Leslie Fleisher describes herself as a person with common sense who believes in the values of patience and listening. — “Judging the judicial candidates at Somerton Civic,” Northeast Times, April 14, 2001.
This whole ex-cop/ex-judge domestic-assault case was something.
• Here’s a notebook-dump blog post I did at Metro.
• Here’s a link to Thursday’s story.
• And here it is pre-print-fit…
When he took the case of a former detective accused of beating and illegally recording an ex-girlfriend who is former Common Pleas judge, attorney Charles Peruto Jr. said, “If I lose, I’ll retire.”
After a two-day trial during which victim Leslie Fleisher testified, jurors found Lewis Palmer not guilty of aggravated and simple assault yesterday. But they did find him guilty of wiretapping, so does that constitute a loss?
“C’mon, I didn’t even argue that,” Peruto said, noting Palmer copped to making the recordings. “But if it was even simple assault, that’s a loss. Looks like I’m not going to retire!”
The domestic-violence case steeped in soap-opera dramatics didn’t end quietly, though. The personal attorney for Fleisher said yesterday that the prosecutor didn’t call to notify the victim that the jury had reached a verdict.
“I’m appalled by how they treated a victim of domestic violence,” said Stretton, who unsuccessfully requested jurors be polled if they’d read news accounts (including Metro’s) with “highly objectionable” statements from defense attorney Charles Peruto. “She’s shocked and upset. So am I.”
Palmer faces anywhere from probation to seven years. “This will prevent him from ever being a police officer again,” said deputy attorney general William Davis. “We don’t take pleasure in prosecuting police officers, but this guy makes good ones look bad.”
Stretton said he will look into possible sanctions against Peruto for comments made to the press and Deputy Attorney General Bill Davis who he “felt did not present case properly.” “This speaks volumes to the lack of sensitivity for victims of domestic violence,” he said.
Here’s a radio story from when Fleisher resigned.
176. Leslie Fleisher, Courts of Common Pleas, CP Judge 01 Philadelphia, $152,115