Norris jury selection Mar. 1
Published: December 23, 2009
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JEFFREY NORRIS
A jury selection date has been set for the trial of a former Montrose Area High School teacher who stands accused of having sex in 2007 with a 14-year-old and giving her drugs and alcohol.
Jeffrey David Norris, 28, of Montrose, was also charged with taping Montrose School District officials without their consent on three occasions.
At a pre-trial hearing for Norris held Nov. 24 in Wayne County, specially presiding Judge Raymond L. Hamill, 22nd Judicial District set jury selection to begin on March 1 in Susquehanna County.
In a pre-trial motion regarding the wiretapping charge, Paul Ackourey, attorney for Norris, argued that Norris was not a public employee, and therefore, a two-year statute of limitations applied. There is a 10-year statute of limitations for a public employee.
Tape recordings were allegedly made on Dec. 31, 2004; July 11, 2006; and May 3, 2007.
Ackourey said that there was no case law supporting or defining a public school teacher as a public employee.
“Sometimes you can’t find a case that says water is wet because everybody knows that water is wet,” said Prosecutor Patrick Blessington, of the state attorney general’s office.
“Either (Norris) is a public employee within the statute with the extender or he’s not,” said Blessington.
Blessington also cited Title 18 of the Pennsylvania Code that defined the term “public servant” as “an employee that’s an officer or employee of government.”
Ackourey also filed motions to suppress cassette tapes recovered from Norris’ home by police in a Feb. 9, 2009, search.
Judge Hamill gave the Commonwealth 20 days to file a brief in response to the defense motions to quash the indictment and suppress evidence seized from Norris’ home.
The Court gave the defense another 20 days to file additional briefs following the Commonwealth’s filing.
Norris was charged on June 16 with statutory sexual assault, indecent assault of a person less than 16 years of age and corruption of minors as well as the wiretapping charges.
According to the police affidavit, Norris is accused of having sex with the girl on three occasions in 2007 – twice in his Griffis St., Montrose, home and once during an all-night softball tournament in Bridgewater Twp.
On August 17, Norris was also charged with intimidation of witnesses, retaliation against witnesses or victim and stalking.
According to the police affidavit, Norris allegedly drove by the victim repeatedly on Aug. 12 while she was attending a church function in Montrose, slowing his car and then yelling at the girl, “Justice will be served.”
The two cases have been joined and will be tried at the same time.
Susquehanna County President Judge Kenneth Seamans recused himself from the case in July, citing a belief that his impartiality may be reasonably questioned.
District Attorney Jason Legg asked the attorney general’s office to take over the case in February.
Norris father is a Montrose attorney who also serves as a Hearing Master in the Susquehanna County Court system.
