U.S. Attorneys office contacted by City of Syracuse
Bernie Fine, suspended Syracuse University basketball coach.
SYRACUSE -- Onondaga County District Attorney Bill Fitzpatrick has been forced to subpoena the Syracuse Police Department to obtain past and current records in the investigation of child sexual abuse against suspended Syracuse University basketball coach Bernie Fine.
This is the first time in 30 years as a prosecutor in Onondaga County that Fitzpatrick has had to use that legal power to leverage records from the Syracuse police.
Fitzpatrick said those records will be presented to a Grand Jury Tuesday morning. A State Supreme Court justice signed off on the subpoena. The District Attorney said when the subpoena was served in the Syracuse Police Chief's offices the server was greeted with profanity.
In the middle of the afternoon Monday, Mayor Stephanie Miner issued an unusual statement involving a criminal investigation in Syracuse. Part of that statement included the following excerpt which did not indicate the city intended to turn over the documents to the District Attorney:
"The Syracuse Police Department will complete its investigation and then turn its findings in their entirety over to the appropriate authorities and answer questions about the investigation’s findings at the appropriate time. Any comments about the specifics of the investigation while it is ongoing would be premature and irresponsible."
The District Attorney also confirmed that the City of Syracuse has been in contact with the U.S. Attorney's office regarding the allegations against Bernie Fine.
Fine has been accused of sexually abusing two children beginning in the 1980’s and has drawn national attention after Fine's accusers gave an interview to ESPN.
