Big Score 1 Posted April 12, 2006 Share Posted April 12, 2006 Initial StoryPosted on Wed, Apr. 12, 2006 Misconduct charges surface in Taylor case CURT ANDERSON Associated Press MIAMI - The trial of Washington Redskins safety Sean Taylor on assault charges was delayed again Wednesday as defense lawyers raised misconduct allegations, charging the lead prosecutor with using the case to promote his moonlighting work as a nightclub disc jockey. Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Mary Barzee agreed to delay the trial for a sixth time, this time from Monday until May 8. Taylor faces a minimum of three years in prison on each of three aggravated assault charges stemming from a June 1 armed confrontation in a Miami neighborhood. Taylor's attorney, Richard Sharpstein, said outside the courtroom that he will file a motion this week seeking to dismiss the charges because of alleged "inappropriate and unethical" prosecutorial conduct by Michael Grieco, the assistant state attorney handling the case. Sharpstein said Grieco had improperly posted news articles about the Taylor case on a Web site that promotes his side business as a DJ in Miami Beach clubs. Although the articles could not be found on the site Wednesday, Sharpstein provided copies to reporters as well as the page - titled "links to my press coverage" - showing where the link had been located. Grieco did not immediately respond to telephone and e-mail messages seeking comment. A spokesman for Miami-Dade County State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle, who is Grieco's boss, also did not immediately return a call seeking comment. Taylor is charged with three counts of aggravated assault with a firearm and one misdemeanor battery charge stemming from a dispute with a group of people over all-terrain vehicles that Taylor owns. Taylor, a former University of Miami star, is free on $16,500 bail. Taylor has refused a plea deal in which he would receive probation in return for a guilty plea to a felony, Sharpstein said. Now replaced with this story Posted on Wed, Apr. 12, 2006 Redskins' Taylor's prosecutor steps aside CURT ANDERSON Associated Press MIAMI - The lead prosecutor in the assault case against Washington Redskins safety Sean Taylor stepped aside Wednesday after defense lawyers charged that he was using his prominence in the case to promote his moonlighting work as a nightclub disc jockey. Michael Grieco, the assistant state attorney handling the Taylor case, asked to be replaced because "he sees himself becoming the courtroom focus, rather than the individual charged with the criminal offense," said a statement from the office of his boss, Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle. The move came a few hours after Taylor's attorney Richard Sharpstein said he would seek dismissal of the charges because of "inappropriate and unethical" prosecutorial conduct by Grieco, who had posted news articles about the Taylor case on a Web site that promotes his side business as a DJ in Miami Beach clubs. "It's obvious he's exploiting his job as a prosecutor for private gain," Sharpstein said. "It has clouded his view of justice." After being told of Grieco's departure from the case, Sharpstein said: "Now we look forward to a fair and impartial prosecutor looking at this matter and doing the right thing, which is to dismiss this case." Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Mary Barzee agreed earlier Wednesday to delay the trial for a sixth time, this time from Monday until May 8. Taylor faces a minimum of three years in prison on each of three aggravated assault charges stemming from a June 1 armed confrontation in a Miami neighborhood. This latest development could mean even more delays. Grieco referred all calls seeking comment to Rundle. Rundle's statement said that nothing on the Web site "compromised the integrity of the Sean Taylor case" but that Grieco "unfortunately" did not delete messages and images sent to him by others. "The desire to smear a prosecutor and affect a potential jury pool is a reprehensible trial tactic," the statement added. Grieco's page on MySpace.com was still available until Wednesday afternoon, when it was a replaced with a message saying that "this user has either canceled their membership, or their account has been deleted." Before it was deleted, the page contained a short biography noting that Grieco works as a prosecutor in Miami and including a photo of a news conference featuring himself, Rundle and other officials. It also contained dozens of photos of young men and women - many of them scantily clad - accompanied by messages about the Miami bar scene and their comments about his abilities as a disc jockey. Sharpstein called some of the content "moderately pornographic" and not appropriate for a prosecutor. Taylor is charged with three counts of aggravated assault with a firearm and one misdemeanor battery charge stemming from a dispute with a group of people over all-terrain vehicles that Taylor owns. Taylor, a former University of Miami star, is free on $16,500 bail. Taylor has refused a plea deal in which he would receive a sentence of probation in return for a guilty plea to a felony, Sharpstein said. The News~Sentinel Fort Wayne.com Here's a link to an interview with Richard Sharpstein, Taylor's Attorney, and his comments on the matter. www.extremeskins.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeTice Posted April 12, 2006 Share Posted April 12, 2006 Here's a link to an interview with Richard Sharpstein, Taylor's Attorney, and his comments on the matter. www.extremeskins.com 1417618[/snapback] The site I am interested in is the semi-porno one. I believe it was Michael Grieco's MySpace site which has been removed. What a shame. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Score 1 Posted April 12, 2006 Author Share Posted April 12, 2006 The site I am interested in is the semi-porno one. I believe it was Michael Grieco's MySpace site which has been removed. What a shame. 1417625[/snapback] Never fear, Google cache is here. Grieco's site - now removed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Score 1 Posted April 13, 2006 Author Share Posted April 13, 2006 Blows me away that an assistant state attorney would have something like this on their web site. Only in America Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randall Posted April 13, 2006 Share Posted April 13, 2006 Sean Taylor's assault trial has been delayed for a sixth time, until May 8th, because of possible misconduct by the lead prosecutor. It's now scheduled for May 8th, but Taylor's lawyers are once again seeking a dismissal. The defense claims the the lead prosecutor was using the case to promote his moonlighting work as a nightclub disc jockey. That's a new one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Score 1 Posted May 8, 2006 Author Share Posted May 8, 2006 TRIAL PUSHED BACK YET AGAIN Redskins S Taylor's gun charges trial delayed again, to July 10 Associated Press 5/8/2006 Washington Redskins safety Sean Taylor has a new trial date in Miami on charges he pointed a gun during a dispute. The trial had been set to begin Monday, but a Miami-Dade Circuit Court judge set a new date of July 10th during a brief hearing. It's the seventh time the trial has been delayed. Taylor, who wasn't present at Monday's hearing, has pleaded not guilty and is free on bail. The latest delay happened after the prosecutor in the case resigned from the state attorney's office after defense lawyers claimed he was using the notoriety to promote his side business as a nightclub disc jockey. The lawyer had posted links to news coverage of the case on a personal Internet site. Taylor faces a faces a minimum of three years in prison on each of three aggravated assault charges. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randall Posted May 8, 2006 Share Posted May 8, 2006 The latest delay happened after the prosecutor in the case resigned from the state attorney's office after defense lawyers claimed he was using the notoriety to promote his side business as a nightclub disc jockey. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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