STAUNTON, Va. - Prosecutor Raymond Robertson has filed court papers seeking to prevent First Amendment attorney Paul Cambria from defending an adult video store against obscenity charges.
Robertson filed 24 obscenity charges against After Hours Video and its owner Rick Krial on Nov. 1 after undercover agents purchased 12 adult movies from After Hours. Krial's local attorney Tate Love filed a motion to allow Cambria and two of his associates as co-counsel, but Robertson claims that would be a conflict of interest.
"The Commonwealth has reason to believe that [Cambria's] legal fee ... is being paid by a third party and not by the defendant," Robertson wrote in his response to Love's motion.
Robertson has presented no evidence that any third party is paying Cambria, and in fact, Cambria told AVN that Krial has retained his services with no help from any outside interest.
If in fact Cambria is being supported by outside adult industry parties, Robertson argued, it could give Krial an argument for appeal if convicted, counter the interests of the industry benefactors if Krial accepted a plea agreement and/or allow Cambria and co-counselors to "exert strong pressures against the independent judgment of defense attorney Tate Love."
John Pauly, of Pennsylvania's Adult Freedom Foundation, said of Robertson's arguments against Cambria, "He's totally mistaken, because Cambria is 100 percent above board.
"He's a giant killer," Pauly added. "The city can expect the fight of their life."
A hearing to determine if Cambria's involvement in the case constitutes a conflict of interest is scheduled for Nov. 20.
