The Trial of a Radical, Finally

For 25 years, counterculture icon Ira Einhorn has dodged justice. Now, after a long, strange trip, he faces murder charges
 
By Steven Levy
NEWSWEEK WEB EXCLUSIVE 
 
Sept. 27 —  This week, lawyers picked a jury in Philadelphia for the Ira Einhorn murder trial, with opening arguments to begin on Monday. It’s an understatement to say that this is an event long overdue.

[MSNBC: National News]

Over the last quarter-century, Ira Einhorn has been accused of having murdered his long-time girlfriend Holly Maddux, jumped bail, fled the country, tried in absentia and convicted, got married and settled down in France and fought his extradition to the US to serve out the sentence for his murder conviction. Also during that time, the French refused to turn him over to the US because they did not believe that a trial held in absentia could be a fair trial.  Instead, they kept something of an eye on him, but allowed him to stay in their country, free - having gotten away with murder. 

Then a few years back, the Pennsylvania Legislature passed a special law to grant Einhorn a new trial, if he was returned to the United States.  This, it was believed, would address the concerns of the French over the fairness of his trial and should allow them to extradite him back here to face the charges, this time, in person.

It worked.  Einhorn was returned and the trial is now getting set to begin, and, if it is like the rest of this case has been, it should be an interesting one.  As the Newsweek article notes:

A look at a list of the defense’s “potential witnesses” read to the jury shows the desperation of the Einhorn team. Besides the expected forensic experts, there is a bit of celebrity power on the list, a testament to Einhorn’s pre-arrest connections. But rocker Peter Gabriel has no evidence to present about the murder, nor does actress Ellen Burstyn. (It’s unlikely either will appear.) Less recognizable character witnesses will be of dubious value. One potential witness is a woman who met Einhorn in a hot tub at Esalen, the famous New Age retreat at Big Sur, Calif., in the period between his arrest and his illegal flight. Others on the list, like Episcopal priest David Gracie and scholar Stafford Beer, can’t help Ira at all, since they’re dead.

I cannot even begin to imagine the frustration that Holly's family has had to endure all these years, and for them, I am quite pleased that this trial is finally being held.