GREENSBURG, Pa. -- The trial of state Sen. Robert Regola began Wednesday in Westmoreland County Court, with a prosecutor saying Regola was "reckless" in not trying harder to find his missing gun that a teen neighbor was later found shot to death with.
Defense attorney Charles Porter countered by telling jurors that the senator's perjury and reckless endangerment trial is not about 14-year-old Louis Farrell's death, but rather District Attorney John Peck's desire to restrict guns.
Watch The Latest Report From WTAE Channel 4's Janelle HallRegola, a Republican from Hempfield Township, is accused of allowing his then-16-year-old son to possess a 9 mm handgun and failing to store it safely. Prosecutors claimed that led to the death of Farrell, who was the Regolas' neighbor and a friend of the senator's son.
Porter noted that prosecutors neglected to tell the jury in his opening statement that the coroner ruled the July 21, 2006 death a suicide, which further suggests how unforeseen the shooting was. The boy was found in the woods behind his house with the senator's gun nearby, state police said.
"The first thing I want to tell you is this case is not about the death of Louis Farrell," Porter said.
Farrell had access to the Regolas' house because he was watching their dogs while the senator and his wife were in Harrisburg, state police said.
"We know guns in the hands of the wrong people can be a disaster," Westmoreland County District Attorney John Peck told the jury in his opening statement.
Where Was The Gun?
Sen. Regola said under oath at a coroner's inquest that he always stored the gun under the bed in his home.
State police Cpl. Jarred Slater testified that Sen. Regola "related to me that he used to keep the pistol in Bobby's (his 16-year old son's) bedroom, then moved it to his master bedroom because he wanted to protect his household."
But Regola said the gun was not kept in Bobby's room when he testified under oath at a coroner's inquest in 2006, and prosecutors are alleging that he lied when he said that.
Many of the notes from the state police investigation were somehow destroyed in the time leading up to the senator's trial, so there is no way to check on what Regola told the trooper.
Prosecutors charged Sen. Regola with providing a weapon to a minor and recklessly endangering the welfare of another person and perjury.
The defense said Sen. Regola never let his son keep his gun.
Prosecution Questions Senator's Reactions
Bobby Regola spent the day of the shooting at an amusement park. When he returned home, he saw that his father's pistol was missing and he called the senator in Harrisburg to tell him, Peck said.
Then, instead of calling Farrell's parents or police, Sen. Regola tried to call his sister and then talked to his brother on the phone and asked him to check on the house, Peck said.
Prosecutors want to know why the senator did not call police for help when he learned the gun was missing.
Peck said Regola had a "strange lack of concern" about the gun. He also told jurors that the senator acted recklessly because he knew Farrell had been in the house alone and had reason to believe the boy knew about the gun.
Regola returned home the next day. By then, Farrell's body had been found shot in the woods near the families' homes.
Porter said it wasn't illegal for Sen. Regola to own a gun, nor was it illegal for him not to have it locked up. He said the prosecution is driven by its need to find criminal culpability whenever a tragedy occurs.
Farrell was a longtime, trusted family friend, so the senator had no reason to suspect the boy would have taken his gun, Porter said.
"Is there any reason for him (Sen. Regola) to think this kid's going to take his gun and kill himself in the woods? ... He had no idea this kid would even know he had a gun," Porter said.
Friend Testifies Boy Showed Him Gun
WTAE Channel 4's Janelle Hall reported that Farrell's best friend took the stand to counter the defense claim, saying "Bobby shut the door, sat on his bed, pulled out a plastic case and pulled out a handgun. He told me it was a 9 mm. He said he had it for protection."
After the defense quizzed the boy about specific details about the gun, and the amount of times Farrell talked about it, the boy broke down in tears, saying "you have to remember, this was right after I lost my best friend."
The trial resumes Thursday morning with testimony from forensic pathologist Dr. Cyril Wecht. The trial is expected to last about a week.
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published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
