Posted on 01/25/2013 9:12:50 AM PST by RummyChick
HARTFORD -- The prosecutor investigating the Newtown school massacre told a new panel Thursday not to expect a final report on the Dec. 14 slaughter anytime soon.
Danbury State's Attorney Stephen J. Sedensky III announced that while no criminal prosecution seems likely to emerge from the mass murder and suicide, he wants to suppress much of the evidence from the public anyway.
"This is an ongoing criminal investigation, for which I have obtained extensions of time from the Superior Court to keep documents sealed, so that the investigation may continue unencumbered by distractions," Sedensky said.
"The rules of professional responsibility for prosecutors require that I take steps to prevent publicity that would have a substantial likelihood of materially prejudicing a potential prosecution," he said.
In a brief appearance before Gov. Dannel P. Malloy's 16-member Sandy Hook Advisory Commission, Sedensky said that he expects the State Police report on the shootings to be several months away.
"Of course, if the investigation reveals that there should be a criminal prosecution, then that prosecution would take precedence over any report," Sedensky told the panel of municipal officials, mental health experts, security professionals and social-service providers.
"Though no such prosecution currently appears on the horizon, I am sure you can appreciate that all leads need to be investigated and evidence examined before final decisions and statements are made," he said.
He offered to meet privately with a representative of the advisory panel to provide information that he might not release to the public.
Sedensky said that during the first week after the shootings, federal, state and local police worked around the clock investigating the crime scenes at Sandy Hook Elementary School, at the 36 Yogananda St. home of Nancy Lanza, whose son Adam, 20, murdered her before driving her car to the school, and elsewhere.
It will be months before a report is released.
"We are hoping for some time this summer, perhaps in June," said Sedensky, a Newtown resident, adding that details on the mental health of Adam Lanza, are protected from disclosure under privacy regulations and might not be able to be provided to the commission.
Bill Ritter, the former governor of Colorado whose district attorney of Denver investigated the aftermath of the 1999 shootings at Columbine High School in Littleton, told the panel the nation is watching.
"You could wind up saving lives at some point in the future," said Ritter, who later became governor and became a target for a deranged gunman who was shot and killed by a state trooper outside his office. "Healing can happen" but it can be a long-term process.
Richard Bonnie, a professor at the University of Virginia School of Law who was an adviser to the Virginia Tech Review Panel following that 2007 shooting, warned that legislation and regulatory changes can be affected by emotions.
"Tragedy can compromise thoughtful policy making," he said from Virginia.
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, in the panel's first meeting Thursday morning, said that the consequence that seems to be separating Newtown from other mass shootings is that momentum for a positive outcome to the crime seems to be gaining every day, not fading.
"We must take a serious look at public safety, particularly school safety, so our children can grow up and go to school without the fear of violence in a culture that does in fact glorify violence," Malloy said.
"We need to have a discussion about stopping that," Malloy said. "The recommendations you will craft over the coming weeks and months will no doubt take us toward that goal: better mental health, better safety in our schools and a system that is set up to stop the glorification of the violence."
Later in the afternoon, after Sedensky's testimony, Malloy, a former prosecutor, was asked by reporters about the reticence to release more details of the shooting.
"I think there's always this situation where a prosecutor is trying to make the right balance," Malloy said.
"This was an attack so outrageous, in the killing of 20 six-year-olds that in many ways it's going to have an imprint, the likes of which I can remember where I was, in the classroom, when someone came in to say President Kennedy was shot," Malloy said. "I think this is that kind of event. So I think he needs to take the time necessary to conclude the investigation. Having said that, I would hope that as little time is necessary. It's more important to get it right than to rush out a report."
On Friday morning, a legislative subcommittee looking into issues of school security after the Sandy Hook shootings will hold a public hearing starting at 9:30 a.m. in Room 2-C of the Legislative Office Building in Hartford.
Chippy, Chippy, Chippy! 2006 and this is the best you can do? Are you being paid by Barry to play the laughing skeptic? Really Chippy, is this the best you can do?????
Gene Rosen's house was right next door to the firehouse. Where else was [s]he supposed to take them???
I posted a link to the divorce documents of Peter Lanza.
He made 444k.
There is not enough money to pay for his lifestyle and that money he was paying to Nancy Lanza and pay for taxes.
It would be interesting to know the nature of his other income not listed on the divorce documents or why he so readily gave up most of his disposable income.
Are you referring to the same Mike Powers who says that there was no broken window in the front of the school???
Just a coinky dink I’m sure.
COVER-UP !!!
What factual information does the evidence show that the government wants to hide?
He’s probably like a lot of Americans (and the govt itself).
Running on credit and deep in debt column.
It’s difficult to imagine a divorce lawyer at that level of income not discovering a significant source of funds.
They are pretty good at things like that.
If you think that denying the facts of the Sandy Hook shooting is the proper strategy for protecting your 2nd Amendment rights, then you have lost something more important than your guns. You’ve lost your mind.
This whole thing stinks worse than horse hocky, what is there to investigate, who is there to prosecute? A shadow? A strawman? By the way, a “high Capacity” 30 round magazine is an unasked for personal opinion, so is a 20 round magazine a low capacity? Why does this Connecticut Dipstick mention it at all?
Your answer is right there in the article:
“Of course, if the investigation reveals that there should be a criminal prosecution, then that prosecution would take precedence over any report,”
They can’t know if all those subject to prosecution are dead, until they finish the investigation.
The press and prosecutors are concealing the fact that Lanza’s rifle was never used, but remained in the trunk of his car.
The Democrats are certainly consistent: never let a tragedy go to waste and never allow the truth to stand in the way of repressive, new policies.
Cause it'll take that long to cover up the facts, lose evidence, silence witnesses, and make up a story to fit the preferred narrative.
*
The Prosecution side of things seals up things for various reasons.
If Lanza is a lone wolf and they aren’t trying to cover something up then there should be no reason to extend the seal on the search warrants.
http://www.ctpost.com/policereports/article/Sandy-Hook-affidavits-remain-sealed-4150259.php
So what are they hiding
“Sedensky said in his applications that the affidavits contained information “not known to the general public” and that premature disclosure would “seriously jeopardize the outcome and success of the investigation” by “divulging sensitive and confidential information” known only to investigators.”
“Finally, Sedensky asserted that disclosure of the affidavits would “seriously jeopardize the outcome and success of the investigation by divulging sensitive and confidential information known only to investigators and any suspect(s) and also identify persons cooperating with the investigation, thus possibly jeopardizing their personal safety and well-being,” the applications show.”
http://www.countytimes.com/articles/2012/12/29/news/doc50def85374685859116293.txt
I recall knowing everything about Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris from what size underware to what prescription drugs they were on, to what music they listened to and what style of clothes they wore within a week of the Colombine attacks... and these were minors. You mean to tell me they cannot tell us anything about this adult they claim killed all these children without it compromising an investigation?
There was no rifle in the trunk of the car. Have you even bothered to watch the video yourself?
You just had a kid who shot up a school,killed his mother, , killed kids all by himself and then shot himself dead.
Just how hard would it be to get a search warrant for cars and the home.
Pretty easy
So what is they don’t want us to see.
“If Lanza is a lone wolf and they aren’t trying to cover something up then there should be no reason to extend the seal on the search warrants.”
I already answered your question. They can’t know if Lanza was a lone wolf until they actually investigate that and establish it as a fact. How hard is that to understand?
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