Regola Found Not Guilty

A state senator has been acquitted of perjury, reckless endangerment and gun counts. A jury cleared Republican state Sen. Robert Regola of any wrongdoing in the death of a 14-year-old neighbor. The freshman lawmaker is running for re-election. He had been charged with perjury, reckless endangerment and allowing a minor to illegally possess a gun. Prosecutors had said Regola should be held accountable for lies he told during a coroner's inquest. They also claimed the 9 mm handgun essentially belonged to son Bobby Regola. The neighbor used Regola's gun to shoot himself in July 2006. A coroner ruled the death a suicide.

Senate President Pro Tem Joe Scarnati released the following statement:

“This is welcome news and quite frankly news I fully expected all along,” Scarnati stated. “From the get go, this has been nothing more than a political vendetta against Bob Regola and I am pleased the jury saw it for what it was. Now that the verdict is in, I am hopeful that the Regola family and the Farrell family can find it in their hearts to move forward and find some sort of closure to this sad tragedy.”

“I am also confident that Bob will continue to effectively represent the good citizens of the 39th District, as he has throughout this difficult process,” Scarnati added. “It goes without saying that Senator Regola has been a leader in the Senate in advancing causes such as the end to lame duck sessions, and will be a vital part in reforming the way the Commonwealth operates.”