Gerard Marrone, previously one of two defense attorneys representing Levi Aron, the confessed murderer of Leiby Kletzky, has quit the case. “The allegations were too horrific, and it’s not something I wanted to be involved in,” he tells Eyewitness News. “I have three boys. One of my sons is seven. I looked at my own children, and there are no words. You see the victim, and you feel so sad.” Understandable feelings? Sure. But defense attorney Scott Greenfield, on his Simple Justice blog, doesn’t have any sympathy for Marrone:
Too late. He knew the allegations going in. He knew what he was getting involved with. He chose to do so, a choice which is admirable in that everyone, even Levi Aron, must be given a defense, and Marrone’s decision to stand beside Aron reflects the ugly but necessary job of the criminal defense lawyer.
But now, even though nothing has significantly changed, Marrone has made another choice. This time, he’s chosen to quit, to walk away from his client and in the process, to announce that he, as defense lawyer, is too sickened by his client’s actions to remain beside him. This he cannot do….
Marrone insists that something did change from when he first took the case:
Marrone says the medical examiner’s report was the final straw.
On Wednesday, investigators revealed that the 8-year-old had been drugged with a potent mixture of pain relievers and muscle relaxants before he was murdered.
We’re not exactly sure what that means. Who is “they”? Aron? More than one attempt at what? Killing Kletzky? Killing other children? Anyway, we’d like to hear what you all think in the comments about Marrone’s decision, especially any lawyers out there.
Attorneys of suspect in Leiby Kletzky murder quits [ABC News]