The prosecution of Cyril H. Wecht Index to Post-Gazette coverage of the case January 27, 2008 12:00 AM
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Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Cyril H. Wecht
The federal government ended its long investigation and criminal prosecution of former Allegheny County Coroner Cyril H. Wecht on June 2, 2009, when U.S. Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan's office filed a motion to dismiss all counts against him. Federal prosecutors had accused him of crimes including wire and mail fraud and theft of honest services.
The investigation of Dr. Wecht became public in early 2005. His trial began on Jan. 28, 2008, but ended in mistrial on April 8, 2008, when the jury deadlocked. In the months that followed, prosecutors and the defense team wrangled over a retrial until May 14, 2009, when a federal judge issued an order suppressing much of the evidence. That decision led Ms. Buchanan's office to file its motion to dismiss, which a federal judge signed the same day.
In their case, federal prosecutors had contended that Dr. Wecht misused his public office for private gain, improperly availing himself of the staff and resources of the coroner's office to run errands and aid him in his personal life and private pathology business.
Throughout the prosecution, Dr. Wecht's principal attorneys, Jerry McDevitt and Mark Rush, maintained their client's innocence.
Below are links to background on the case, including a timeline with links to Post-Gazette coverage, bios of key participants, and court documents. |
