Accused forger asks judge to postpone trial | News

HAMILTON — A decide has denied an 11th-hour ask for by the attorney for a previous MIT professor and self-styled “business guru” to postpone his future demo on forgery and fraud prices.

The motion, filed Tuesday by protection lawyer Robert Strasnick soon right before the listening to was slated to get underway in Lawrence Superior Courtroom, requested Decide Salim Tabit to postpone the trial so that John Donovan Sr. could acquire therapies for, what a health care provider later on testified, was prostate most cancers.

Donovan Sr., 79, of Hamilton, is billed in a 2017 indictment in an alleged scheme to assert proceeds from the sale of land as soon as controlled by his late son, John Donovan III, of Manchester, to the Belief for Community Lands back in 2016, as well as to be absolved of economic and authorized obligations.

Jury range is established to get underway Monday in the trial.

Massachusetts General Clinic oncologist Dr. Philip Saylor testified through Zoom that he experienced advisable commencing treatment a handful of months in the past it was just this thirty day period that blood exams and a scan confident Donovan Sr. to start out that regimen, which contain a testosterone-decreasing drug administered once just about every three months. The facet results can include things like cognitive issues and warm flashes, which in switch can induce a reduction of sleep.

Tabit mentioned that when it’s not particular that Donovan Sr. would be incapable of helping his attorney, the possibility that he may possibly be cognitively impaired by the drop in testosterone or absence of rest would develop into a opportunity avenue for attractiveness and a motion for a new trial.

At the same time, he explained to the attorneys, he was worried that an additional hold off in the situation would be unfair to Donovan Sr.’s surviving little ones and his son’s widow.

Tabit issued his final decision late Tuesday, denying the postponement.

Strasnick in the beginning sought to seal the motion, suggesting that the details could be utilized towards his customer by his estranged little ones in a different civil continuing. Strasnick also told the decide that he believes that the Well being Coverage Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) essential the choose to seal the materials — an assertion the judge and prosecutor Jack Dawley both disputed, indicating that regulation applies to health and fitness care companies, not to courts or legal professionals.

The ruling came as the defense, in a collection of motions, unveiled Donovan Sr.’s expected protection: He denies that the documents were forgeries, and claims that his four surviving young children are making an attempt to cover their involvement in what he statements was a fraudulently-created off-shore rely on in the 1990s.

Among the the alleged forgeries is a will codicil that purported to instruct people managing Donovan III’s estate to “self-report” to the IRS that the trust was set up to evade taxes.

Dawley slammed the promises as “a blatant and a shameful endeavor to get his young ones underneath a microscope and embarrass them.” The concern stems from a belief established up in Bermuda for Donovan Sr.’s young children, which, the prosecutor said, Donovan Sr. later tried out to take again.

None of Donovan’s little ones have ever been accused of tax fraud and there is proof that they relied on information from the now-defunct accounting company Arthur Andersen, Dawley informed the decide. Past that, the IRS does not acknowledge “self-reports” from the estates of deceased taxpayers.

Strasnick informed the decide that, according to his customer, the codicil was included to support Donovan III’s widow and young children steer clear of penalties.

When the trial was pending, Strasnick received taxpayer funds to hire a tax qualified for Donovan Sr., who has claimed indigency. Strasnick is trying to get to contact that skilled to testify about what his shopper suggests transpired.

Dawley explained that James Donovan, a best government at Goldman Sachs who at one particular time was being vetted for a Treasury Section deputy secretary slot, did almost nothing incorrect, and advised Tabit that if that expert is permitted to testify, it will insert two to three months to the trial agenda for the reason that he will have to provide in his very own tax professional.

Among the other rulings on Tuesday:

Jurors will not be instructed about Donovan’s 2007 conviction for submitting a bogus police report in a highly-publicized incident in which, a judge later concluded, he inflicted a graze wound to his stomach with a gun, then attempted to body his son James, declaring to law enforcement that his son had despatched “Russian strike men” to destroy him. The prosecution conceded that the conviction fell exterior a 10-calendar year restrict on admitting prior convictions.

Jurors could find out about an audio recording that, prosecutors allege, was altered to insert Donovan Sr. into a conversation among a Vermont lawyer and Donovan III all through which Donovan III discussed possibilities for “death with dignity.” The prosecution is also looking for to admit proof he states demonstrates that Donovan Sr. falsely claimed to his son’s health professionals that he was also a physician and that he held a health and fitness care proxy for his dying son.

The jury will hear, nevertheless, about an allegation by Donovan III’s widow that Donovan Sr. made use of notes prepared by his late son to his young children to compile and publish a e book of small business advice identified as “Make the Moments Greater,” without having permission of his late son.

Donovan, who has commonly worn dark business enterprise suits to court appearances, appeared for Tuesday’s listening to in a tan corduroy sport coat with a piece of torn lining visible from the back hem, and a pair of tan denims with the ankles rolled up, revealing white athletic socks.

Courts reporter Julie Manganis can be attained at 978-338-2521, by electronic mail at [email protected] or on Twitter at @SNJulieManganis