Assault trial postponed
A federal prosecutor has requested a postponement in the trial of Kevin V. Hannig, who allegedly assaulted Kenneth J. Houck Jr. last year at the Federal Detention Center in Philadelphia.
The trial was scheduled for Nov. 19.
But Houck, who is openly gay, continues to recover from his injuries at a federal medical center in North Carolina.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Neumann Leverett 3d said in a Nov. 2 motion that Houck’s presence at the trial is “essential.”
On Nov. 7, Judge William H. Yohn Jr. granted a continuance until 10 a.m. Jan. 22, 2013, in Courtroom 14B of the U.S. Court House, 601 Market Street.
Hannig is charged with causing serious bodily harm to Houck, as well as aiding and abetting the attack on him, which allegedly took place Nov. 10, 2011.
Houck, 37, was reading a gay novel inside his cell at the detention center when Hannig and another male allegedly attacked him, breaking his right-leg tibia and fibula bones.
Hannig, 35, faces up to 10 years in federal prison if convicted.
W. Chris Montoya, an attorney for Hannig, had no comment.
Houck is slated to be released in 2018 after pleading guilty to one count of transporting child pornography.
Schneller continues Conshy challenge
Anti-LGBT activist James D. Schneller has asked a Montgomery County judge to reconsider the dismissal of his legal challenge to Conshocken’s LGBT-inclusive antibias ordinance.
Schneller filed the request Nov. 8, in response to last month’s dismissal of his case by Judge Bernard A. Moore.
In his latest motion, Schneller claims borough officials discriminated against him as a Christian when enacting the ordinance, and retaliated against him for expressing his Christian views at council meetings.
He’s seeking an unspecified amount in compensatory and punitive damages.
Schneller, who lives in Radnor, has embroiled the borough in litigation relating to the ordinance for more than a year.
The borough council has asked Moore to bar Schneller from filing additional challenges to the ordinance, but Moore hasn’t ruled on that request at press time.
In a separate case, the borough council is seeking about $18,000 in attorney’s fees and costs from Schneller that were incurred while defending the ordinance. That case will be assigned to an arbitration board.
Michael J. Savona, the borough solicitor, said borough officials are implementing the ordinance despite Schneller’s opposition.
“We have no more concern that the court is going to disturb our ordinance,” Savona told PGN. “Council has moved forward, appointed members to the Human Relations Commission and we’re prepared to receive any complaints, should they be filed.”
Schneller couldn’t be reached for comment. — Tim Cwiek