Defense attorneys for Joshua Komisarjevsky, awaiting trial in the Cheshire home invasion case, Thursday lashed out at comments made Wednesday by state Sen. Edith Prague, D-Columbia. Prague Wednesday told CT NewsJunkie, an online political newspaper, that Komisarjevsky should be hung "by his penis from a tree out in the middle of Main Street.''
On Thursday, defense Attorney Jeremiah Donovan asked the trial judge to delay the case for three months, calling Prague's remarks "inflammatory" and saying that they could influence prospective jurors in the case. Lawyers have selected 12 jurors. They still need to pick six alternates and three substitute alternates.
Prague, when asked later Thursday at the state Capitol about Donovan's criticism of her - and about his request to delay the case - stood by what she had said. Moreover, she blasted the defense attorney for trying to delay the case.
"Well, he certainly has the right to criticize what I said," Prague said of Donovan. "He can say what he wants. But for him to delay the trial three months is totally outrageous. That is outrageous - keeping the Petit family another three months, waiting for this trial? He ought to be ashamed of himself."
Asked if she has reconsidered her statement about Komisarjevsky, Prague said, "No, I'm not going to take it back. That man is a monster, and I don't feel anything for him is bad enough."