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Area officials: Threat of school closings may be only way to end state budget battle

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Testimony began at zoning hearing on property next to O’Malia farm in Plains Township

<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; Luzerne County prosecutors are challenging a post-conviction relief appeal by Helen Galli, currently serving a prison term for poisoning her son&#8217;s girlfriend.</p><p>Documents filed Monday in the Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas by District Attorney Stefanie Salavantis and Assistant District Attorney James McMonagle Jr. addressed several issues, including arguments that testimony should have been dismissed as hearsay, and called for a hearing to argue against Galli&#8217;s claims.</p><p>Galli, 84, had moved for her conviction to be overturned on the grounds her counsel was ineffective at trial. Among her arguments, Galli claims her attorney failed to object to testimony from Dawn Simyan, who Galli allegedly poisoned with antifreeze.</p><p>Simyan testified that Victor Galli, her boyfriend at the time of the incident, said, &#8220;Drink this; my mother said it will make you feel better.&#8221;</p><p>Galli <a href="https://www.timesleader.com/archive/286304/news-local-news-898362-defiant-helen-galli-found-guilty" target="_blank">was found guilty in October 2013</a> of aggravated assault, simple assault and reckless endangerment. She was sentenced to 5&#189; to 12 years in state prison.</p><p>During the trial, Assistant District Attorney Frank McCabe described Galli as being jealous of her son for spending so much time with Simyan, his then-girlfriend of three years, and that the antifreeze was readily available to her in her son&#8217;s garage.</p><p>McCabe called multiple witnesses in an attempt to prove Galli poured antifreeze into a glass of berry Juicy Juice at her Wyoming home and gave it to her son to take to Simyan, who had stayed the night at his neighboring apartment.</p><p>Three doctors testified to the effects Simyan suffered from ingesting the antifreeze, including kidney failure that required her to undergo over 100 hours of kidney dialysis.</p><p>Galli initially filed a motion for post-conviction relief to Luzerne County Judge Fred A. Pierantoni, but <a href="https://www.timesleader.com/archive/396318/news-local-news-news-1334519-helen-gallis-appeal-of-conviction-is-denied" target="_blank">was denied in 2014</a>. She also lost an appeal <a href="https://www.timesleader.com/news/16200/helen-galli-convicted-of-poisoning-her-sons-girlfriend-loses-appeal-to-superior-court" target="_blank">in state Superior Court in 2015</a>.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Helen Galli leaves the Luzerne County Courthouse on Oct. 8, 2013, following a day of testimony during her trial for poisoning her son&#8217;s girlfriend with antifreeze. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/web1_galli.jpg</photo0><caption0>Helen Galli leaves the Luzerne County Courthouse on Oct. 8, 2013, following a day of testimony during her trial for poisoning her son&#8217;s girlfriend with antifreeze. </caption0><photoCredit0>Pete G. Wilcox | Times Leader file </photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Travis Kellar</p><p>tkellar@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Travis Kellar at 570-991-6389 or on Twitter @TLNews.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Luzerne County prosecutors challenge appeal by Helen Galli