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Criminal Defense

JURY FINDS TEACHER INNOCENT OF FONDLING STUDENT AFTER ONLY 35 MINUTES OF DELIBERATION

A teacher from West Long Branch was acquitted of charges that he sexually molested a 12 year old student during a science class at a Jackson school.  In May, an Ocean County jury deliberated for about 35 minutes before reaching its verdict that PL was Innocent of charges that he sexually assaulted a female student.

Mr. L. was indicted in May of 1999 on a second-degree assault charge and on a third-degree charge of endangering the welfare of a minor.  Mr. L. had taught in the district for 32 years.  He was suspended without pay after the indictment.  Norm Hobbie argued that the girl had given as many as seven contradictory statements between the date of the incident and when a detective telephoned her to report that another classmate and reported the sexual molestation.  The victim repeated the same story without mentioning the sexual contact to police, and the vice-principal.  They did eight interviews in 24 hours and the girl made no mention of the touching of her breast.

If Mr. L. had been convicted he could have been sentenced to 10 years in prison.  Now he will seek to be returned to the classroom.