It is possible a bishop’s lawyers lied to protect him? Last month, lawyers for Bishop Thomas O’Brien—the former bishop of Phoenix who resigned after being charged in a fatal hit-and-run—claimed that they had discovered the mystery second car involved in the accident, where the police couldn’t. But on Wednesday, prosecutors said O’Brien’s lawyers had staged a “publicity stunt.” O’Brien’s lead attorney said he bought the car in October and kept it secret for 10 weeks before telling the court and prosecutors, trying to make the point that the police weren’t trying very hard to track down all the evidence, including evidence that may clear his client. That’s made-for-TV courtroom drama right there. Except it was just as fictional.
“There is no evidence whatsoever to suggest in any way that vehicle was involved in a collision with Jim Reed,” Deputy County Attorney Anthony Novitsky said. Novitsky said a special team of investigators from the Phoenix Police Department had examined the car and determined it clearly wasn’t involved. “It was a publicity stunt,” Novitsky said.
Sounds like the bishop’s still not getting good advice from the people he surrounds himself with.
Why is there even a trial? O’Brien admitted guilt. He should take a plea of guilty to a reduced charge and stop wasting time. (Ok—O’Brien denies knowledge that he was aware that he struck a human being. Tell that to the jury.)