Headline News - PostStar.com
Man Cleared in Sex Case
By DON LEHMAN
dlehman@poststar.com
June 21, 2007
Fort Edward – A Granville man who was accused of repeatedly fondling a 9-year-old girl was acquitted of all charges after a two-day trial in Washington County Court that ended late Tuesday.
Michael S. Plisko, 33, of 78 Riverwalley Drive was found not guilty of three felony charges of sexual abuse and a misdemeanor count of endangering the welfare of a child after a jury deliberated into the evening. He was accused of having sexual contact with the girl at his former home in Hudson Falls last fall, the girl having testified against him earlier Tuesday.
The jury found him not guilty after Plisko testified in his own defense, telling the panel the girl was not at his home on the days in question.
"Did you commit these crimes that are alleged against you?" his lawyer, Gerard Amedio, asked him.
"No sir, I didn't," Plisko responded.
Washington County District Attorney Kevin Kortright said he was disappointed by the verdict, but that he believed the girl's testimony. He praised the girl for having the courage to come forward.
"I thought she did excellent," he said. "If I had it to do over, I would do the same thing."
Amedio said the girl's testimony had inconsistencies, and the jury was critical of the State Police investigation. He said police finished the investigation questioning Plisko in December without charges being filed, then inexplicably arrested Plisko in February.
"He knew he was facing over 20 years, but he said all along he was innocent and he couldn't plead guilty to something he didn't do," Amedio said. "He has his freedom. He was a happy man when he left court."
Plisko faced up to 21 years prison if convicted of all three felony charges.
