Published: May 20, 2008 02:17 am            

COURTS: Jury begins deliberations in alleged home invasion case

The jury began deliberations Monday in the trial of two men accused of carrying out a home invasion at a Locust Street apartment last year.

Defendants Rakeem Golson, 17, of Evans Street, and Antonio Clark, 20, of Prospect Street, are accused of storming into the apartment with a gun and knife, robbing and assaulting one woman and threatening others on April 3, 2007.

Golson and Clark are each charged with five counts of first-degree burglary, six counts of first-degree robbery, two counts of fourth-degree conspiracy, two counts of second-degree robbery, two counts of second-degree assault and one count of second-degree burglary.

During their closing statements, attorneys for Golson and Clark — Phillip Dabney and Earl Key, respectively — compared the prosecution's case to a puzzle that was missing several pieces.

"This is an incomplete puzzle, ladies and gentlemen," Dabney said to the jury. "It's not your job to fill in the blanks."

Key attacked the credibility of each of the prosecution’s witnesses, saying they “mix a little lies with the truth to try to get you to believe them.”

Key particularly questioned the testimony of Shawn Pittler, who was injured in the robbery.

Pittler had testified that although the men who rushed into the apartment were wearing bandanas over their faces and socks on their hands, he recognized them as Golson and Clark, though he only knew Clark by his street name, “Tone.”

Assistant District Attorney Brian Seaman asked the jury to review the 911 tape, which was entered as evidence, and which he said proves Pittler recognized Golson and Clark immediately.

During a pause in the conversation between Pittler and the dispatcher, Seaman said, Pittler can be heard talking to the others in the apartment.

“You can hear him say, ‘I knew those kids,’ ” Seaman said. “How can you be sure who did this? You know because people who were there told you who did these crimes.”

Pittler gave Golson’s and Clark’s names to police as suspects shortly after the incident, he testified.

The defense also focused on the testimony of Amy Bower, a co-defendant who has pleaded guilty to a felony conspiracy charge in connection with the case.

Bower, who said she did not know Clark or Golson before the night of the robbery, mis-identified Clark as Golson during her testimony, though she was able to pick Golson out of a photo array at police headquarters in the days following the crime.

In their summations, Key and Dabney also questioned the police work that went into the investigation.

“They didn't do any work. They took the statements of two criminals and said, ‘Let's run with it,’ ” Dabney said.

Key said Pittler has provided tips for police in the past as a way to stay out of trouble, and the police believed him in this case “because they have a relationship with him.”

The jury began deliberations about 3:30 p.m. Monday.

Contact reporter April Amadon at 439-9222, ext. 6251.

        

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