Players' pretrial conference postponed
The pretrial conference for Penn State football players Anthony Scirrotto and Chris Baker was postponed yesterday.
Scirrotto and Baker are facing charges from an altercation police said they were involved in last spring in a downtown apartment.
However, Ron McGlaughlin, Scirrotto's attorney, said the pretrial conference has been moved to Nov. 20. The continuance was issued to allow more time to prepare, McGlaughlin said, adding that the district attorney's office is preparing for two murder trials beginning next week.
Centre County District Attorney Michael Madeira said last week it's a possibility that more charges could be pressed against Scirrotto. However, nothing has been finalized, as Madeira has said it is something he is "looking into."
Scirrotto, a starting safety, had originally faced seven charges, five of which were dropped in August. He still faces charges of criminal trespass and harassment.
Baker, a redshirt sophomore defensive tackle, faces charges of criminal trespass, harassment, simple assault, criminal mischief and disorderly conduct.
Man challenges robbery charges
A Bellefonte man charged in connection with a string of robberies this summer challenged several of the commonwealth's accusations on Tuesday.
Police arrested George S. Patton, 32, and his sister, Caroll Patton, 36, in early August, charging the pair with a slew of robbery and criminal conspiracy charges.
G. Patton's appointed attorney, public defender Deborah Lux, argued in a writ of habeas corpus that because his sister admitted in testimony that she had no knowledge of the robberies, charges of criminal conspiracy against her client are unfounded and should be dropped.
Lux also challenged the commonwealth's claim that Patton robbed Laubscher's Grocery in Howard borough, one of his nine robbery charges. A witness, who was in the store's parking lot at the time, testified that a masked man entered the store, but realized no clerk was on duty and quickly left without taking property, according to court documents.
Lux is asking for dismissal of 17 of Patton's criminal charges. His pretrial conference is scheduled for Nov. 20.
