FLORIDA
Sun Sentinel
By Marc Freeman, Sun Sentinel
8:15 p.m. EST, February 22, 2014
The attorney for a former West Palm Beach private school teacher accused of sexually assaulting two 9-year-old students argues there are grounds for a judge to stop a jury from seeing potentially incriminating computer evidence.
Stephen Jerome Budd, 52, was arrested in April for crimes that allegedly occurred while he taught a fourth-grade class at Rosarian Academy during the 2006-07 school year. He was charged with two counts of sexual battery on a person less than 12 years old, one count of lewd or lascivious molestation, and two counts of lewd or lascivious exhibition.
Then in August, prosecutors added 59 child pornography charges and Budd pleaded not guilty to all counts. He remains in the Palm Beach County Jail with no bail.
On Feb. 18, defense attorney Jason Weiss filed two motions seeking to prevent prosecutors at Budd’s trial from using his client’s computer hard drive, a computer part called a “mini PCI card,” and all evidence taken from the computer.
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