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THURSDAY, MARCH 31, 2011
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Area man acquitted of rape
Daniel Drury Sr. testified false allegation he assaulted girl was result of charge he filed. By SHEENA DELAZIO sdelazio@timesleader.com
WILKES-BARRE – After nearly seven hours of deliberations, a Luzerne County jury acquitted a Nanticoke man of raping an 11year-old girl in 2002. The jury of 11 men and one woman found Daniel Drury Sr., not guilty of five related charges, including rape of a child. “I’m not guilty,” Drury, 46, said while leaving the Bernard C. “It’s all Brominski because of courthouse building allegations…that Wednesday evening. “It’s all because of allesomeone has to go gations…that someone has to through go through this because of a this bebad divorce. It’s cause of a a shame…” Drury’s attorbad diney, Thomas vorce. …” Cometa, said Daniel Drury Sr. he is happy the of Nanticoke jury listened to evidence and gave the case great thought before delivering its verdict of not guilty on charges of rape of a person under 13 years old, aggravated indecent assault, incest, indecent assault and corruption of minors. Prosecutors alleged Drury raped the girl shortly after her 11th birthday in 2002. The now 19-year-old woman did not report the incident until 2008 when she began having vivid nightmares, she testified Monday. The woman cried while the verdict was read Wednesday evening, while members of Drury’s family hugged and gave Drury the thumbs-up.
BILL TARUTIS/FOR THE TIMES LEADER
Daniel Drury Sr. leaves the Brominski Building on Wednesday after being found not guilty of raping an 11 year-old girl in 2002.
Cometa said the delay in reporting the incident could be one factor the jury weighed in its verdict. Luzerne County Senior Judge Joseph Augello, who presided over the trial, said Drury will be released from the county prison pending any detainers. Drury testified Tuesday he believed the alleged rape story was fabricated against him in retaliation for filing harassment charges against his ex-wife. He testified that in 2008 he filed harassment charges against his ex-wife, Gail, and that at a hearing before a district judge both were found not guilty of harassment. He said he had a drinking problem at the time, and rather than "getting drunk and doing something stupid," he had been planning for some time to move to Florida and decided to follow
through with his plans. He said he moved to Florida in late 2008, not because he wanted to flee Nanticoke to avoid getting arrested, but because he wanted to start a new life away from his ex-wife and his drinking problem. He said he had no idea charges were being filed against him. He said he knew Luzerne County Children and Youth Services had conducted an investigation on him, but he added that he thought that investigation was closed. Drury also said he did speak with Nanticoke police about the alleged incident, but the police never told him they were filing charges against him and never told him not to leave Nanticoke. Nanticoke police, Drury said, never said they didn’t believe him when he denied the allegations, and said they would call him if they needed him.
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most horrible situation,” said Sarnevitz. They showed resilience despite how badly they were treated, and with some outside assistance were able to practice their faith, said Kaplan. “They smuggled in prayer books,” he said. The other displays throughout a large room on the first floor of the center showed children’s touches. “This is the Learning Fair which is held annually,” said Rabbi Raphael Nemetsky, who is also the school principal. All different areas of the curriculum are covered. The Book of Genesis was presented from beginning to end by second- and third-graders who
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amicably resolve the matter. He accused Raup and Hayward, who contacted the media regarding complaints about the sale, of trying to politicize the issue despite the fact that the Little League is happy with the resolution. “There was never an issue.
S. JOHN WILKIN/THE TIMES LEADER
The sign over the model of the Auschwitz concentration camp translates as ‘Work brings freedom.’
used cutouts, toy animals and handmade replicas of the biblical characters to tell the story. The school’s 52 students from pre-school to eighth grade partici-
pated in the fair. “I’m proud of our students. They put so much into their displays,” said Sandra Himelstein, school administrator.
City officials met with officials from the Little League,” Leighton said. “We came to a solution that we would assist them with the construction of a building there.” Raup said the storage facility is only part of the issue, however. She’s also concerned about the fate of a veterans monument consisting of an engraved headstone and flag pole located in front of the firehouse. The monument is on land that was includ-
ed with the sale. Raup said the monument is the focal point of the annual Memorial Day parade. She is concerned the public will no longer have access to it. Leighton said the city included a stipulation in the sales agreement with Lombardo that ensures the public will continue to have access to the monument. The stipulation is binding upon any future buyers of the property as well, he said.
Prosecutors can seek witness ID in ‘Melrose’ star crash The Associated Press
SOMERVILLE, N.J. — A judge has ruled that prosecutors in a case stemming from a fatal car crash involving a former "Melrose Place" actress can seek the
identity of a person who claimed on a newspaper website that he was a witness and that authorities were "lying about the facts." Prosecutors say TV and movie actress Amy Locane-Bovenizer,
of Hopewell, was driving drunk at the time of the crash. They say her sport utility vehicle hit a sedan driven by a Montgomery man who was turning into his driveway, killing the man’s wife.
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