Pro-Life News

Kopp Wants Battle Kept Off Federal Prosecution

James C. Kopp wants U.S. Attorney Michael A. Battle to be disqualified from taking part in the federal prosecution against him and barred from the courtroom during pretrial proceedings. The convicted assassin recently filed federal court papers claiming Battle made a secret deal with Kopp's former defense lawyer, Bruce A. Barket, prior to Kopp's public confession to shooting Dr. Barnett Slepian, an Amherst obstetrician who performed abortions. The "deal" called for Battle to release Kopp's pro-life associates, Dennis Malvasi and Loretta Marra, "immediately" from jail if Kopp agreed to make a public confession to the Slepian slaying, Kopp said in court papers. Kopp wound up confessing in a jailhouse interview, which was published in The Buffalo News last Nov. 20. There were talks about such a deal, but no deal was ever finalized, according to both Barket and Battle's top assistant, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen M. Mehltretter. Posted by Editor at August 5, 2003 09:59 AM