Back injury pushes Pilati sentencing back six weeks

By Staff
Jason Cannon
Franklin County Times
A back injury has postponed the sentencing of former Franklin County District Attorney John Pilati.
The sentencing, originally set for next Wednesday, has been moved to allow Pilati time to recuperate from back surgery, which he was scheduled to undergo Jan. 10.
A federal jury convicted Pilati Nov. 1 on five misdemeanor civil rights counts accusing him of fondling five young men during strip searches when he served as prosecutor between 2001 and 2004.
He was accused of fondling the five males, who were between the ages of 17 and 20, after ordering them to strip for searches or to give urine samples for drug tests.
Bruce Gardner, Pilati's defense lawyer, filed a motion this week requesting the sentencing date be moved to "relieve the Defendant's long-standing back pain" and that, following surgery, "the Defendant will be in recuperation for approximately six weeks, including a follow-up visit with his doctor (scheduled for) Feb. 20, 2008."
Gardner was out of town and could not be reached for further comment yesterday.
Pilati is now set to be sentenced Feb. 27 at 10 a.m.