In the news today is a ruling from the Appellate Court over Luzerne County Courts stricking JOINT TRIALS for two men involved in a Murder Case. TimesLeader

If, as The State alleges, Harlow Cuadra says statements that incriminate Joseph Kerekes in the Black’s Beach Tapes, it appears, based on a recent ruling in Luzerne County, that Harlow Cuadra’s statements and the Black’s Beach Tapes cannot be used against Joseph Kerekes at trial UNLESS HARLOW CUADRA TESTIFIES AGAINST KEREKES at Joseph Kerekes’ trial. And, as a result of the above, one would then conclude that,

1. Joseph Kerekes’ jailhouse interview statements against Harlow Cuadra can not be used at a trial against Harlow Cuadra UNLESS JOSEPH KEREKES TESTIFIES AGAINST HARLOW CUADRA at Harlow Cuadra’s trial.

2. Possibly, the Black’s Beach Tapes cannot be used against Harlow Cuadra unless “the other people in the tape” and “the people who produced the tape” are available for cross-examination by Cuadra’s attorneys at Cuadra’s trial.

In Luzerne County, Paul Weakley and Hugo Selenski are facing murder charges. Paul Weakley led police to the bodies of the vitcims and detailed certain aspects of Selenski’s alleged role in the deaths.

State law allows prosecutors to use Weakley’s statements, in full, against Weakley. But they would not be able to use them against Selenski at his trial unless Weakley testified, because Selenski’s attorneys would be unable to cross-examine Weakley about the statements. TimesLeader