Motion to Acquit Ex-Partner of Arent Fox in Obstruction Case Over Lawyer's Death Is Denied
A judge hearing an obstruction of justice case against a former partner of Arent Fox and two other men involved with him in a three-way romantic relationship has dismissed some charges but denied a motion to acquit the defendants at the close of the prosecution’s case.
Judge Lynn Leibovitz today dismissed tampering charges against Dylan Ward, 40, and Victor Zaborsky, 44, in the Washington, D.C., Superior Court case. But she refused to dismiss conspiracy and obstruction of justice charges against them and attorney Joseph Price, 39, and also left in place a tampering charge against Price, reports the Crime Scene blog of the Washington Post.
The judge will now go on to hear the rest of the case and reach a verdict, because the defendants opted for a bench trial rather than a jury trial.
An earlier Washington Post article recaps the prosecution’s arguments during the first half of the case:
Price, Ward and Zaborsky are accused of knowing who stabbed their friend, attorney Robert Wone, 32, to death— as he was spending the night in the guest room of their D.C. townhome— and covering up to help the still-unknown killer escape justice. Wone, who was general counsel for Radio Free Asia and lived in the suburbs with his wife, was staying there because he had worked late and needed to be in the district for a breakfast meeting with Price the next day.
The three delayed calling police, prosecutors contend, as they cleaned up blood from the crime scene and planted a knife from the kitchen near the body in place of what the government says was the true murder weapon—a knife from a set Ward kept in his bedroom closet.
“This was not a normal knife attack,” said David Fowler, the chief medical examiner for Maryland, in testimony yesterday. Although Wone lost almost half his blood, very little blood was found near his body, and Fowler said other unusual facts included a lack of any sign of a struggle by Wone as he was stabbed and three knife wounds of nearly identical size and depth.
Evidence presented by the prosecution also included a videos of Price speaking with detectives hours after Wone was killed, often appearing calm and surfing his BlackBerry at times, the newspaper reports.
Additional coverage:
ABAJournal.com: “Trial Begins for Arent Fox Ex-Partner Accused in Cover-Up in Lawyer’s Murder at His Home”
National Law Journal: ” ‘Inflammatory’ Testimony? Friend Testifies at Slain GC Trial “
Washington Post: “Trial looks at knife allegedly used in Wone death”
Washington Examiner: “Prosecution finishes with pathologist testimony in Wone trial”
