Kennedy cousin Michael Skakel's 1975 murder conviction vacated

WTNH.COM ^ | 05/04/2018 | WTNH.com Staff

[Puppage]

HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) - The Connecticut Supreme Court has overturned the 1975 murder conviction of Kennedy cousin Michael Skakel.

The Hartford Courant reports that the Connecticut Supreme Court voted 4-3 that Skakel's trial lawyer was so ineffective, that his right to a fair trial was violated. Skakel was convicted in the murder of his friend, Martha Moxley, when the two were neighbors in Greenwich.

Skakel has been free since late 2013 while the court considered this latest appeal. He is expected to remain free unless state prosecutors make what many lawyers predict would be an unlikely decision to retry him on decades-old evidence, the Courant reports.

News 8 spoke with Robert Kennedy Junior Friday afternoon. Upon hearing the news of the court's decision, Kennedy expressed his satisfaction.

"That's fantastic... It's been a long hard fight for justice. Michael Skakel was framed by corrupt prosecutors. This is his vindication."

[DiogenesLamp]

The point I left out was that you or I would not be sitting in a tree playing with our private parents.

That is what makes us different from the Kennedys.

I wouldn't think any normal person would, but there seems to be something really wrong with the Kennedys from what i've read about them.

Joe was probably the straightest arrow in that bunch, and he died during the war.

[huldah1776]

are the court arguments public?

[laconic]

I’m sure the Republicans in the Senate will now want to fund with taxpayer money a Michael Kennedy Skakel Institute for Criminal Justice.

[wmileo]

"So if you want to have a conviction vacated just hire an incompetent lawyer in Connecticut?"

Only works if you are a Kennedy or a cousin to them.

[wardaddy]

What’s your take

[ABN 505]

He was related to the Kennedy's but Skakel’s family money was not. His family had more money than the entire Kennedy clan put together and legitimate money from business's not criminal enterprises like Booze smuggling.

[nopardons]

I’ve followed this case VERY closely and Skakel is guilty as sin; this is unalloyed, unadulterated BS!

[wardaddy]

I figured you’d know.

Thanks

[BookmanTheJanitor]

The real War on Women

[nopardons]

You "figured" correctly; I do know. :-)

I've followed this story for decades, in newspapers, books, and interviews. Carefully followed the trials too.

And because they were Skakels and sort of related to the Kennedys, Bobby's wife Ethel was a Skakel, but this family was not as "close" as they pretended, they pulled the:"I'M RELATED TO THE KENNEDYS AND YOU CAN'T TOUCH ME"! And Ethel's kids were NEVER all that close with this branch and certainly NOT there when the murder took place!

You're welcome.