Judge doesn't buy Gosnells' poor excuse for no lawyer

Kermit Gosnell, the doctor charged with killing a patient and seven viable babies during illegal abortions, has until Wednesday to hire an attorney, a judge told him yesterday.

Common Pleas Judge Renee Cardwell Hughes gave the same order to Pearl Gosnell, the doctor's wife, after both claimed to be broke and asked for public defenders.

Gosnell, arrested last month along with his wife and eight former employees of his West Philadelphia clinic, claimed to be "nearly destitute" and lacking money to hire counsel.

Hughes, citing a list of Gosnell's assets provided by the District Attorney's Office, suggested that he liquidate some of his properties.

"Your excuses as to why you have no attorney are of no moment to me," said Hughes, in rejecting the doctor's request for a public lawyer.

After Gosnell was taken from the courtroom, his wife was brought in and told by Hughes that she would also need to liquidate assets to hire an attorney.

Hughes also informed Gosnell that the lawyer he hires should be qualified to handle capital cases because the D.A.'s Office might seek the death penalty.

Gosnell, 69, sporting the same green shirt and jeans he wore when he was arrested Jan. 19, is being held without bail at the Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility in Northeast Philadelphia.

Pearl Gosnell, 50, wearing a black cotton shirt and jeans, has not been able to pay her $1 million bail and remains behind bars at the Riverside Correctional Facility in the Northeast.

She is charged with performing an abortion at 24 or more weeks, conspiracy and related counts.

Assistant District Attorneys Joanne Pescatore and Christine Wechsler presented Hughes with documentation refuting the Gosnells' claims of being in the poorhouse.

"There are at least seven properties that we know of, one of which is a home in Brigantine, on the water, and a boat. That house is valued at least $900,000," Pescatore said after the hearing.

"Yes, he does have money, or the wherewithal to get the money," she said.

Dr. Gosnell's assets include his large home in Mantua, several rental properties and the West Philadelphia medical building where he conducted his abortion practice for poor women, Wechsler said.

"I guess I'm surprised in light of his significant assets that he has not hired an attorney yet, given how great the charges are," Wechsler said.

The couple's eight co-defendants have attorneys, the prosecutors told Hughes.

On Wednesday, the 10 defendants are scheduled to be back before Hughes to hear a motion filed by the prosecutors to bypass preliminary hearings.

Such hearings are not needed, Pescatore said, because Hughes heard from 63 witnesses while presiding over the grand-jury investigation into the charges.