Buckey Lawyer Takes Stand to Deny Witness Allegations

In a highly unusual move, a defense attorney in the McMartin Pre-School molestation trial called himself as his first witness Wednesday to testify that he never threatened to have a witness killed and that his client, Raymond Buckey, never admitted having sex with children.

Lawyer Danny Davis, beginning the long-awaited defense phase of the 15-month trial, later told reporters that he felt he had to restore his own credibility before proceeding further.

“It seemed I had to respond to the things George Freeman (a jail house informant who testified earlier) said about our conversations, to get that job done so I can go back to doing my job (representing Buckey).”

Under questioning by his attorney, Ed Rucker, Davis testified that he had talked with Freeman twice in March and April of 1984, after learning that he had been placed in a cell with Buckey. He said he was concerned about “the physical safety of my client.”

“Did Freeman indicate Mr. Buckey had made any statement about having had relations with children?” Davis was asked.

“No, he didn’t,” Davis replied.

“Did he indicate Raymond Buckey had denied wrongdoing?” Rucker asked

“Yes, sir, he did,” Davis replied.

Davis, asked whether he had ever threatened Freeman in any form or manner, answered, “No, sir, I did not.”

Freeman, 45, a career criminal who has been convicted of at least nine felonies, testified that when he and Buckey shared a jail cell, Buckey told of sodomizing the boy whose allegations triggered the molestation investigation, and about having sex with other children at McMartin and at a San Diego preschool.

Freeman also testified that Davis had threatened to have him killed if he talked further with his client or testified against him.

In another unusual development, Davis testified Wednesday that he had no “independent recollection” of his meetings with Freeman and Buckey and needed to refer to a memo he dictated after talking with them.

The move was apparently a tactic to avoid violating Buckey’s and Davis’ attorney-client privilege by not making direct references to conversations between the two men.

Prosecutors suggested that any testimony by Davis about private discussions he had with Buckey about one matter might enable them to question him about other areas of the molestation case.

Buckey, 30, and his mother, Peggy McMartin Buckey, 61, face 65 charges of molestation and conspiracy involving 11 children who attended their family-run nursery school from 1978 through 1983.