Suppression ruling issued in case of alleged sexual abuse

Finger Lakes Times:

WATERLOO — Seneca County Judge Dennis Bender has ruled statements by a town resident accused of sexually abusing two young boys can be used if the case goes to trial.

In a ruling issued earlier this month, Bender said police properly gave Ronald Spoor his Miranda rights before statements he made to them in December 2012. The statements, some of which are on an audiotape, were the focus of a suppression hearing last month in Spoor’s case….

Spoor’s attorney, Steven Getman, argued police improperly gave Spoor his Miranda warning …. Getman sought to have the audiotape suppressed and not played at Spoor’s trial, which has not been scheduled.

Spoor said he had several beers before Grbic arrived at his house, had trouble understanding the Miranda rights and has difficulty reading. He claimed police coerced him into a confession after he repeatedly denied the allegations….

Getman said while he was disappointed in the ruling on the statements, he was happy to see Bender rule that uncharged crimes …can’t be used at trial.

“If the jury listens to the recording, we hope they will see the context in which those statements were made,” Getman said.

The charges against the defendants are accusations and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

Accused molester’s alleged confession attacked

Finger Lakes Times:

Ronald Spoor… faces charges of predatory sexual assault against a child and criminal sexual act, both felonies, for allegedly touching [two] boys’ private areas while they were sleeping at his house. The predatory sexual assault charge, a class A-2 felony, is punishable by up to life in prison….

Spoor’s attorney, Steven Getman, is arguing police improperly gave Spoor his Miranda warning in Farmington and should have given him the warning in Waterloo. Getman is seeking to have the audiotape suppressed and not played at Spoor’s trial.

Spoor’s trial hasn’t been scheduled.

Spoor also testified at the hearing. Under questioning from Getman, he said he had several beers before [New York State Police] arrived at his house and had trouble understanding the Miranda rights. He claimed police coerced him into a confession after he repeatedly denied the allegations.

“They kept questioning me and saying I did it,” Spoor said. “They twisted it around when I said I might have touched him”

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“He felt he had to confess or he would be arrested,” Getman said. “It was a tainted statement.”

During his testimony, Spoor said he has no prior criminal record other than a DWI arrest in the 1980s.

[Seneca County Judge Dennis] Bender will issue a written decision on whether the tape can be played at Spoor’s trial.

The charges against the defendant are accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless he is proven guilty in a court of law.