Pier 34 Defendants Avoid Retrial, Take Pleas

The Inquirer reported on the Philly.com website this morning that the owner and the operator of Pier 34, the collapse of which led to the drowning deaths of 3 youg women 7 years ago, have entered pleas of no contest and guilty, respectively, thus avoiding a re-trial on the same charges on which a Philadelphia jury deadlocked last November. It has been widely reported that the jury had reached a stalemate at 10 to 2 for conviction. Each defendant had been charged with, among other offenses, three counts of involuntary manslaughter, which carries a sentence range of 2 1/2 to 5 years. Sentencing is scheduled for June 22nd.