Pennsylvania News Briefs

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<b>First Posted:</b> 4/17/2008<br><br>WILKES-BARRE &amp;ndash; Now that confusion over who will defend suspect Harlow Cuadra has settled, a judge on Tuesday was able to resolve several other disputes in the ongoing homicide case.
Luzerne County Judge Peter Paul Olszewski Jr. scheduled the trial of Cuadra and Joseph Kerekes to begin Sept. 2.
They are awaiting trial in the January 2007 death of Bryan Kocis. Investigators claim the two Virginia men killed Kocis, their rival in the gay porn industry, inside his Dallas Township home and then set the house on fire. Kocis, 44, was found dead by firefighters. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for both suspects.
Assistant District Attorney Mike Melnick expects his case to last about two weeks. Defense attorneys for both suspects said they expect their cases to last two to three days.
But if the suspects are tried separately, only one of them will go to trial in September. 
Cuadra could still appeal a ruling that forbids attorney Demetrius Fannick from defending him, essentially putting off Cuadra&amp;rsquo;s trial for about a year.
The judge on Tuesday also gave Cuadra&amp;rsquo;s attorneys, Steve Menn, Michael Senape and Paul Galante, until May 9 to file pre-trial motions. 
He also ordered prosecutors to revamp their list of witnesses who are expected to rebut Kerekes&amp;rsquo; alibi defense.
Kerekes&amp;rsquo; attorneys, John Pike, Mark Bufalino and Shelley Centini, have said they might present a defense to show Kerekes was at a Plains Township motel when Kocis was being killed. Prosecutors later presented a list of 385 potential witnesses to rebut that.
But Kerekes&amp;rsquo; attorneys said the response was illegal because many of the witnesses had not been contacted about their potential testimony, and the attorneys would need more resources and time to interview all 385.
Olszewski on Tuesday said the prosecution&amp;rsquo;s list must contain only witnesses who have knowledge that Kerekes was not at the motel at the time.
Melnick said that will significantly reduce the list.
Olszewski has yet to rule on whether Kerekes&amp;rsquo; charges should be dismissed for a lack of evidence and whether he has to undergo a psychiatric evaluation for prosecutors, as they had requested.

Cuadra, Kerekes trial in Kocis case set for Sept. 2