web1_TTL040216DiversityNight-5.jpg

Diversity event brings 250 Hazleton residents out to socialize and dialogue

web1_DSC_7595.jpg

County officials dedicate pinwheels to victims of child abuse

<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; A man charged with criminal homicide petitioned the court Friday to review the charges brought against him, citing a lack of sufficient evidence for prosecutors to move forward.</p><p>Khalil Brathwaite, 19, known as &#8220;Trae,&#8221; is charged in the shooting death of Jason Canty, 33, of Scranton, on July 25, 2015, in Wilkes-Barre.</p><p>In a motion filed on Brathwaite&#8217;s behalf, attorneys Allyson L. Kacmarksi and Joanna Smith requests a new hearing, challenging the basis of several police searches that produced the prosecution&#8217;s evidence.</p><p>An accompanying document filed in the case alleges that a search warrant for the contents of Brathwaite&#8217;s telephone did not meet requirements necessary to make the search legal, requesting evidence collected by the search of that phone be suppressed.</p><p>The motion also asks the court to suppress evidence produced by a search warrant of a first floor apartment at 198 Brown St., alleging authorities lacked the necessary facts to make the search legal.</p><p>Brathwaite&#8217;s attorneys are also requesting that evidence obtained from a DNA swab be suppressed, saying the court did not have sufficient cause to take a sample and calling evidence collected from the swab &#8220;fruit of the poisonous tree.&#8221;</p><p>They&#8217;re also requesting individual juror selection, saying it&#8217;s necessary to impanel a fair and impartial jury &#8220;especially in light of extensive pretrial publicity.&#8221;</p><p>Brathwaite&#8217;s lawyers also requested that the court prohibit introduction of his alleged prior crimes, as well as crime scene photos, saying they were irrelevant to the present case and inflammatory.</p><p>A hearing on Friday&#8217;s motion has not yet been scheduled. Brathwaite remains jailed at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility without bail.</p><style>
.neFileBlock {
	margin-bottom: 20px;
}
.neFileBlock p {
	margin: 0px 0px 0px 0px;
}
.neFileBlock .neFile {
	border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa;
	padding-bottom: 5px;
	padding-top: 10px;
}
.neFileBlock .neCaption {
	font-size: 85%;
}
</style>
<div class='neFileBlock'>
<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/web1_brathwaite.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Brathwaite </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/web1_brathwaite.jpg</photo0><caption0>Brathwaite </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Geri Gibbons</p><p>ggibbons@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Geri Gibbons at 570-991-6117 or on Twitter @TLGGibbons</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Wilkes-Barre homicide suspect asks court to suppress evidence