Skakel seeks sentence reduction for Conn. murder

yahoo news/AP ^ | 1/24/12 | Dave Collins

[raccoonradio]

MIDDLETOWN, Conn. (AP) — Kennedy cousin Michael Skakel on Tuesday again insisted on his innocence in a 1975 killing, as he pleaded with a three-judge panel to reduce his prison sentence of 20 years to life.

Skakel's lawyer, Hubert Santos, argued in Middletown Superior Court that the sentence Skakel received after his 2002 murder conviction in the beating death of Martha Moxley when the two were teen neighbors in wealthy Greenwich was excessive. Santos repeated his claim, which has been rejected by other state courts, that Skakel should have been tried in juvenile court, where the maximum sentence for a murder conviction would have been four years.

"Give me a polygraph," Skakel told the judges. "I've passed three sodium pentathol tests. I don't know what else to say."

Skakel's lawyers didn't ask for a specific sentence reduction.

Skakel, 51, a nephew of Robert F. Kennedy's widow, Ethel Kennedy, wore an orange prison jumpsuit as he spoke to the three judges, who are expected to issue a ruling in about two months. He was handcuffed and his legs were shackled.

Members of both the Skakel and Moxley families were in the courtroom as Skakel said he prayed for Moxley's mother, Dorthy Moxley every day.

[camle]

skakel whines again! wah! wah! wah! ‘they can’t touch me - i’m a kennedy!’.

the guy has ‘loser’ written all over him.

[raccoonradio]

Howie Carr list ping

--Heard audiobook version of Mark Fuhrman's book about this. Only annoyance: Narrator kept saying "skah-kill". Isn't it "SKAY-kill?"

--Michael Skakel married a GOLF PRO. We now return you to the Michael Skakel Invitational Golf Tournament (remember the murder weapon)

--Michael used to drive TED KENNEDY around. Both were known to take a drink under extreme social pressure.

--Didn't Skakel spill the beans about Michael Kennedy and the 14 yr old babysitter? Skakel worked for him at Citizen's Energy

[laconic]

So this murderer’s sentence was “excessive”? What about that of the victim, Martha Moxley, who died at 15 and lost a good 70 years from her life? What about that of her mother and brother, who every day have to think about their lost relative and suffer pain? What about Skakel having skated free for twenty years until Dominic Dunne and that LA detective brought justice? No, if I were the judge and it were possible, I would EXTEND this murderer’s sentence to at least 40 years.

[raccoonradio]

Yes supposedly he told someone “I’m going to get away with murder. I’m a Kennedy.”

[Harley]

I’m surprised one of his prison peers hasn’t put a shiv in the little whiner already...and made him a ‘good’ Kennedy.

[presently no screen name]

"I've passed three sodium pentathol tests.

Is this true? Do you remember what evidence they had against him?

[Stormdog]

“I’ve passed three sodium pentathol tests. I don’t know what else to say.”

Try Scotch, it usually brings out the true Kennedy.

[bgill]

So this murderer’s sentence was “excessive”? What about that of the victim, Martha Moxley, who died at 15 and lost a good 70 years from her life? What about that of her mother and brother, who every day have to think about their lost relative and suffer pain? What about Skakel having skated free for twenty years until Dominic Dunne and that LA detective brought justice? No, if I were the judge and it were possible, I would EXTEND this murderer’s sentence to at least 40 years.

Exactly.

[islander-11]

Read Mark Fuhrman’s book about the case - A Murder In Greenwich”, IIRC. Fuhrman did a fantastic job of reviewing this cold case and shining a light on the killer.

Skakel is where he belongs. I hope some bad man is taking him to the prom every night.

[Steely Tom]

The above picture made me think of Mr. Skakel as he appeared around the time he was wooing Martha Moxley:

[presently no screen name]

I know I can get a book and read about the case. LOL! I don’t care to. It would be #10,000 on my list of priorities. I, merely, asked what evidence did they have on him as you can read from my post you replied. I take it you don’t know, either. Why you say he’s where he belongs when no one is questioning that but him is odd, IMO.

[islander-11]

So you want me to summarize a book that I read in the summer of 1998 because you’re too lazy to read it? That is odd, IMO... Perhaps wikipedia can answer your prayers.

[presently no screen name]

No, I don’t need your summation - you are way too obsessed with this. What you consider lazy, I consider a waste of time - reading about some guy accused of killing and a detective who investigated it. My priorities are obviously different than yours. Another weird comment - wiki is an answer to prayer. Who said anything about praying for an answer to my question. LOL! You’re the obsessed one, not me.

[jessduntno]

SKAY-KILL, like STAY KILLED if you rode with Ted Kennedy (D-HELL) across a bridge. How do you think “the swimmer is doing right about now?

[jessduntno]

SKAY-KILL, like STAY KILLED if you rode with Ted Kennedy (D-HELL) across a bridge. How do you think “the swimmer” is doing right about now?

[BobL]

The way I see it, Skakel deserves to spend the rest of his life in the klink, if only to make amends for Ted Kennedy and the rest of the family. Knowing that a Kennedy is in jail makes my life much happier.

[Gumdrop]

Besides the broken golf club which matched a set in the Skakel’s garage (and which was missing one club). I seem to remember that Mark Fuhrman noticed a small item in the oral deposition given by the two Skakel boys.

There was something about Michael masturbating in a tree while he was being a peeping Tom - looking in Martha’s bedroom window. Does anyone else remember this item? I can’t remember why this was important, but is corroborated some other evidence. Maybe Martha told her brother that Michael had been peeping in on her - I just cannot remember the specifics of this case. I do think that that info more or less got the older brother Tom Skakel off of the suspect list.

[presently no screen name]

I just cannot remember the specifics of this case.

Me neither. I remember reading about it when it was news at the time but he says "I've passed three sodium pentathol tests. I don't believe it's admissible because it's almost like polls, it's how the questions are asked. But wondering if the other side gave him the test at all or his own side did it three times which is worthless since they have an agenda and dumb for him to make that statement.

Thanks!

[camle]

i’d like to see Paul Shenklin do a song for him using teh BEatle’s “I’m a loser”. wouldn’t have to changet he words too much;-)