Immunity Granted to Ex-Prosecutor in McMartin Case

A Superior Court judge granted immunity to a former prosecutor in the McMartin Pre-School molestation case today so the lawyer can testify at a pretrial hearing about alleged prosecution misconduct.

Judge William R. Pounders ordered Glenn E. Stevens, a former member of the prosecution team, to return to court Tuesday to testify, after granting a request by the state attorney general’s office and the city attorney’s office that Stevens not be prosecuted for allegedly advising the defense about the McMartin prosecution after he had left the case.

Pounders is presiding over a pretrial hearing into defense allegations that Stevens and fellow McMartin prosecutor Lael R. Rubin withheld evidence from the defense about the alleged mental instability of Judy Johnson, the woman--now deceased--whose allegations that her son were molested triggered the case.