By Ben Horowitz
The Star-Ledger
December 13, 2011
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/12/prosecution_probes_testimony_d.html
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| Jose Felicano defendant; testifies in his own trial for the murder of Father Edward Hines of St. Patrick Church in Chatham, during his trial in Morristown. 11/28/11 Photo Jerry McCrea/The Star-Ledger |
Pressing murder defendant Jose Feliciano during a sixth day of cross-examination, the prosecutor asked him today to repeat details of his alleged sexual encounters with a Chatham priest in an effort to prove he made up his story.
The former church custodian changed details and some dates of the alleged incidents from the testimony he gave in the trial during direct examination by his own attorneys on Nov. 28 and 29.
But Feliciano refused to break on the main premise of his story. When Morris County Prosecutor Robert Bianchi asked him, time and time again, if Feliciano had "made up" the sexual incidents, Feliciano insisted, over and over again, that "it happened."
Feliciano, 66, is accused in the Oct. 22, 2009 stabbing death of the Rev. Edward Hinds, parish priest at St. Patrick Church. Feliciano has admitted he killed Hinds, but says he was provoked and contends it was a manslaughter, not murder. Feliciano said he attacked Hinds when the priest fired him after blackmailing him into a sexual relationship for more than four years in exchange for keeping unresolved criminal charges quiet.
The prosecution contends Feliciano stabbed Hinds after the priest fired him upon learning of the charges.
Feliciano testified today that the first four sexual incidents occurred in October 2004, and in February, October and November of 2005, and that Hinds had forced him to perform a sex act during the three later encounters.
Bianchi pointed out that in his November testimony, Feliciano didn’t mention the February incident, said only that the priest had touched his genitals in October 2005 and said Hinds had "bit his penis" during the November incident.
"How can you forget something as important as the priest biting your penis?" Bianchi asked. "Is that because it didn’t happen?"
"I didn’t forget it," Feliciano said. "I just didn’t say it."
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