 |
| The Freeman’s Journal 100 such signs have been distributed in the village. |
By JIM KEVLIN : COOPERSTOWN
With the trial of Anthony Pacherille, 17, in the Good Friday 2010 shooting just six weeks away, his family and friends are seeking to express the view that the boy is mentally ill to as many people as possible.
In recent days, “Save Anthony” lawn signs have appeared through the village. Anthony’s father, Tony, said he ordered 100 and they were snapped up so quickly he’s ordered another 200.
Village homes were also leafletted last weekend with fliers telling Anthony’s story in a sympathetic way. His father said friends of the family had taken on that project, but he didn’t know how many of the 900 village homes had received the material.
The lawn signs and leaflets direct people to www.pacherille.com, which tells the story to date from the
view of family and friends, contains photos from throughout Anthony’s boyhood, and includes a video of his last piano concert before the shooting.
Also, the teen’s mother, Kathy, has been collecting signatures countywide on a petition asking District Attorney John Muehl to recognize Anthony is suffering from mental illness, and to show “compassion and mercy.” The father said more than 600 people have signed the petition.
“The common thread is that these citizens in no way condone the events of April 2, 2010, but, nevertheless, are equally bothered by the unnecessary and destructive harshness of the proposed prison sentence,” the petition reads.
Asked if this final push was an effort to spread the word as far and wide as possible locally, so the trial will be moved out of Otsego County, Tony Pacherille, a lawyer himself, said he thinks the district attorney will probably interpret it that way.
Rather, he said, “we are just exercising our First Amendment right to try and educate the public.” It is very difficult, he added, to obtain a change of venue in New York State.
No comments:
Post a Comment