Ex-Waterbury Mayor Seeking To Get Child Sex Abuse Conviction Overturned
WATERBURY, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) - A former mayor of Waterbury, Conn. serving time for sexual assault is working to get his conviction overturned.
Philip Giordano was convicted in 2003 for sexually abusing two young girls while he served as mayor.
He now contends that he was inadequately represented by counsel at his trial.
As WCBS 880 Connecticut Bureau Chief Fran Schneidau reported, Giordano was represented by lawyer Andrew Bowman, one of the most prestigious attorneys in Connecticut.
Ex-Waterbury Mayor Seeking To Get Child Sex Abuse Conviction Overturned
Legal experts said because of that fact, it's unlikely Giordano will be granted a hearing.
Giordano has served 10 years of his 37-year sentence. He was convicted on charges he forced two girls, ages 8 and 10, to perform oral sex on him in his City Hall office.
Giordano claims he engaged in sex with the aunt of one of the children while the two girls were in an adjacent room at City Hall.
The attorney now representing the former mayor said regardless of what people say about Philip Giordano, he deserves to have a fair trial.
"Phil is waiting for a day in court where he can be appropriately represented and where the jury can assess, once and for all, whether or not he broke the law," attorney Aaron Romano told Schneidau.
The ex-mayor is imprisoned in a federal penitentiary out of state and will not attend Monday's hearing.
The hearing is the first step in Giordano's effort to try to get his conviction overturned.
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