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Nazareth, Pa., United States

Friday, June 08, 2012

Easton NAACP Prez Acquitted on Theft Charges

Easton Barristers Josh Fulmer, Colin Monahan & Phil Lauer
John Moses Robinson, President of the Easton NAACP and Prison Advisory Board member, has been acquitted of criminal charges that he stole $55,000 from his mother-in-law. A jury of 9 women and 3 men reached a "not guilty" verdict last night, after a four-day trial. They deliberated for little more than an hour.

Robinson's estranged wife thought she'd be getting that money, even though her mother actually lived with Robinson and his three children.

"I have been told we have a verdict, although I don't know what it is," Judge Michael Koury announced as he came into the courtroom.

While everyone waited for the jury, an apprehensive Robinson sat next to lawyers Phil Lauer and Colin Monahan. Robinson's children sat in the row behind their Dad. Five deputy sheriffs were strategically located throughout the courtroom.

While waiting, onlookers whispered to each other about just when the jury left to deliberate, 6:15 PM or 6:25 PM. "The jury went out to deliberate at 6:11 PM," answered Judge Koury. "The acoustics in this room are excellent!"

Either that, or he has superpowers.

Veteran prosecutor Mike Filingo arrived a few minutes before the jury, with a disgusted look on his face. He seemed to sense he had a loser.

There were three charges, so the jury's foreman had to answer "Not Guilty" three times. But as soon as he announced the first "Not guilty" verdict, there was a visible sign of relief from the largely pro-Robinson crowd.

After announcing their verdicts, Judge Koury thanked the jury. "Thank you for staying here late tonight. You have arrived early and stayed late. You have served the County of Northampton very well and you are free to go." He then turned to Robinson. "Mr. Robinson, you have been found Not Guilty by a jury of your peers. You are free to go."

It was only then that Robinson, dressed in his finest, began to really cry. Turning around, he reached out for his children and they all hugged each other. His nightmare is finally over.

Normally very talkative, a very relieved Robinson had few words after the verdict. Joined by his children, he quickly left the courthouse.

All the might and power of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania had been brought to bear against him. That even included Northampton County Controller Steve Barron. I knew he already considers himself a County Executive, asbestos investigator and union organizer. Apparently, he's a criminal investigator, too. Although absent for the verdict, rendered at dinner time, the $65,000 per year Controller spent the entire week sitting in on this trial.

How can Barron audit the DA's office when he works for them? Isn't that a built-in conflict? And while he's running around playing detective, who's minding the finances of Northampton County?

At the magistrate's level, Barron essentially usurped the fact finding role reserved to juries. In addition to detailing Robinson's bank transactions, Barron would add they were "interesting," raised red flags and even revealed a "veil of deceit."

Thanks to a good defense team and a fair prosecutor, this nonsense stopped once a jury got involved. Lead defense attorney Phil Lauer, objecting to Barron's qualifications as some kind of fraud expert, filed a motion in limine to preclude the County's supposed fiscal watchdog from essentially telling the jury that Robinson is guilty.

After some initial opposition, prosecutor Filingo agreed, especially since it appeared likely that Judge Koury would rule in Lauer's favor anyway. To his credit, Filingo kept Barron on a tight leash during the trial, shutting the Controller down when he still tried to stray into matters that are beyond his competence.

As a result, Barron had little to say.

You might say justice was done because Robinson was innocent anyway ... or because he had good character witnesses ... or because a jury saw through Robinson's estranged wife, who wanted that money for herself. You might even be right.

I say justice has nothing to do with it. Robinson won because he had a good legal team.

Easton lawyers Phil Lauer, Josh Fulmer and Colin Monahan did a great job in jury selection, making sure that the jury of Robinson's peers actually included three African Americans. And 9 women? That's obviously because Lauer was going to argue that this was a "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned" case, as opposed to a criminal matter. Although it's hard to generalize, you do that in jury selection, and women do tend to be tougher on each other than they are on men.

In addition to picking a sympathetic jury, Lauer effectively clipped the Controller's wings.

If the Commonwealth ever decides all its resources down on you, it helps to be innocent. But you better have a good lawyer, too. Fortunately, Robinson had one of the best.

Colin Monahan, incidentally, is the son of another good criminal defense lawyer, Brian Monahan. This was Colin's first criminal trial. I told him to quit now and he can claim he is undefeated.

26 comments:

Anonymous said...

Phil Lauer is good1

Anonymous said...

Wow! any connection due to his invovlement in the prison board??Seemed like a slam dunk.

Anonymous said...

phil is the best....bar none......only phil could have gotten this dude off

Anonymous said...

wtf...barron?

Anonymous said...

At the end of the day, the guy is still associated with what has become America's premier hate group. He's still guilty by association with them.

Anonymous said...

Bernie
We don't have time right now to read your excellent explanation of this case but will tomorrow. Do you agree with the verdict?

Anonymous said...

Phil is a great lawyer.

Anonymous said...

Isn't the position for Controller now a Full Time Job, I never see him at the Controller's Office. When he ran against Schimmel, he said he would be a Full Time Controller. Is he running campaigns from his office. I believe he should be investigated.

Anonymous said...

He walks around all day listening to an ipod and striking up conversations. In the alternative he can be found watching trials all day.

The guy is a real dud.

Bernie O'Hare said...

" Do you agree with the verdict?"

I do. Knowing Robinson, I think it is highly unlikely that he would set out to intentionally deceive anyone. knowing Robinson, I think it is highly likely that he was sloppy with his financial records.

But it does not matter whether I agree. A jury who heard all the evidence (I did not) exonerated him after he was vigorously prosecuted. I think Filingo could have gone for the win by tainting Robinson the way Barron did, but Filingo played it straight.

The verdict actually speaks well of the DA's office, even though it lost the case. They thought it was more important to be fair than to win.

Bernie O'Hare said...

"At the end of the day, the guy is still associated with what has become America's premier hate group."

Are you talking about Robinson or Barron and his involvement with public sector unions?

Anonymous said...

Bernie, yes. Touche'.

Anonymous said...

Why five deputies? Isn't that getting a little ridiculous? No wonder we have tax increases.

Anonymous said...

Here's an old sayin.....

Better that a Guilty person go free, than an innocent man be convicted.

Anonymous said...

This case was BS anyway as I recollect from the newspaper accounts. His wife's mother obviously trusted him more than her own daughter which is why she apparently gave him control over the money in the first place. I know John and he always struck me as a straight up guy and I'm just glad to see justice done.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Bernie O'Hare said...

I have deleted an attempt by the Wicked Witch of West Easton to draw readers to her blog. I refuse to link to hate blogs and will not allow her to do so, ether.

Anonymous said...

Bernie, I am a bit confused. Why was the County controller even involved in this case? I don't get the connection.

As Controller what possible part of this had anything to do with him?

I have tried to figure it out but come up with blanks. Was he acting as a private citizen? Also why would he spend an entire week sitting in on a proceeding, if he were not a part of it?

Bernie O'Hare said...

Barron has injected himself into many areas where a Controller does not belong. In addition to invading T-Mobile with a union, he has demanded that the state EPA investigate the County for asbestos problems. In the DA's office, he volunteered his services as a so-called fraud examiner, even though he is not even an accountant. He has testified in several cases, but Phil Lauer questioned whether he is really qualified. The DA's office decided they better not let that question be answered, and used him only as a summary witness, to detail bank transactions. He spent the entire week in a courtroom, on that case, instead of doing the job he was elected to do.

Anonymous said...

if this boy had been white he would have been convicted. be sides that this blog is not about this boy - it is about your hatred of barron. TR is right - u r such a shallow and little man.

Callahan will not even allow u in county buildings

Bernie O'Hare said...

Whether the full-time County Controller should inject himself into criminal cases is a legitimate question. Instead of doing the job he was elected to do, he is trying to raise his public profile for the next office he seeks. But now that he is doing work for the DA, how can he audit him?

And No, I don't like public officials like this at all.

Anonymous said...

Typical Barron stunt...show boat express.

Anonymous said...

9:59 "this boy"

Why is a black man a boy?

Bernie O'Hare said...

He's nearly a 70 year-old "boy." Haters gonna' hate.

Bernie O'Hare said...

You'll also note the coward refused to identify herself.

Anonymous said...

Unbelievable. Do you people know that it's 2012? WTF is with all of the tongue in cheek comments from anonymous posters about "boys" and if he was white he would have been convicted.

I continue to be dismayed with how racist the Lehigh Valley can be under the surface sometimes.

And by the way, we are all from Africa about 50,000 years ago --- it is clear, decided science.

When Jesus gets back with the pork chops, I'm going to refer him to your comments....