similarities end.Were it not for his having been President,Billy Bob would *never* be welcome in a town like Greenwich regardless of how much money he might have.
(Oh, BTW, I know the social distinction between old and new money. Worthless creeps can be found among both.)
I agree.
Radix malorum est cupiditatis. (There, that suits the Kennedy klan well.)
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