Pagans found guilty on three charges
By KRISTIE LINDEN
klinden@yourmvi.com
Two members of the Pagans were found not guilty of attempted homicide Friday, but were convicted on charges of aggravated assault, conspiracy and simple assault in the beating of a former Pagan last spring.
A jury deliberated for about three hours before delivering the verdict in Washington County Court.
After about an hour of deliberations, the jury sent word that it had questions and wanted to see the surveillance video from inside the Charleroi Slovak Club in the April 18 assault.
One of the questions was “What if a juror has reasonable doubt and can’t be convinced?” Judge John DiSalle told the jury it was very early in deliberations and that jurors should take time to see if their mind changed by talking to the other jurors and considering the evidence, but should not let the jurors change a deeply held belief.
Just shy of two hours later, Matthew Vasquez, 31, of Monessen and Joseph Olinsky III, 46, of McKeesport were acquitted of the most serious charges they faced — attempted homicide and conspiracy to commit homicide — but were found guilty on all other assault charges.
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