By Bill Wolcott
The 13-month case concerning three former Wilson Central School varsity baseball players has been adjourned again, but the end may be in sight. The state police investigation into the state police investigation might take a little longer, however.
Town Justice George Berger gave the defense lawyers and Assistant District Attorney Robert Zucco until June 9 to work out a plea agreement for Geoffrey A. Seefeldt, 18; Colton Sherman, 17, and Christopher Sidote, 17. The defendants were silent in front of the judge. The lawyers spoke softly.
The trial date for former Wilson baseball coaches William Atlas and Thomas Baia who are charged in connection with a reported hazing incident has been set for July 6.
According to WGRZ, New York State Police in Albany confirmed an internal investigation into allegations of improper police actions in the hazing incident, which occurred on April 17, 2008.
Defense lawyers had argued in court during a Huntley Hearing in January that state police investigators were overly anxious to interview the teens without legal counsel or a parent present. Mark Guglielmi, who represents Seefeldt, and Andrew Vona, who represents Sidote, said they didn’t ignite the Albany investigation.
Guglielmi said, “I don’t have any information about it. I’m still trying to get my hands around it.”
A trial date had been set for June 20. If there is a trial for Seefeldt, Sherman and Sidote, Berger ruled it will be held behind closed doors because of the teens’ youthful offender status.
Zucco said a plea deal is a possibility, but there is not a complete package.
“If the right plea comes around, we will take it,” Vona said. “They know what it is. They’ve known what it is from day one. We haven’t gotten there.”
He said Sidote will not plead to a misdemeanor and he won’t let his client plead to anything more than what actually happened.
“He would never admit to a crime he didn’t commit,” Vona said. “At most, a lot of kids were harassing a few kids and you can color that any way you want, but that’s really all that happened here. It’s unfortunate that three of these kids have been called from the mix of 20 or 30 as being guilty of that conduct when I don’t think they were any were more guilty than the others.”
Seefeldt, Sidote and Sherman are all charged with first- and second-degree hazing and personal touching.
“I’m not worried about sentencing on harassment on a kid with no priors,” Vona said. “I think they’ve already served a much harsher sentence than anyone in history has served for not having any priors.”
