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Letter to the Editor: Pharmacists and physicians urged to use new monitoring system for prescription opioids

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What’s Up, NEPA?/Good Eats!

<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; Helen Galli will soon return home to her son.</p><p>Galli, 84, was in the midst of a 5&#189;-to-12-year state prison stay after <a href="https://www.timesleader.com/archive/286304/news-local-news-898362-defiant-helen-galli-found-guilty" target="_blank">a jury found she handed Victor Galli a drink laced with anti-freeze and encouraged him to give it to his girlfriend</a>.</p><p>But fresh off a successful appeal of her conviction, Galli on Wednesday walked out of the Luzerne County Correctional Facility a free woman following a county judge&#8217;s decision hours earlier.</p><p>Luzerne County Judge Fred A. Pierantoni III ordered Galli&#8217;s bail set at $25,000 following a brief hearing in Luzerne County Court at which Galli, clad in an orange jumpsuit, testified she planned to return home to Wyoming to live with her son.</p><p>Galli committed aggravated assault when she laced a glass of Juicy Juice and ordered Victor Galli to give it to Dawn Simyan, a jury found in October 2013.</p><p>Prosecutors said she intentionally poisoned Simyan on March 31, 2010, because she was jealous of Simyan&#8217;s relationship with Victor Galli and was drawn to his money, specifically a $1 million natural gas lease he signed.</p><p>Defense attorneys argued that Simyan poisoned herself in a bid to gain attention from Victor Galli, jealous of how close he was with his mother.</p><p>Simyan suffered severe medical problems from the poisoning but survived to take the stand during Galli&#8217;s trial, testifying that Victor Galli handed her the drink and said, &#8220;My mother said, &#8216;Drink this. It will make you feel better.&#8217;&#8221;</p><p>The statement became a focal point of Galli&#8217;s appeal.</p><p>Attorney Al Flora Jr., at an appeal hearing in July, argued Galli&#8217;s trial attorney, Joseph Sklarosky Sr., was ineffective for not challenging the hearsay statement linking Galli to the mixed drink. <a href="https://www.timesleader.com/news/local/567102/helen-galli-granted-a-new-trial" target="_blank">Pierantoni sided with Flora and granted Galli, who previously lost an appeal before the state Superior Court, a new trial</a>.</p><p>Prosecutors said they would appeal the decision.</p><p>Flora <a href="https://www.timesleader.com/news/568953/her-poisoning-conviction-vacated-helen-galli-seeks-release-from-prison" target="_blank">petitioned Pierantoni to set bail</a> following the judge&#8217;s ruling, saying Galli was in poor health.</p><p>Galli, who was most recently jailed at State Correctional Institution at Muncy, testified she broke her hip and femur during a stay at another state prison. She said she takes numerous pain medications and her only income is a monthly $1,000 Social Security check, which she hasn&#8217;t received since she&#8217;s been behind bars.</p><p>&#8220;Given her age, current state of health and the fact she was on bail previously, there&#8217;s really no indication she poses any kind of flight risk,&#8221; Flora argued in court Wednesday.</p><p>Assistant District Attorney Jim McMonagle urged Pierantoni to set bail at an amount on par with Galli&#8217;s previous bail, set at $25,000 ahead of her trial, due to the nature of the charges.</p><p>&#8220;One can even argue it was an attempted murder,&#8221; McMonagle said of the allegations.</p><p>In addition to setting bail, Pierantoni ordered Galli to have no contact with Simyan upon release.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Galli </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/web1_galli-4.jpg</photo0><caption0>Galli </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>Galli, 84, released from prison</subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Joe Dolinsky</p><p>jdolinsky@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Joe Dolinsky at 570-991-6110 or on Twitter @JoeDolinskyTL</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Judge grants Helen Galli bail in appeal of poisoning conviction