New York, Jan. 9, 2000 - In his first media appearance since his conviction was overturned, "cybersex" defendant Oliver Jovanovic was embraced today by the accuser's family who flew here to stand by his side and called for the case to be thrown out.
Jovanovic, 33, a doctoral student at Columbia University, was convicted in the so-called cybersex case in 1998 after he was charged with kidnapping and torturing a Barnard student he had met on the Internet. Jovanovic, his family and his lawyers, had contested the charges from the outset and argued in his appeal that there was a litany of errors in is trial. In fact, the defense contends the case is a hoax based on fabricated charges.
The Appellate Division ruled on Dec. 21, 1999 that he be granted a new trial, with the majority finding that the trial judge - Acting Justice William Wetzel - had misapplied the New York State Rape Shield Law by redacting several emails between the accuser and the defendant. Jovanovic was released on bail and spent the holidays with his family in the working class Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan.
At a news conference today at the offices of family friend and attorney Jeffey Newman, the Jovanovic team received support from an unlikely source in criminal cases - the accuser's family.
The accuser's grandmother and aunt said they flew into New York City to show their full support for Oliver Jovanovic. "We know her well, and we know what she said about Oliver was just another of her fabrications. She has made false accusations before, and this is another one of them," said Fay Webster, the accuser's grandmother, of Salamanca, N.Y. "Enough is enough. I think the Manhattan District Attorney's Office should drop this case."
Ms. Webster appeared with Laurie Poole, an aunt of the accuser. Both women spoke for other family members who could not be present.
"We are sorry for her, but there is no excuse for what she did to this man. We are here to rejoice with Oliver on the reversal of his conviction and to give him our support," said Ms. Poole. "We don't want what happened to him to happen to someone else."
Jovanovic, flanked by his family and attorneys as he was hugged by his accuser's family, said: "I want to get these absurd charges fully behind me and resume my life. This case is a hoax that my accuser's family saw right through, but the prosecution chose not to. I want to thank my accuser's family for their support, as well as the many other people that have supported us throughout this ordeal."
[ Home | Oliver Jovanovic | Press Articles | The Allegations | The DA & The Media | Assault on Civil Liberties | About Judge William Wetzel | Commentary | The Reversal | The Legal Defense Fund ]