Sen. Farnese: Family of Slain Philadelphia Officer Chuck Cassidy a “Step Closer” to Seeing Justice Served

Philadelphia, November 13, 2009 - Two years after John “Jordan” Lewis gunned down Police Officer Chuck Cassidy, the defendant unexpectedly pled guilty Thursday, just as his murder trial was about to begin.

Senator Larry Farnese expressed relief and renewed his support for the murdered officer’s family.

“Now that Lewis has admitted his guilt, Officer Cassidy’s family will not have to sit through a weeks-long trial, where they undoubtedly would have had to endure the pain of hearing over and over, the details of their loved one’s murder,” he said.

Instead, during the next few weeks, the jury will hear evidence and decide whether to find him guilty of first-degree or second-degree murder. Should the panel find him guilty of the former charge, jurors will also determine whether he should be sentenced to death or life in prison without parole.

The senator believes justice for Ofc. Cassidy’s killing is close at hand.

“I am confident that for the Cassidy family, they are a step closer to seeing justice served,” said Sen. Farnese.

Lewis had several previous drug arrests before investigators say he committed the October 31, 2007 robbery at a Dunkin Donuts, which cut short Ofc. Cassidy’s life.

In April, the senator introduced a trio of bills aimed at taking illegal guns from the hands of criminals and clamping down on straw purchases.

“No family should ever again have to go through what Officer Cassidy’s family and families of other slain officers have had to experience,” he said.

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About Senator Larry Farnese: Sen. Farnese, a Democrat, represents the First Senatorial District of Pennsylvania. He has been a member of the Senate since January 2009 and serves on the following Senate Committees: Veterans Affairs & Emergency Preparedness (Minority Chair), Appropriations, Banking & Insurance, Communications & Technology, Education, and Labor & Industry. He is also an appointed member of the Pennsylvania Housing Advisory Committee, a state interagency council tasked with finding solutions to ending homelessness throughout the Commonwealth.

About Sen. Farnese’s District: The First Senatorial District includes these Philadelphia neighborhoods: Bella Vista, Brewery Town, Chinatown, Eastwick, Fairmount, Fishtown, Girard Estate, Graduate Hospital, Grays Ferry, Hawthorne, Jefferson Square, Logan Circle, Lower Kensington, Northern Liberties, Old City, Packer Park, Pennsport, Point Breeze, Port Richmond, Queen Village, Rittenhouse Square, Society Hill, Washington West, and Whitman.

www.senatorfarnese.com