Wyoming Um Church Slates Community Candle Lighting Monday

Aiden M. Walsh

But Linnea Holdren then irks judge, trooper with comment



 

 
Holdren
 

 

WILKES-BARRE &ndash; Former teacher Linnea Holdren had just learned she would serve time at home instead of in jail on gun charges.
But then she pushed her luck.
She told Judge Chester Muroski on Thursday she wanted to witness police destroy the gun to make sure it was destroyed so police could not use it as a &ldquo;drop gun.&rdquo;
That phrase is used to imply that a police officer would shoot someone, then take her gun and drop it at the scene to cover up the officer&rsquo;s shooting.
Her remark didn&rsquo;t sit well with a state trooper.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m very appalled,&rdquo; state police Cpl. John Richards said after Muroski sentenced Holdren to nine months of house arrest and another year of probation. &ldquo;That does not occur.&rdquo;
Her words didn&rsquo;t go over well with Muroski, either. He warned Holdren he could extend portions of her sentence.
&ldquo;You&rsquo;re demonstrating hostility,&rdquo; he said.
Holdren&rsquo;s attorney, Michael Butera, later said the comment was his client&rsquo;s way of taking a verbal &ldquo;jab&rdquo; at Richards.
&ldquo;There&rsquo;s obviously bad blood between her and Corporal Richards,&rdquo; Butera said after court. &ldquo;She doesn&rsquo;t think he has treated her fairly. &hellip; She legitimately doesn&rsquo;t trust the man.&rdquo;
The exchange almost brought an end to the case that has dragged on for three years.
Richards charged Holdren, 45, of Ridge Road in Shickshinny, after her 11-year-old son took a loaded handgun to the Hunlock Creek Elementary School in November 2004. Holdren was a teacher at the school.
A jury in September found Holdren guilty of endangering the welfare of children and recklessly endangering another person.
As the jury foreperson began reading the verdict, Holdren got up from her chair and dashed toward the courtroom exit. She was subdued, taken to jail, then to a hospital.
Butera on Thursday told Muroski that Holdren is recovering from her mental problems and has been undergoing treatment.
And she has to continue that treatment, Assistant District Attorney Dan Zola said.
Zola also asked Muroski to issue an order keeping Holdren off school property. Zola said Holdren becomes emotional and upset every time something about her case surfaces. He&rsquo;s afraid those emotions could spill over if she&rsquo;s around the school or school officials.
&ldquo;God forbid something were to happen on school property,&rdquo; Zola said.
Muroski ordered Holdren to stay off school property &ndash; for now. Holdren will be monitored by an electronic ankle bracelet for the first three months of her probation.
Then she will be back in court. Muroski will then determine whether the bracelet could be removed.
He also wouldn&rsquo;t let her see the destruction of the weapon, a practice commonly done in cases where weapons are involved.
Zola said Muroski was &ldquo;very fair&rdquo; to Holdren, considering he could have sent her to jail.
But Butera thought the sentence was &ldquo;stern,&rdquo; considering the probationary period could have been lower. 
He does not foresee Holdren teaching in the near future.

Home Jail For Teacher Whose Son Had Gun In School