Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Mt. Lebo Family Blogs To Pressure DA In Daughter's Attack

Calling their daughter's beating a premeditated act with more sinister intentions, a Mt. Lebanon couple has hired a public relations firm and is publicly pressuring the district attorney to appeal a ruling that says the suspect can be tried as a juvenile.

In an exclusive interview Tuesday, Grace DeIuliis told WTAE Channel 4's Sheldon Ingram that an informant told police that Robertino DeAngelis talked about a plan to rape and kill Sarah DeIuliis.

The boy had "a backpack with duct tape, box cutter and other weapons in that backpack. I can only imagine what his intentions were," Grace DeIuliis said, breaking into tears.

Link: adulttimeforadultcrime.wordpress.com

Link: www.thepittsburghchannel.com/news/19495085/detail.html

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11 Comments:

Blogger Sharon Biasca said...

This is a disgraceful insult to the rule of law. This case has been - and continues to be - tried in the courts; it is an unacceptable affront to the judicial process for this family to use a public relations firm to pressure the district attorney. I would have expected a bit more from an elected official like Mr. Deluliis.

May 21, 2009 4:14 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Ms. Biasca, when you're done judging these people for how they are dealing with something that NO parent should ever have to deal with, please do me a favor - count your blessings.

May 21, 2009 9:23 PM  
Blogger Sharon Biasca said...

Mr. Franklin, I leave my judging to the courts.

May 21, 2009 10:51 PM  
Blogger Matthew said...

I have to agree with Dave here. It's easy to leave your judging to the courts if you are a third party. It's a bit harder if your child is the victim.

Society is better off when potential violent offenders are addressed early. If DeAngelis gets off with a slap on the hand, he may unfortunately get the message that this sort of behavior is acceptable.

May 22, 2009 6:03 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Ms. Biasca, the last thing I wanted to do was debate this sensitive topic, but I do feel compelled to set the record straight. While some of the family's statements about the accused have been negative, I'm certainly not going to fault them for that. I can't imagine what it must be like to go through something like this with your child. However, please also understand that the only significant event that has occurred to date in this case is a decision that the accused should be tried as a juvenile instead of an adult. This decision was made by a judge, not a jury. This ruling was appealable. The party who would have appealed the ruling is the District Attorney. The District Attorney is an elected official. In such capacity, his decisions are NOT beyond review or criticism by the general public. The victim's family IS entitled to "judge" the performance of this elected official and the decisions he is making outside of the courtroom. If the victim's family elects to criticize or judge his performance or lobby him for a new course of action, that is certainly within their right as residents of Allegheny County.

May 22, 2009 10:12 AM  
Anonymous David Huston said...

The DA is taking into account the defendant's injuries, which should not be a consideration because they happened after the fact.

May 22, 2009 11:53 AM  
Blogger Sharon Biasca said...

Mr. Franklin, I am an attorney and I work in the Juvenile Court system, so I understand fully the legal posture of the case. While I have compassion for all victims and their families,I also believe in the rule of law, which is not served when the wealthy attempt to intimidate those who are charged with administering justice. Ultimately, we will have to agree to disagree about this matter. Respectfully, I ask you to consider just one thing: Two children were injured on that day, as well as two families.

May 22, 2009 3:44 PM  
Blogger Marjorie E. Crist, Esq. said...

Another lawyer weighing in on this one. I see nothing wrong or disgraceful with what the family has done. They have every right to speak out, speak publicly and frankly speak as loudly as they can or want concerning a decision of the DA they disagree with. The DA is an elected official. Maybe the website won't alter his decision but it shapes public opinion as to the job he is doing in the DA's office.

As for Mr. Delulius' public position as an elected official I don't recall any constitutional case that says an individual loses his/her right to speech at the point of being elected. Their daughter is the victim of an attempted homicide and carries with her physical and emotional injuries that will last a lifetime. Now she and they must face the very real probability his punishment won't match the crime committed against her which no doubt feels like "the rule of law" insulting her. If Sarah doesn't look over her shoulder on reflex as a result of the emotional scars of being attacked in such a vicious manner she is one brave young woman. No doubt the chance of the defendant being released from any state imposed supervision/incarceration at age 21 will cause more emotional injury to her as she most surely will live in fear.

Different note to the same topic... I've noticed that when this "story" is mentioned here no one ever comments. We shy away from the topic...it's "sensitive", we are "reluctant to comment" (no offense meant to Mike and Dave). Yet as a woman in this community and lawyer who deals with domestic abuse cases it is a critically important event to talk about. A girl was attacked, hurt, a victim of attempted homicide. The defendant who was raised and educated in this community did it for what reason? A sense of "ownership"? Of power over her? Or that all too common belief I and my law partner see in PFA court all the time of "if I can't have her no one can?" We sweep the sensitive topic under the rug and yet it should be discussed publicly. Maybe that is also a part of what the family is doing with it's website. Sick of sitting on the sidelines in silence they dare open their own mouths and expose themselves publicly. Disgraceful insult? I call it brave.

May 22, 2009 8:02 PM  
Blogger Marjorie E. Crist, Esq. said...

Sorry that was me, Marjie Crist, posting above....damn rules!! ;)

Marjie Crist

May 22, 2009 8:05 PM  
Anonymous David Huston said...

Mr. Madison, I tried to explain the defendant was injured upon jumping in front of a moving light rail transit vehicle after performing an alleged criminal act.
I also tried to explain the DA is considering the defendant's injuries while determining the juvenile/adult status of the defendant.
I also explained the DA should not use the attempted suicide defense when considering the attempted murder charges.
Is this clearer for you to understand?

May 23, 2009 1:41 PM  
Blogger Mike Madison said...

That's clearer, so I deleted my earlier comment that questioned yours.

May 23, 2009 2:24 PM  

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