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Mt. Kisco Judge Sets Douglas Kennedy's Trial Date

MOUNT KISCO, N.Y. — The trial of Douglas Kennedy, who is accused of assaulting two Northern Westchester nurses in January, will begin Oct. 22, Justice John Donahue said Thursday.

Donahue also ruled Thursday night at Mount Kisco Town Court that Kennedy will not be given access to the majority of the nurses’ medical, insurance and personnel records subpoenaed from the hospital.

On Jan. 7, Kennedy, son of the late Robert F. Kennedy, reportedly took his newborn son Bo off the maternity ward at the Mount Kisco hospital for, he said, "fresh air.” Two nurses, Anna Lane and Cari Luciano, said they attempted to prevent him from removing the infant, according to published reports. In sworn depositions, Lane said Kennedy twisted her arm and Luciano said he kicked her.

Kennedy has pleaded not guilty to two counts of harassment and endangering the welfare of a child, a misdemeanor. Charges of child abuse were dismissed in April.

The hospital, which had sought to quash the subpoena of 30 pieces of evidence at a hearing on June 14, was ordered to produce any written policies regarding a parent or guardian taking a baby off the maternity ward against medical advice, as well as leaving the hospital with a baby, taking a baby outside or carrying a baby without a bassinet.

The justice also ruled Thursday to extend the nurses’ temporary order of protection against Kennedy to Feb. 7, 2013. The order had been set to expire Aug. 23.

After the ruling, Kennedy’s lawyer, Robert Gottlieb, said he and his client were grateful to the judge for granting their request to see the written hospital regulations. Gottlieb said they had been told by the hospital that Kennedy violated its policy, but, he said, “we have not been told what the policy is.”

“It’s okay for a father to want to be with his son,” Kennedy said as he got into his car after his appearance in court. Representatives from the New York State Nurses Association, there to picket the proceedings, chanted, “Kennedy, Kennedy, can’t you see, assaulting a nurse is a felony.”

 

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