Results 1 to 7 of 7

Thread: Ronald Grant Champney - Pennsylvania

  1. #1
    Guest
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Posts
    5,534

    Ronald Grant Champney - Pennsylvania




    Facts of the Crime:

    Sentenced to death in Schuylkill County on November 17, 1999 for the June 4, 1992 contract killing of Roy Bensinger of North Manheim Township.

  2. #2
    Administrator Heidi's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Posts
    33,217
    June 4, 2008

    Death-row inmate Ronald G. Champney received a new trial Tuesday from a Schuylkill County judge who ruled his former lawyer had not effectively represented him when he was convicted of killing a man in 1992 in North Manheim Township.

    Champney, 57, of Pottsville, an inmate at State Correctional Institution/Greene, might not be on death row for shooting Roy Bensinger except for mistakes made by Marsha Ann Chwastiak, President Judge William E. Baldwin ruled in his 57-page opinion and order.

    Specifically, Baldwin ruled that Chwas-tiak, Saint Clair, should have challenged the admissibility of statements Champney made to police, hired a forensics investigator, made more of an effort to discredit key prosecution witness David J. Blickley and objected to a reference to Champney’s pre-arrest silence on the case and to victim impact evidence during the sentencing.

    “Each of trial counsel’s errors involve issues that were critical to the case,” and together they undermine the jury’s verdict, Baldwin wrote.

    Prosecutors have 30 days to appeal Baldwin’s ruling to the state Superior Court; Senior Deputy Attorney General Andrea McKenna and county District Attorney James P. Goodman each said they had not had a chance to read Baldwin’s opinion and declined to comment on it until they had.

    In that verdict, rendered on Oct. 25, 1999, the jury convicted Champney of first-degree murder, aggravated assault, burglary, theft, receiving stolen property and possession of a weapon used to commit a crime. The same jury imposed the death penalty the next day; Baldwin, who presided over the trial, formally imposed that sentence on Nov. 17, 1999.

    State police at Schuylkill Haven said Champney shot Bensinger about 6:30 p.m. June 4, 1992, in his own driveway.

    Bensinger’s wife, Beth E. Bensinger Shirey, 54, of Pottsville, was convicted on Dec. 1, 2000, of hiring Champney to kill her husband. She is serving a life sentence at SCI/Muncy.

    Baldwin wrote that while being questioned on Dec. 23, 1997, by state police Sgt. David Shinskie, Champney said, “I think I should talk to Frank Cori before I make a statement.”

    That request — Cori was Champney’s lawyer at the time — meant police should have stopped questioning Champney, and all statements made thereafter should not have been allowed into evidence, Baldwin wrote. Chwastiak has no reasonable basis for not contesting them, Baldwin wrote.

    Baldwin also focused on a change of heart by former District Attorney Claude A.L. Shields, who had opposed paroling Blickley in 1994 but did not in 1995, after Blickley offered to cooperate in the investigation of Bensinger’s death.

    Prosecutors should have told Chwastiak of that change, but she also should have subpoenaed Blickley’s parole file, which would have had the information, Baldwin ruled.

    “We believe that Champney’s ability to impeach Blickley’s testimony was impaired” by the prosecution’s failure to disclose and Chwastiak’s failure to investigate, Baldwin wrote.

    Blickley was a key witness against Champney, who allegedly told him how he shot Bensinger. Baldwin ruled Chwastiak should have questioned Shinskie about an interview with Blickley and should have hired a forensics expert who could have contradicted what Blickley said about the shooting.

    “Trial counsel was particularly deficient in challenging Blickley’s testimony,” Baldwin wrote.

    Also, Baldwin wrote that Chwastiak should have objected to a reference to Champney’s silence in response to questions by police about the crime.

    Such a reference is impermissible under Pennsylvania law, since it infringes on the constitutional right to remain silent, and there was no reason no to object to it, Baldwin wrote.

    Each side agreed that the victim impact evidence should not have been allowed, since the law authorizing it was not enacted until 1995 and is not applicable to cases arising from incidents that occurred before that date. That would have mandated a new sentencing hearing for Champney even if a new trial had not been granted, Baldwin wrote.

    The attorney general’s office became involved in the case after Cori was elected district attorney in 2001; Goodman defeated Cori in 2005.

    Baldwin’s decision marks the second time this year that an inmate on death row for a Schuylkill County killing received judicial relief.

    On Jan. 4, U.S. Senior District Judge Sylvia H. Rambo granted new degree of guilt and sentencing hearings to Daniel M. Saranchak, 40, of Pottsville, who has been on death row since 1994 for killing his grandmother, Stella T. Saranchock, 78, and his uncle, Edmund J. “Edju” Saranchak, 57, in October 1993 in their East Norwegian Township home. Rambo did not overturn Saranchak’s guilty plea to criminal homicide charges in the case.

    Prosecutors have appealed Rambo’s decision to the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

  3. #3
    Administrator Heidi's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Posts
    33,217
    Champney sentence for home invasion upheld

    Ronald G. Champney, who won an appeal last year of his death sentence for a 1992 killing, must stay in state prison on unrelated charges stemming from a 1995 home invasion, a three-judge state Superior Court panel has ruled.

    In a 10-page opinion made available Monday in Pottsville, the panel ruled Champney, 58, of Pottsville, waited too long to filed his latest appeal, the third that court has rejected.

    By so ruling, the panel upheld the sentence of 14 to 40 years in a state correctional institution imposed on Champney by Schuylkill County Judge John E. Domalakes. Champney is serving his sentence at SCI/Greene.

    Domalakes presided over Champney's trial, which ended in a guilty verdict on Nov. 13, 1998, on charges of robbery, burglary, conspiracy, simple assault, terroristic threats, recklessly endangering another person and theft.

    Prosecutors alleged Champney broke into an elderly Port Carbon couple's home on May 15, 1995, and robbed them.

    On Oct. 25, 1999, another county jury convicted Champney of first-degree murder and other crimes for the June 4, 1992, killing of Roy Bensinger at his North Manheim Township home. That jury imposed the death penalty the next day, and President Judge William E. Baldwin, who presided over the trial, formally imposed that sentence on Nov. 17, 1999.

    However, Baldwin ruled on June 3, 2008, that Champney should receive a new trial because he received ineffective representation from his attorney during that trial. Prosecutors have appealed that ruling to the state Supreme Court.

    Champney alleged that Baldwin's grant of a new trial in the other case constituted after-discovered evidence that should allow him to have his appeal be considered in spite of time limits imposed by state law.

    That law, the Post Conviction Relief Act, requires a defendant to file a petition for a new trial within one year of his or her conviction becoming final. Domalakes ruled the grant of a new trial in the one case did not constitute after-discovered evidence that justified ignoring the time limits, and the panel agreed.

    Champney knew about potential conflicts of interest of his lawyer in the robbery case, Frank R. Cori, Orwigsburg, by January 2002, but did not file his petition until Aug. 4, 2008, the panel noted.

    "We agree with (Domalakes) that Appellant's petition was untimely," the panel wrote.

    Furthermore, Baldwin did not rule that any conflicts would have barred Cori from representing Champney in the robbery case, the panel wrote.

    "It is evident that none of the individuals connected with the murder case had anything to do with this robbery case," the panel wrote.

    Judges John L. Musmanno, John T. Bender and Susan Peikes Gantman comprised the panel that considered Champney's latest appeal. The opinion does not indicate which judge wrote it.

    The same three judges recently rejected the appeal of Beth Ellen Shirey, 56, of Pottsville, who is serving a life sentence for first-degree murder, conspiracy and solicitation to commit murder as the result of her paying Champney to kill Bensinger, her estranged husband. Shirey is serving her sentence, which Domalakes imposed on Dec. 1, 2000, at SCI/Muncy.Defendant: Ronald G. Champney

    Age: 58

    Hometown: Pottsville, waited too long to filed his latest appeal, the third that court has rejected.

    Crimes committed: Robbery, burglary, conspiracy, simple assault, terroristic threats, recklessly endangering another person and theft

    Prison sentence: 14 to 40 years in a state correctional institution, being served at SCI/Greene

    http://www.republicanherald.com/news...sEnabled=false

  4. #4
    Administrator Moh's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Location
    Germany
    Posts
    13,014
    April 30, 2013

    New trial ordered in 1992 Pa. murder-for-hire case

    POTTSVILLE, Pa. (AP) — An evenly divided Pennsylvania Supreme Court has upheld a lower court ruling ordering a new trial for a man who has been on death row in a murder committed more than two decades ago.

    The 3-3 deadlock by the state's highest court last week leaves in place a Schuylkill County judge's ruling that Ronald Champney of Pottsville received ineffective legal representation during his trial in the 1992 murder of Roy Bensinger.

    Prosecutors argued that Champney, who is now 62, was paid $25,000 to kill Bensinger at the victim's North Manheim Township home. The victim's wife, Beth Ellen Shirey, was convicted and sentenced to life in prison in the case.

    District Attorney Karen Byrnes-Noon told The (Pottsville) Republican-Herald that she is reviewing the opinions and declined comment on whether Champney would be retried by her office or the state attorney general's office, where a spokesman said the case is under review.

    Justices supporting the lower court's ruling said Champney's trial attorney should have sought to bar prosecutors from using statements her client made to police. They said police had to stop questioning him when he asked to speak to his previous attorney.

    But other justices said the defendant's statement was ambiguous enough that police weren't required to stop questioning him. They also disagreed with the lower court ruling that prosecutors should have been required to disclose the parole records of the chief witness against Champney. They would have sent the case back to the lower court judge to determine remaining errors he found were enough to warrant a new trial.

    http://www.poconorecord.com/apps/pbc...WS90/130439954

  5. #5
    Administrator Moh's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Location
    Germany
    Posts
    13,014
    In today's United States Supreme Court orders, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's petition for writ of certiorari was DENIED.

    Docketed: September 26, 2013
    Linked with 13A139
    Lower Ct: Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, Middle District
    Case Nos.: (574 CAP, 575 CAP)
    Decision Date: April 24, 2013

  6. #6
    Administrator Moh's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Location
    Germany
    Posts
    13,014
    Defense hired for death row inmate Champney

    The Schuylkill County Public Defenders Office has started preparing for the retrial of a man who has been on death row for 15 years.

    The office has hired outside counsel to represent Ronald G. Champney, who was charged with shooting and killing Roy Densinger, 37, on June 4, 1992, in the driveway of his North Manheim Township home.

    The commissioners approved Wednesday an agreement with Attorney Kristin Weisenberger from the law firm of Perry, Shore, Weisenberger & Zemlock, Harrisburg, to defend Champney as the state Attorney General pursues the death penalty. The agreement is for an hourly rate of $100 for in-court time and $75 for out-of-court time. The county will pay an initial retainer of $12,000.

    A jury convicted Champney in October 1999, of first-degree murder, aggravated assault, burglary, theft, receiving stolen property and possessing instruments of crime and sentenced him to be executed. County President Judge William E. Baldwin granted him a new trial in 2008 based on ineffective assistance of counsel.

    In 2013, an evenly divided state Supreme Court upheld Baldwin’s ruling. A date has not yet been set for the retrial in 2015, Chief Public Defender Michael J. Stine said. Champney has been incarcerated at State Correctional Institution-Greene.

    Weisenberger is certified by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to handle death penalty cases. Stine said two certified attorneys are needed for the case. Andrea L. Thompson is the only attorney currently certified in the public defenders office.

    “This is one of those anomaly cases to get one 15 years later,” Stine said.

    Certifications are renewed annually, Stine said. Attorney Kent D. Watkins is getting recertified so that he will be eligible to represent Luis Ramos Nunez-Calderon within the next two years. Nunez-Calderon may face the death penalty for killing Wendy Contreras-Hernandez, 38, of Shenandoah, on April 29 inside the home they once shared.

    “We don’t want to have to go with outside counsel for the next one,” Stine said.

    In other news, the commissioners approved a new vehicle purchase for the District Attorney’s office. The vehicle is a 2012 Dodge Durango from Mike Watchers Used Cars, Pottsville, for $19,050 with a five-year lease agreement.

    “We are operating on two,” District Attorney Christine Holman said. “This would be our third.”

    The county will be looking to fill two positions at the start of the new year. Brenda Zechman, director of Veterans Affairs, and Faye Guyeski, first deputy in the prothonotary’s office, will retire from their positions at the end of the year. Both will serve the positions at the same per diem rate until replacements are found and trained.

    The county balance was at $48,249,519.29 on Wednesday.

    http://republicanherald.com/news/def...pney-1.1804522

  7. #7
    Senior Member CnCP Legend JLR's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Posts
    2,740
    Champney leaves death row, pleads no contest to murder

    POTTSVILLE — More than 26 years after prosecutors said he shot and killed a man in June 1992 in North Manheim Township, Ronald G. Champney left death row after finally admitting this week that they could prove he committed the crime.

    Champney, 67, of Pottsville, pleaded no contest to third-degree murder and possessing instruments of crime. Prosecutors withdrew charges of first-degree murder, aggravated assault, burglary, criminal trespass, theft and receiving stolen property.

    President Judge William E. Baldwin, who in 2008 had overturned Champney’s initial 1999 conviction, accepted his plea and, pursuant to an agreement between prosecutors and the defendant, sentenced him to serve 10 to 20 years in a state correctional institution, pay costs and submit a DNA sample to law enforcement authorities.

    Champney’s plea ends a long legal trail that began with the death of Roy Bensinger and ended with the defendant back in a state correctional institution.

    State police at Schuylkill Haven said Champney shot Bensinger about 6:30 p.m. June 4, 1992, in the driveway of his residence on Second Mountain Road.

    A Schuylkill County jury on Oct. 25, 1999, found Champney guilty of all charges and sentenced him the next day to be executed. Baldwin formally imposed the sentence on Nov. 17, 1999.

    Champney has been incarcerated on death row at SCI/Greene.

    However, Baldwin overturned Champney’s conviction on June 3, 2008, and granted him a new trial, ruling Champney had not received effective legal representation. In 2013, an evenly divided state Supreme Court upheld Baldwin’s ruling.

    In April 2015, Baldwin ruled that statements Champney made to police in May 1998 and October 1998 could not be used at his retrial, deciding that the defendant should not have been questioned after requesting a lawyer.

    However, in April 2017, the state Superior Court decided that the statements from May 1998 could be used by prosecutors at his retrial, ruling the break between Champney’s request for a lawyer and his making the statements was long enough to negate the pressure of police interrogation. Prosecutors had not challenged Baldwin’s suppression of the October 1998 statements.

    Prosecutors from the state attorney general’s office had been set to retry the case. That office had been handling the case since Frank R. Cori, Orwigsburg, Champney’s former lawyer in other matters, was elected district attorney in 2001.

    Baldwin had not set a date for the retrial. He had ordered that the new jury be selected in Lancaster County due to pretrial publicity of the case in Schuylkill County.

    By pleading no contest, Champney did not admit committing the crimes but offered no defense to the charges, acknowledged prosecutors had sufficient evidence to prove him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt and agreed to be sentenced as if he had pleaded or been found guilty.

    Bensinger’s wife, Beth E. Bensinger Shirey, 65, of Pottsville, was convicted on Dec. 1, 2000, of paying Champney $25,000 to kill her husband. She is serving a life sentence at SCI/Muncy.

    Schuylkill County now has two inmates remaining on death row: Daniel M. Saranchak and Mark N. Spotz.

    Defendant: Ronald G. Champney

    Age: 67

    Residence: Pottsville

    Plea: No contest to third-degree murder and possessing instrument of crime

    Prison sentence: 10 to 20 years in a state correctional institution

    https://m.republicanherald.com/news/...rder-1.2371843
    Last edited by Heidi; 08-10-2018 at 09:00 PM. Reason: Posted article

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •