Antonovich Calls for New McMartin Trial

Los Angeles County Supervisor Mike Antonovich charged Tuesday that the children in the McMartin Pre-School molestation case were denied justice and he called on prosecutors to refile 13 criminal counts on which the jury deadlocked.

“It is shameful when young children are twice victimized, first by their abusers and then by a justice system that fails to protect them,” said Antonovich, who also went into graphic detail about the alleged abuse.

His comments came after he introduced a motion before the Board of Supervisors calling for state Atty. Gen. John K. Van de Kamp to review the transcripts of the marathon trial, which ended with the acquittal last week of Ray Buckey and his mother on 52 molestation counts. The motion, to be considered next week, also calls for Van de Kamp to consider refiling the 13 unresolved counts and for Dist. Atty. Ira Reiner to review his department’s handling of the case.