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First Posted: 6/10/2013
WILKES-BARRE — Attorneys representing the family of a woman who was killed in a hit-and-run accident on May 12 have asked that some defendants named in the yet-to-be-filed suit be dismissed from the case.
Last month, attorneys for the family of Jean Darsky, 65, who was struck and killed outside her Jenkins Township home, named John Kuniskas, 36, who lives down the street from Darsky on Westminster Road, as the driver of a truck who struck Darsky.
Attorneys Edward Ciarimboli and Kevin Clancy Boylan had filed the court papers naming Kuniskas to ask for the preservation of evidence and other requests.
In a filing Monday, the attorneys asked that Stephen Doty and his masonry business, located in Clarks Summit, named as defendants, be removed from the potential lawsuit.
The attorneys’ filing cited Doty was the owner of the vehicle driven by Kuniskas, but Doty had contacted the attorneys to tell them he had previously sold the truck to Kuniskas. The attorneys said it is possible the Department of Transportation database had not been updated recently.
WILKES-BARRE — A Hazleton man pleaded guilty Monday to several counts relating to the possession of child pornography.
Jhow W. Calderon, 27, of Alter Street, entered the plea to five counts of child pornography charges. Judge Michael Vough said Calderon will be sentenced on Sept. 27.
According to court papers, on June 20, 2012, investigators became aware that Calderon was downloading videos of children engaged in sex acts.
When interviewed by police, Calderon said he was curious and admitted to watching the videos.
Vough ordered Calderon to have no unsupervised contact with minors and to undergo an evaluation by the state Sexual Offender’s Assessment Board. Calderon faces a lifetime registration under Megan’s Law and deportation after sentencing, according to court papers.
WILKES-BARRE — A Hazleton man facing charges in a case in which prosecutors say he directed threats at Luzerne County District Attorney Stefanie Salavantis has asked a judge to have his trial held in another county.
Sean Donahue, 43, of Cleveland Street, was charged after police said that on Aug. 17 he sent an email to Salavantis. Police said Donahue threatened to shoot it out with police officers if the district attorney did not do as he wanted and made “not-so-veiled” threats that people would be killed if he did not get the actions he demanded.
In court papers filed Monday, Donahue’s attorney, Ryan Paddick, asked that his client’s trial be held elsewhere due to pre-trial publicity.
Paddick also asks for the return of property belonging to Donahue, including computers, files, an Army-issued ninja mask and a pen used to write prayer books, that Judge Fred Pierantoni remove himself from the case because of a pending federal lawsuit in which Pierantoni is named as a defendant and to throw out the charges against Donahue based on an invalid search warrant.