Friday's arraignments: handcuffs du jour

By Alex Roarty, PolitickerPA.com Reporter

Former House Minority Whip Mike Veon (D-Beaver County) is led to his arraignment in handcuffs.: Politicker Photo

HARRISBURG -- Eleven of the House Democratic Caucus members implicated Thursday in "Bonusgate" arrived Friday morning at Magisterial District Judge Joseph Solomon's office across the street from the Susquehanna River.

They were in handcuffs.

That was perhaps the most surprising aspect, and certainly most jarring visual, of an otherwise typical series of arraignments, at least as typical as it gets the day after Attorney General Tom Corbett revealed one of the biggest scandals in Pennsylvania political history.

None of those brought in Friday commented on the charges as he or she was swarmed by the media.

Jim Eisenhower, Manzo's attorney, said his client is innocent.

"Anybody who believes these charges were orchestrated by Mike Manzo for his benefit is very naive," he said.

House Democratic staffer Jeff Foreman was the one member who escaped Friday morning's media spotlight. He turned himself in and was arraigned Thursday afternoon following Corbett's press conference.

Former chief of staff to House Majority Leader Bill DeWeese (D-Greene County), Mike Manzo, refused to comment.: Politicker Photo

ALSO on PolitickerPA.com:

ALEX ROARTY is a PolitickerPA.com Reporter and can be reached via email at alex.roarty@politickerpa.com.

Related topics: Mike Veon, bonusgate, Mike Manzo, Brett Cott

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Comments

As terrible as some of the

posted by cap

As terrible as some of the allegations are, the fact that AG Tom Corbett insisted that these defendants be in handcuffs while others in similar situations are allowed to walk, unfettered, into the court with their attorneys was grandstanding at its worst.

07/11/08 3:18 pm

This is commonly done to

posted by Mike Livingston

This is commonly done to make the point that white collar crime is serious, it is not terribly genteel, but I think that it is pretty standard practice,

07/11/08 5:33 pm

I think it's a shame that

posted by PDP

I think it's a shame that some had to take the "perp walk" in cuffs and others, like the Brubakers, did not. They were all showing up on their own accord, without being hunted down, they should not have been cuffed, they were not a flight risk nor a danger to others. Do it for all if you must, or none, but not some! JMO

07/12/08 1:20 am

cuff em

posted by taxpayer

How do YOU know they werent a danger to others?
Cuffing them isn't grandstanding...it's protecting the people around them. Anyone of them could have been armed. Do you know they are mentally stable? Who cares if their cuffed...I would have liked to see someone reach in their pockets and get our money back.

07/13/08 10:57 pm

For the latest news on the

posted by bonus

For the latest news on the Pa bonus investigation, check oout bonusgate2008.com!

07/15/08 11:45 pm

the thing about perp walks

posted by Lawyer

They are banned in some jurisdictions as prejudicial (handcuffs or not). It tends to bias the jury pool to present a defendant as a criminal who has not yet been found guilty. And as a casual observer of this case, it makes this seem more like politics than justice. This is obviously a political prosecution.

10/05/08 11:44 pm