LOCKPORT – Paul S. Turley, on trial in Niagara County Court on charges of molesting two small girls repeatedly during the late 1990s, went missing during Wednesday’s lunch break.
Turley, 47, who gave his latest address as Lincoln Avenue in Dunkirk, had been threatened during the morning session with being jailed without bail, after a prosecutor accused him of violating an order of protection by sending a friend request Saturday to one of the prosecution witnesses.
County Judge Sara Sheldon Farkas said she would rule on the request from Assistant District Attorney Elizabeth R. Donatello at the end of the court day. She ended up issuing a bench warrant for Turley’s arrest after he didn’t return to court for the afternoon session.
Defense attorney D. Daniel Stevanovic said he reached Turley by phone about 2:30 p.m., and the defendant told him he was in a parking lot at a Tim Hortons. There are three Tim Hortons in Lockport alone.
“He was very frightened” by the prospect of being jailed, Stevanovic said.
Farkas said in court that Stevanovic was concerned Turley might to do something to harm himself, but the defense lawyer said in an interview, “He didn’t say, ‘I’m going to off myself.’ Like any attorney, I’m concerned about my client’s well-being.”
Asked after court if he expects Turley to show up Thursday, Stevanovic said, “I have no idea.”
Turley sat through a day and a half of jury selection, which wrapped up about 1 p.m. Wednesday. Stevanovic said he didn’t have lunch with Turley, as his client told him he planned “to sit here and meditate.”
Turley, who faces a maximum of 39 years in prison if convicted on all charges, wasn’t around when court resumed with Farkas’ opening instructions to the jury and the attorneys’ opening statements.
Like all Niagara County Court defendants, Turley had signed a form at his June 15 arraignment, allowing proceedings to go forward without him.
No announcement was made to the jury about why Turley wasn’t in court. “Maybe they won’t notice,” Farkas said.
Assistant District Attorney Cheryl L. Nichols said in her opening statement that the alleged crimes occurred in North Tonawanda, where Turley was then living, between August 1996 and June 1998.
The two girls were 5 years old when the abuse allegedly began. One of them said she was molested again by Turley on Christmas Day 2003, when she was 12 years old.
Since the State Legislature has in effect repealed the statute of limitations for many sex crimes, Turley wasn’t in the clear when his alleged victims, now 21, came forward in November 2011.
Stevanovic told the jury that one of the witnesses, a half-sister of one of the alleged victims, “had a deep grudge against my client. … We are all prepared now to find the truth.”
Nichols said one of the accusers made a recorded phone call to Turley about the abuse, in which Turley said to her, “Do you think any explanation would be valid? … I was misguided when I thought it was something you wanted.”
Turley, who was living on North Bailey Avenue in Amherst when he was arrested, said in court Wednesday morning that he had moved to Dunkirk after being evicted from the Amherst residence about three months ago.
Stevanovic said Turley spent about a week in jail after his arrest before posting a $50,000 bail bond.
email: tprohaska@buffnews.com
Turley, 47, who gave his latest address as Lincoln Avenue in Dunkirk, had been threatened during the morning session with being jailed without bail, after a prosecutor accused him of violating an order of protection by sending a friend request Saturday to one of the prosecution witnesses.
County Judge Sara Sheldon Farkas said she would rule on the request from Assistant District Attorney Elizabeth R. Donatello at the end of the court day. She ended up issuing a bench warrant for Turley’s arrest after he didn’t return to court for the afternoon session.
Defense attorney D. Daniel Stevanovic said he reached Turley by phone about 2:30 p.m., and the defendant told him he was in a parking lot at a Tim Hortons. There are three Tim Hortons in Lockport alone.
“He was very frightened” by the prospect of being jailed, Stevanovic said.
Farkas said in court that Stevanovic was concerned Turley might to do something to harm himself, but the defense lawyer said in an interview, “He didn’t say, ‘I’m going to off myself.’ Like any attorney, I’m concerned about my client’s well-being.”
Asked after court if he expects Turley to show up Thursday, Stevanovic said, “I have no idea.”
Turley sat through a day and a half of jury selection, which wrapped up about 1 p.m. Wednesday. Stevanovic said he didn’t have lunch with Turley, as his client told him he planned “to sit here and meditate.”
Turley, who faces a maximum of 39 years in prison if convicted on all charges, wasn’t around when court resumed with Farkas’ opening instructions to the jury and the attorneys’ opening statements.
Like all Niagara County Court defendants, Turley had signed a form at his June 15 arraignment, allowing proceedings to go forward without him.
No announcement was made to the jury about why Turley wasn’t in court. “Maybe they won’t notice,” Farkas said.
Assistant District Attorney Cheryl L. Nichols said in her opening statement that the alleged crimes occurred in North Tonawanda, where Turley was then living, between August 1996 and June 1998.
The two girls were 5 years old when the abuse allegedly began. One of them said she was molested again by Turley on Christmas Day 2003, when she was 12 years old.
Since the State Legislature has in effect repealed the statute of limitations for many sex crimes, Turley wasn’t in the clear when his alleged victims, now 21, came forward in November 2011.
Stevanovic told the jury that one of the witnesses, a half-sister of one of the alleged victims, “had a deep grudge against my client. … We are all prepared now to find the truth.”
Nichols said one of the accusers made a recorded phone call to Turley about the abuse, in which Turley said to her, “Do you think any explanation would be valid? … I was misguided when I thought it was something you wanted.”
Turley, who was living on North Bailey Avenue in Amherst when he was arrested, said in court Wednesday morning that he had moved to Dunkirk after being evicted from the Amherst residence about three months ago.
Stevanovic said Turley spent about a week in jail after his arrest before posting a $50,000 bail bond.
email: tprohaska@buffnews.com