PRETRIAL MOTIONS FILED FOR FORMER JEANNETTE MAN AWAITING RETRIAL

Lawyers for a former Jeannette man awaiting retrial for the 1993 death of his wife and two children say prosecutors cannot prove the fire was intentionally set.  The Trib reports that in pre-trial motions that were submitted yesterday, the attorneys for 58-year-old James Young say the arson and homicide charges should be thrown out, saying the evidence supporting the commonwealth’s case in 1995  was based on “junk science” and methods no longer accepted as valid fire investigation tactics.  Young was originally convicted of three counts of first-degree murder and arson following a 1995 trial. While a judge overturned those convictions last year, Young remains in jail without bond awaiting a new trial.