Boston judge rejects fake Rockefeller’s bid for new trial, but defense promises to appeal
By APMonday, March 8, 2010
Mass. judge turns down ‘Rockefeller’ new trial bid
BOSTON — A Massachusetts judge has turned down a new trial request by a man who called himself Clark Rockefeller.
Christian Karl Gerhartsreiter (GAYR’-hahrtz-ry-tur) was convicted last year of kidnapping his 7-year-old daughter and assaulting a social worker supervising their visit in 2008.
The Suffolk district attorney’s office says it received notice Monday of the Feb. 25 decision by the Boston trial judge.
Gerhartsreiter’s lawyers say a prosecutor made an improper closing argument urging jurors not to be manipulated by an insanity defense. They also question the qualifications of a state psychiatric witness to discuss the insanity defense.
Defense attorney Jeffrey Denner says he’ll appeal the decision.
Prosecutors say Gerhartsreiter used aliases in several states and told elaborate lies about his past. The defense says he was delusional.
