Exclusive: Attorney Of Pearl Gosnell Speaks Out About Her Reaction To Husband's Sentence
by Todd Quinones
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Pearl Gosnell was caught by surprise.
She apparently didn't know her husband was going to agree to life in prison to avoid the death penalty.
Pearl Gosnell pleaded guilty to taking part in a late term abortion at her husband's clinic.
She's been on house arrest for two years, but she's been speaking to her husband over the phone according to her attorney Michael Medway.
"She's got all of these competing emotions rolling around in her head. She's happy that it is over. She's happy he's not going to die. She's angry," Medway said.
Jurors in Dr. Gosnell's trial expressed relief over his decision to accept three life terms in prison and to forgo any appeals, freeing them up of having to decide if the 72-year-old should receive the death penalty.
Complete CBSPhilly Coverage Of The Gosnell Trial
"Having to say to myself this did happen to those kids, there were children that died at the hands of this man, that was hard for me to admit that kind of evil exists in this world," juror Sarah Glinski said.
Gosnell was convicted of three counts of 1st degree murder for the deaths of three babies born alive during abortions.
Jurors were stunned over some of the graphic details in the case.
"I feel at one time he started out as a good practicing doctor, but eventually it just became a large money generating machine," juror Joe Carroll said.
Jurors says they're not sure if Gosnell would have received the death penalty and throughout the trial his demeanor didn't sit well with them.
"He just sat there and smirked for eight weeks. It wasn't good," juror David Misko said.
Medway says Pearl Gosnell is remorseful for what happened.
"It's not that she didn't know, she didn't know to the extent about what was really going on," Medway said.
Pearl Gosnell's attorney says the case has put a strain on the couples' daughter who is in high school and their 20-year-old son who is thinking of changing his last name.
Pearl Gosnell will be sentenced at the end of this month.
She faces possible jail time, but her lawyer is hoping she will receive probation.
