Judge rules against convicted killer
Frank R.
Chester, the convicted killer of gay artist Anthony Milano, has received a setback in his quest for a new trial.
On May 22, U.S. District Judge C. Darnell Jones 2d ruled that Chester’s trial attorney, Thomas F. Edwards Jr., didn’t have a conflict of interest while representing Chester.
At the time of Chester’s 1988 trial, Edwards had a pending DUI charge, which Chester contends in part kept Edwards from being conflict-free.
But Jones rejected that contention.
“At the end of the day, nothing [Chester] has provided to this court establishes that a conflict of interest existed which deprived [Chester] of his Sixth Amendment right to counsel,” Jones wrote. “The existence of potentially different trial strategies that might have been employed by counsel is not enough. Instead, [Chester] must demonstrate that the pending DUI charge against Edwards caused him to adversely change his trial strategy and/or fail to employ certain methods in his trial strategy. [Chester] has failed to do so.”
Daniel A. Silverman, an attorney for Chester, had no comment for this story. But in court papers, Silverman indicated that an appeal will be filed in the Third Circuit Court of Appeals.
Chester and Richard R. Laird were convicted of first-degree murder in the 1987 slashing death of Milano, and sentenced to death. Laird received a new trial in 2007, and he was re-convicted of first-degree murder and re-sentenced to death.
Laird’s request for a new trial is pending before Bucks County Common Pleas Court Judge Rea B. Boylan.
Stephen B. Harris, chief of appeals for the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office, said the commonwealth will continue to oppose new trials for both men.
Laird, 49, remains on death row at a state prison in Greene County.
Chester, 44, remains on death row at a state prison in Graterford.
No settlement in Burnett case
A settlement conference was held last week in the federal employment-discrimination case of Bobbie E. Burnett, but no settlement was reached.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Lynne A. Sitarskie presided at the May 31 conference.
Burnett, a city library assistant, claims she suffered ongoing workplace harassment and discrimination due to her transgender status.
She’s suing the city and four coworkers for an unspecified amount of damages, alleging violations of state and federal laws dating back to 2001, shortly after she transitioned to the opposite gender.
Her lawsuit alleges constitutional violations of right to due process, equal protection under the law, freedom of expression and other rights.
She’s also suing under Title 7 of the Civil Rights of 1964 for alleged discrimination on account of her sex.
Additionally, Burnett alleges that four of her coworkers intentionally inflicted emotional distress upon her, which is prohibited under state law.
The case is in the discovery phase of litigation, and a jury trial is expected in the fall.
Brian J. Pierce, a city attorney handling the case, declined to comment.
John W. Beavers, an attorney for Burnett, also had no comment.
— Tim Cwiek
Free screening of ‘The Out List’
The Free Library of Philadelphia, 1901 Vine St., will host a free screening of new documentary “The Out List” at 7:30 p.m. June 10.
The documentary was filmed by Timothy Greenfield-Sanders and tells intimate stories from LGBT celebrities, activists and politicians such as Ellen DeGeneres, Neil Patrick-Harris, Christine Quinn, Wanda Sykes and more.
Recording devices are not permitted for the screening. Greenfield-Sanders will be present for a question-and-answer session after the screening.
NBC to back nonprofits
NBC10 Philadelphia this week announced the launch of its 21 Century Solutions, an annual grant program for local nonprofits.
The program, which is in partnership with the NBCUniversal Foundation, will award 30 grants totaling $1.2 million to nonprofit organizations in 10 markets across the country, including Philadelphia.
Organizations that focus on civic engagement, education, environment, jobs and economic empowerment, media arts and technology are encouraged to apply. One winner and two runners-up will be selected from each participating city.
Applications will be accepted for the grants until July 31. For more information, visit https://online.foundationsource.com/public/home/NBCUniversalFoundation.
— Angela Thomas