March 01, 2005

Teacher's molestation convictions reversed

ARIZONA
KVOA

The state Court of Appeals has reversed the child-molestation convictions of a former Catholic-school teacher.

In a memorandum issued late last week, the appellate panel returned Phillip Gregory Speers' molestation case to Yuma County Superior Court, where he was prosecuted.

In September, the Court of Appeals overturned his convictions for possessing child pornography in connection with the same case, which involved accusations that the 32-year-old Speers molested girls in a second-grade class he taught at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic School in Yuma in the 1999-2000 school year.

Thursday's memorandum said Speers should have been allowed to call an expert witness to talk about the implantation of false memories in children and he should have been allowed to have friends, family members and co-workers give testimony about his character.

Posted by kshaw at March 1, 2005 10:16 AM