Chappaquiddick Cited in Rape Case
A prosecutor Friday linked tactics used by William Kennedy Smith’s lawyers to those employed by lawyers who represented his uncle, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.), after the 1969 death of a woman in Chappaquiddick, Mass.
Smith is charged with the Easter weekend rape of a Florida woman at the Kennedy family’s Palm Beach estate.
Prosecutor Moira Lasch made the connection during a hearing called by Palm Beach Circuit Judge Mary Lupo to consider a defense request for a gag order on publication of details of the investigation.
Lasch said the book “Senatorial Privilege” by Leo Damore described how Kennedy’s lawyers tried to bar the media from filing reports on the investigation of the Chappaquiddick incident in an effort to shield Kennedy’s reputation.
The Massachusetts Democrat left the scene after a car he was driving plunged off a bridge and a woman passenger, Mary Jo Kopechne, drowned.
Defense attorney Mark Schnapp, arguing for the gag order, responded that “Sen. Kennedy is not on trial here and this is not a forum for Ms. Lasch to trash Mr. Kennedy.”
Lupo delayed a decision on the gag order. The trial is scheduled to begin Aug. 5.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
