NEW YORK
Wall Street Journal
By SEAN GARDINER
Nov. 15, 2013
Brooklyn District Attorney-elect Kenneth Thompson is seeking a delay until after he takes office in the prosecution of an Orthodox rabbi charged with sexual abuse, according to a letter reviewed by The Wall Street Journal.
In the letter dated Friday, Mr. Thompson asked outgoing District Attorney Charles J. Hynes to direct his prosecutors to put off a court conference scheduled for Tuesday until January in the case of Rabbi Baruch Lebovits.
Jerry Schemetterer, a spokesman for Mr. Hynes, acknowledged receipt of the letter, saying the office planned to “comply with Mr. Thompson’s wishes.” He added, however, that there had been “no discussions” with Rabbi Lebovits’s attorneys about a possible plea deal—especially one involving no prison time—and they hadn’t expected the case to be resolved before Mr. Thompson took office in January.
“I don’t know why this is an issue,” Mr. Schmetterer said.
Mr. Thompson didn’t return calls seeking comment.
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