Category Archives: The Case
Test
Test
What the Grand Jury Got Wrong
The grand jury testimony of every complaining witness is thoroughly undermined by clear and convincing evidence, often in multiple forms and from multiple sources. Seven main elements undermine the grand jury testimony of the complainants: 1) the complainant has completely repudiated the testimony he provided when he was a child, explaining that it was a product of coercion, 2) other eyewitnesses who were in the same classroom as the complainant assert that no abuse took place, 3) The complainant lied in material respects, claiming he witnessed sexual abuse against others that did not take place, 4) the complainant lied in materials respects by falsely claiming that other perpetrators were sexually abused him, 5) the complainant radically altered his testimony in material respects, 6) the complainant made assertions that were so implausible, blied by the physical evidence, or obviously fantastic that they cannot be credited, and 7) the complainant’s accounts of sexual abuse dramatically expanded after each round of police interrogation.
An examination of every charge by every complaining witness leaves no doubt that Jesse Friedman was wrongfully convicted:
Kenneth Doe:
Kenneth Doe has completely repudiated his testimony and explains that the repeated and insist police questioning demanding that he disclose sexual abuse, he “just folded” and provided false testimony. His repudiation of the abuse allegations is corroborated by three eyewitnesses who attended the same computer class with him and state that no abuse took place.
Gary Meyers Interviewed by Detective Hatch and Detective Jones
Gary Meyers Interviewed by Detective Hatch and Detective Jones
Hatch: We’ve had kids who stated that they saw you and that you’re involved, OK?
Jones: We want to go through this with you. Don’t deny it yet. If you question twelve kids, you’ll get 12 different answers. Take Arnie Friedman’s own words. But he admitted this.
Gary: I didn’t see it. I didn’t hear it.
Jones: Arnold was under no obligation to admit, but he did. Why would Arnold Friedman admit to something that wasn’t true. The kids know that he did it. Take Arnold’s own words… I know it’s impossible to speak to him now but he’s openly admitted to this in an open courtroom. He said “I did it.”
[Ann Meyers enters room and she is asked to leave]
Hatch:J. B. and M. E. both say that they saw Gary engaged in it… Arnold Friedman did not have to admit this. No one put him in a dark room. He said it in open court with an attorney. He sodomized them. What I say to you as an intelligent human being is what did you say to that. He admitted he sodomized a lot of children
Gary: inaudible
Hatch: Arnold Friedman says in a courtroom in front of a judge… I’m not going to tell you, you tell us. What we’re trying to determine is… Arnold Friedman in court says that he sodomized children … The judge said that there are other children and exactly what he did.
[Inaudible discussion]
Hatch: We are trying to find out who the other victims are to help the parents and those children. Arnold Friedman will not be charged with any other additional charges. There’s no axe to grind here. There’s no axe to grind here. It was all stipulated in open court that there would be no further charges. One judge and the DA says no further charges will be made. Once the stipulation was made with the judge, no further charges will be made. What we want to do is to let the parents know if there are other children that we aren’t aware of so that they can get psychological help for the children. We also learn how to deal with pedophiles and how they operate, how they operate and their method of seduction… Not one child came forward. Why? They were blackmailed. Sexual perversions if a person is sexually abused and wanted to keep your mouth shut and took photos and took notes and told you if you said anything to anyone you would be in worse trouble because they would show the picture -‑ what if the person was seven or eight years old… Could you imagine a copy to our mother, a copy to a smut magazine with the name and address to show that you were a pervert?
Gary: inaudible
Hatch: Did you know that much five years ago? I’m 43 years old and when I was seven I didn’t know as much as I do now.
Gary: inaudible
Hatch: [angrily] I think you’re very funny… No evidence to speculate anything happened… You’re reasonably intelligent I wouldn’t say you’re a genius but you are reasonably intelligent. Arnold Friedman stipulated in court that he sodomized a large number of children.
Gary: No he never touched me.
Hatch: Oh, it happened to everyone else but not to you. How many sessions did you have at Friedman’s.
Gary: 8 to 12.
Hatch: Arnold Friedman had a certain age group. Pre‑adolescent males. He wouldn’t be interested in a guy like you? You were nine years old and nothing happened? An eight year old, you don’t know as much as you do at 13 years old. I’m saying to you, you went through a physical change. You look different at 13 than you did at 8. Because of that difference, Arnold Friedman no longer wanted you. Pedophiles are very selective. Like heterosexuals. Some like blondes some like brunettes. Arnold Friedman liked eight-year-olds. You’ll find out as you get older that certain things are true, certain things are lies. You denying this doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. Arnold Friedman admitted it and it’s true. When young, impressionable children are running around….
Gary: inaudible question
Jones: Why don’t you ask your sister if something happened? A lot of boys seem to have concerns about their own sexuality.
[Inaudible conversation between Meyers and Jones]
Hatch: What about a homosexual act over a period of years? Formative years? Would you consider that having an affect on a person’s sexuality? Do you think that determines if you are a homosexual? If a person was involved in a homosexual act during preadolescent years after they are forced out of it do you think they would like it? What about a man who takes unfair advantage of children? If you are going to be a homosexual, you’ll be a homosexual.
Gary: inaudible
Hatch: Well guess what? You are absolutely wrong. Most children who abuse children have been abused themselves. It’s a monster created with in you. This little monster inside you. This little voice and every now and then it rears its ugly head. Unless the victim knows enough about the problem to get himself straightened out. If suppressed, it’s a two‑fold problem. One is anger and frustration. And the other is acting itself out. It’s a no‑win situation unless the person goes and gets help and admits that he was victimized. If something bad happens even though its not the kid’s fault the child blames himself and feels tremendous guilt. We find, with help that they can see it’s not their fault. And then the place the blame on the person who created the situation and then they are a lot better off. Don’t over intimidate women. Don’t over intimidate women. You’re a super‑smart intelligent individual. You’d have to be an idiot not to see this. To a child, you don’t need a knife, guy or machete. The seduction in force can be very subtle. If Arnold Friedman took a small boy and put a very big guy over him, what do you think the little guy will do? There are children who would defy but a very small percentage. 90% would submit. Most kids would be intimidated. If a pedophile wants to get his goal accomplished, I’ll have 10 or 12 kids in my class. I know the kids. I know those who I can intimidate and those I cannot. And I’ll cut out those that I can’t intimidate. Then I go to the next stage in the process and I might cut out even a few more. You might go so far, and then that’s that. If you don’t want to do something you won’t. That’s another stage. It’s a process of elimination and psychology plays a big part. And then there are other methods other than intimidation. There’s carrots and rewards. You are having so much fun and you’re getting rewards. If you do something right, you get a reward. A candy bar, a pat on the back.
Do you remember games of a sexual nature? Stroker? Strip Poker? [checks notes] Exploding fists?
Gary: Exploding fists was a Karate Game.
Hatch: Did you ever see any porn magazines?
Gary: No
Hatch: Did you ever go to any other room in the house?
Gary: Yes.
Hatch: What room?
Gary: Jesse’s bedroom to play with the Commodore computer and nothing happened.
Hatch: Did Jesse help with the classes?
Gary: no answer
Hatch: Did Gary Meyers ever take a special SAT class? Who was in the class? Gary, A. G., J. B., H. S., M. D.?
Hatch: Did you ever see a magazine called Gallery Magazine?
Gary: No
Hatch: [calls Ann Meyers back into the room] Gary was a wise guy and I didn’t like his answer.
End
Case Chronology
November 3, 1987
Postal Inspector John McDermott executes a search of the Friedman home, for “materials related to the manufacturing and distributing of child pornography”. They find approximately 20 magazines, but no evidence of self-produced pornography. They also find a list of names of students who had attended Arnold Friedman’s after-school computer classes over the prior several years.
November 4, 1987
Informed of the search by federal agents, Detective Sergeant Fran Galasso initiates an investigation into possible child sexual abuse in Arnold Friedman’s computer classes. There have been no complaints of abuse from children and no parent has reported physical or psychological symptoms of abuse. Five pairs of two-detective teams begin interviewing students based upon a confiscated list of 81 names.
November 23, 1987
Detectives interviewed over 30 children, none of whom had disclosed any report of sexual abuse or sodomy. Most said, “Nothing happened.”
November 25, 1987
Nassau County detectives execute a search of the Friedman house and arrest Arnold and Jesse Friedman on charges of child sexual abuse. Bail set at arraignment: For Arnold Friedman, $1,000,000; and for Jesse Friedman, $500,000.
December 3, 1987
ADA Onorato files in court a certificate stating the Grand Jury has voted on an indictment of sex abuse charges.
Arnold Friedman is charged with three counts of possession, sending and receiving child pornography through the U.S. mail.
December 8, 1987
Excessive and illegal bail was appealed and overturned. Jesse Friedman released from jail. Arnold Friedman’s confinement continues due to a non-release hold in federal court.
December 9, 1987
Arnold and Jesse Friedman are arraigned on an indictment, which contains fifty-two counts of child sexual abuse against five children. Newsday reports, “Onorato said in an interview that since the grand jury heard evidence, investigators have identified ten children who either participated in or witnessed sexual acts in the computer class. He said that last week he had met with about 15 families of victims, police and a psychiatrist from Great Neck.”
December 14, 1987
First of two community meetings held sponsored by the P.T.A. Sandra Kaplan, M.D., Chief of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Professor at Cornell Medical College attended, along with Det. Galasso, Assistant District Attorney Joseph Onorato, and others. Onorato mentioned classes were held since 1984, and incorrectly that there were over 100 students a year for the past four years, implying the DA believed there were 500 possible victims.
January 1988
Joint P.T.A. Meeting: E.M. Baker and Saddle Rock Elementary Schools Program on Child Sexual Abuse1. Sandra Kaplan mentioned: all kids, victims or witnesses, should have an evaluation by a sexual-abuse specialized person or team, then probably a brief intervention (six sessions).
It is later uncovered that children were enrolled in group therapy sessions (pdf) at North Shore University Hospital. “Of the 15 children seen in the two groups, six children had no memories of being victimized even though members witnessed their abuse. A technique that was useful in helping these children remembering was having all group members draw pictures of the room where they were victimized and speak about their memories of the classes using the pictures as visual aid. With the help of this technique, two group members who had amnesia for the abuse, remembered most of the detail of their victimization. Two of the remaining four have had vague but not detailed memories and the remaining two continue to not remember their abuse.”
Dr. Sandra Kaplan gives interview to the Great Neck Record, stating, “The children I have seen who were victims seem to be very compassionate people and, if anything, the concerns of these children are they don’t want to be responsible in any way. (sic)”
February 1, 1988
A second grand jury hears testimony. It is unknown how much testimony was the result of “hypnosis-induced memories”. At least one child testifies via video tape.
February 4, 1988
The Great Neck Record reported on the two community meetings of Dec 14 and Jan. 14, confirming former computer students have been enrolled in therapy sessions at the local hospital, a process known to cause courtroom testimony to be unreliable and inadmissible. Quoting Dr. Sandra Kaplan, “‘All psychiatric records are kept confidential,’ is the assurance that Dr. Kaplan gives to parents of patients.” She explained that the records of the recent child sex abuse case in Great Neck are kept under lock and key because of the extraordinary and sensitive scope of the case.
February 8, 1988
Arnold Friedman pleads guilty in federal court to one count of mailing child pornography.
February 9, 1988
Arnold and Jesse Friedman are arraigned on a second indictment, which contains ninety-one counts of sexual abuse against eight additional children. The arraignment is covered in court by television cameras and photographers. This is the first time a judge has ever permitted cameras inside a Nassau County courtroom.
March 25, 1988
Arnold Friedman pleads guilty before Judge Boklan to all pending felony counts in exchange for a promised sentence of 10 to 30 years, to run concurrently with any sentence imposed in federal court. Faced with the prospect of being re-arrested and prosecuted based on the allegations of other children, he provides a lengthy “closeout” statement to detectives, confessing to acts of molestation against every child whose name is raised by the police. Detectives will use this statement in subsequent visits to children’s houses.
March 28, 1988
Arnold Friedman is sentenced to ten years in federal prison.
May 3, 1988
Daily News, Newsday, NY Times, NY Post, and LI News 12 all have their applications granted to ultimately cover the case live throughout.
May 13, 1988
Arnold Friedman is sentenced to 10 to 30 years in prison on the state charges.
June 1988
Ross Goldstein and his friend Danny are detained by Nassau County detectives and questioned regarding involvement in the Friedman home and sexual abuse of children during the computer classes. Ross Goldstein is later arrested based on a felony complaint alleging 18 counts of child sexual abuse committed in the Friedman’s computer classes. Newsday reported, “The newly cited victims, all boys aged 7-11, were sodomized and forced to perform oral sex in full view of other computer students, police said. Additional details of the abuse were revealed by previously identified victims during sessions with their therapists, Galasso said.”
Jesse Friedman is subsequently arraigned on a felony complaint charging 37 new counts of sexual abuse. Newsday reported, “Police said they expect to arrest as many as four acquaintances of Jesse Friedman in the burgeoning case. And prosecutor Joseph Onorato said yesterday, ‘There are allegations that, in full view of these classes, Arnold and Jesse were sodomizing one another.'”
Newsday, “The investigation got a boost when, as part of a plea bargain, Arnold Friedman identified about 80 boys he had sexually abused, sources have said. The eight-member police task force handling the cases then began contacting newly identified victims and their families while continuing interviews in already surfaced cases.”
September 1988
Ross Goldstein signs a cooperation agreement. The prosecution agreed that in return for the defendant’s testimony, it would recommend to the sentencing court that the defendant “receive a sentence of no more than six months in jail, youthful offender status, and five years probation”.
October 1988
Testimony is brought before a third Grand Jury: seven children testify (three of whom have previously testified before the earlier grand juries which brought the first two indictments) bringing the total number of complainant witnesses to seventeen. Ross Goldstein also testifies. Years later Goldstein recounts the police torture and prosecutorial intimidation he suffered pressuring him into perjury.
November 3, 1988
Great Neck Record announces a community meeting to be held at Temple Beth El regarding “Sexual Abuse of Children”. “Group Psychotherapy Sessions Will Be Described” the article announces. “…North Shore University Hospital will conduct group psychotherapy sessions. These group sessions, which have the benefit of bringing together children who share the same problems, are for youngsters who are not currently receiving treatment and, additionally, to augment the treatment of children already receiving private, on-going therapy.”
November 15, 1988
Jesse Friedman and Ross Goldstein are arraigned on a third grand jury Indictment, which contains 302 counts of child sexual abuse against seven children. “Onorato said Goldstein incriminated Jesse Friedman [and two other suspects] in testimony before the grand jury that handed down the new indictment on November 7.”
November 16, 1988
Community meeting held at Temple Beth El, during which “group psychotherapy sessions will be described.” Panelists include: Sandra Kaplan, Det. Fran Galasso, Carol Samit C.S.W., Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry North Shore University Hospital; Thomas Feniger Ph.D, Director of Pupil Personnel Services Great Neck Public Schools; Victor Fornari M.D., Physician in Charge of Pediatric Consolation Liaison Services and Professor of Psychiatry at Cornell University Medical Center.
December 20, 1988
Jesse Friedman pleads guilty before Judge Boklan to twenty-four counts in full satisfaction of the three indictments against him in exchange for a promised sentence of six to eighteen years.
January 24, 1989
Jesse Friedman is sentenced by Judge Boklan to six to eighteen years.
Winter/Spring 1989
Children Group therapy sessions (pdf) with victims of extrafamilial sex abuse at North Shore University Hospital. “Of the 15 children seen in the two groups, six children had no memories of being victimized even though members witnessed their abuse. A technique that was useful in helping these children remembering was having all group members draw pictures of the room where they were victimized and speak about their memories of the classes using the pictures as visual aid. With the help of this technique, two group members who had amnesia for the abuse, remembered most of the detail of their victimization. Two of the remaining four have had vague but not detailed memories and the remaining two continue to not remember their abuse.”
February 1989
“Unbeknownst to the defendant Ross Goldstein, the District Attorney’s office represents to the victims’ families that the defendant would not be allowed to plead guilty to anything less than the top counts of the indictment, which were class B violent felonies.2 This served to invalidate the promised sentence of the co-operation agreement.
March 1989
Ross Goldstein pleads guilty to three counts of sodomy in the first degree, and one count of use of a child in a sexual performance.
May 1989
Ross Goldstein is sentenced to two to six years by Judge Boklan, contrary to the cooperation agreement.
July 1990
Thirteen months after filing his appeal, the Second Department reverses Judge Boklan and orders that she re-sentence Ross Goldstein to the originally promised term of six months. Goldstein is released from Collins Correctional Facility, Helmuth, N.Y. based upon time served, granted youthful offender status, five years probation, and a sealed criminal record.
February 1995
Arnold Friedman dies of a heart attack in Collins Correctional Facility, NY.
Fall 2000
Andrew Jarecki begins production of a documentary about children’s birthday party entertainers, which eventually becomes “Capturing the Friedmans”. He first contacts Jesse Friedman in prison about the project in March of 2001.
December 7, 2001
After thirteen years, and being denied parole four times, Jesse Friedman is released from prison to five years of parole supervision.
The story continues here…
1Panelist includes: Sandra Kaplan; Dr. Arthur Green M.D., Professor Columbia University; Joyce Kates ACSW, Schneider’s Children’s Hospital; Jean Forman, Executive Director Nassau Coalition on Child abuse and Neglect; and Det. Fran Galasso.
2People v. Ross G. 163 A.D.2d 529 (1990)
Statements from 40 Eye-Witnesses Who Have Stated They Never Witnessed Anything Untoward
The following identifies more than 40 eye-witnesses to the Friedman computer classes, including 7 of the original 14 complainants, who’s various statements shed doubt on the credibility of the police accusations. (Some names remain anonymous as a courtesy.)
RECANTING COMPLAINANTS
“I can tell you, as God is my witness, and on my two children’s lives, I was never raped or sodomized. I never saw a kid get sodomized or molested. I was never sodomized or molested. And if I said it, it was not because it happened. It was because someone else put those words in my mouth.”
“None of the events allegedly described by or attributed to Kenneth Doe ever took place. During the time that I was present in computer classes, I did not observe Arnold or Jesse Friedman engage in anything even remotely akin to sexual conduct, and I have no reason to believe such events occurred. The police repeatedly told me that they knew something had happened, and they would not leave until I told them. As a result, I guess I just folded so they would leave me alone. I recall being taken somewhere and being videotaped while I repeated these untruthful statements.”
- DENNIS DOE (recorded interview appearing in Capturing the Friedmans)
“What I do remember is the detectives putting on me a lot of pressure to speak up. And at some point, I kind of broke down, I started crying. And when I started to tell them things, I was telling myself that it’s not true. Like I was telling myself just say this to them in order to get them off your back.”
“I remember the police questioning me on two occasions. On each occasion, I told them I had never been abused by Arnold or Jesse Friedman or anyone else, and that I did not witness anything inappropriate in the computer classes at any time. I remember that they made specific suggestions to me about things that they believed happened in the computer classes, and that they told me repeatedly that other students in my class had already told them that they had been abused, and that they were certain that in fact I had also been abused and that I should tell them so. I remember finally telling the police officers that I had seen Jesse chase after a kid and hit him. I remember saying that not because it was true, but instead because I thought it would get them off my back.”
- KEITH DOE (recorded interview)
Q: “Jesse Friedman subjected Keith Doe, a person less than 11 years old, to sexual contact. The defendant did touch his penis to the victim’s back.”
Keith: I think what they asked me was did he ever come into close contact with me. And I think I probably told them that he did. Because he needs to lean over you to type on the keyboard. So that’s probably what I told them.
Q: Do you remember ever seeing anybody else being abused?
Keith: I don’t think so.
- JAMES DOE (statement to the conviction integrity review)
When speaking with the Nassau County district attorney’s office conviction review team James Doe retracted 33 charges of sodomy and sexual abuse which are attributed to him in the 1988 grand jury indictment — claiming that one of the three people he accused of sexually abusing him, had in-fact, not been an attacker.
- GREGORY DOE (video interview)
After speaking with the Nassau County district attorney’s conviction integrity review team, Gregory Doe was deemed unreliable stating that, “due to the inconsistencies underlying [Gregory Doe’s] statements, it would be perilous to rely on him to establish any concrete fact”.
# # #
NON-COMPLAINANT WITNESSES WHO ATTENDED COMPUTER CLASSES
“I don’t know of anything that happened. Nothing certainly happened while I was around. The experience of talking to the police is probably, you know, made as big an impression to me as any one thing in the class did. You know, they’re asking me questions about, you know, what went on there and I’m not sure what, you know, what could have gone on there that I should have known about… They were operating as if everyone had been molested, abused.”
“My memories of the computer classes themselves are overwhelmingly positive. Classes typically began with playing computer games for fun. I can state without reservation that I did not experience any form of abuse, sexual or otherwise, during the Friedmans’ computer classes, nor did I witness any other children being abused.”
- JON KUSHNER (recorded interview)
“I might have been in the first class. Possible I was probably around 12 or 13. I’m a classmate of Jesse’s we were school chums, buddies in elementary and junior high. I remember being in the class. What I remember is enjoying the classes. Jesse was there as well, I guess, helping out and so forth. I remember using the Commodore computers and I don’t have any recollection whatsoever of anything weird going on. My memory of the class is pretty positive. We were really the first generation, the first kids to really get into that stuff on a home computer level. At that time it was still even a little luxurious to have a home computer but we all started getting them. My mom even took a class with Arnie at some point.”
- FORMER COMPUTER STUDENT WITNESS #9 (recorded interview)
“I was very insistent that nothing ever happened to me. And that never seemed to be good enough as a response. Nothing ever happened to me and I don’t have any memories of any of that stuff. To tell you the truth, if you take all the stuff that happened afterwards out of it, I remember the class fondly. I know that there were a group of parents that were kind of leading what I would consider to be a witch-hunt. I wouldn’t say considered to be a witch-hunt, but I guess I would use that term now. And my parents wanted no part of it because I was so insistent that nothing had happened to me.”
“I never noticed anything inappropriate happening in any of the classes. I did not witness any harm being done to any of the other children in the classes. More specifically, I never saw Jesse or Arnold Friedman engage in any of the acts of sexual abuse they were later prosecuted for. I was surprised when I learned of the allegations against Arnold and Jesse Friedman as I had never observed anything out of the ordinary in any of the classes I attended.”
- FORMER COMPUTER STUDENT #11 (recorded interview)
“I took years of classes with them. I was always enthusiastic about going back. And I would, if, hey… you know, I was doing this class and that class and I wanted to do this. It was always something I wanted to do. It was never something that was uncomfortable at all or awkward. And I always assumed that if something was going on in the classes, that I would have had some sense of it and I didn’t.”
“I talked to the police. And you know they were asking if anything inappropriate or sexual happened at the Friedmans, and I was shocked that they were suggesting that because, because nothing ever happened. Because there was nothing inappropriate. There was nothing suggestive. There was nothing sexual about it. I think my mom was, was totally convinced that I had been abused, in part because I had friends and there were other people who had allegedly named me as a victim. And I say ‘allegedly’ because I don’t know if they actually did, or if they, the police just sort of said they did.”
- FORMER COMPUTER STUDENT #13 (recorded interview)
“From what I remember, there was nothing odd going on at all in the classes. The first I heard about it was, I don’t even remember if it was right at the time when Arnold and his son were arrested, but it was right around that time. And it was very surprising. I had no idea. I remember asking my mother like were any of my friends involved with it or anything, ‘cause I know I wasn’t, and I didn’t think anyone in my class was.”
- FORMER COMPUTER STUDENT #14 (recorded interview)
“I remember being in the class. I can definitely tell you, I would remember if there were some… some naked games going on. I find that like nearly unplausible if they’re saying that was during the class that I was participating in. I’m a loud kid. I’m pretty sure that there’s nothing they would have said… I don’t remember any fear. You know, like… The only way they could stop kids from talking I imagine would be some kind of intimidation and that’s definitely not a memory I have.”
“I recall with absolute certainty that, (1) I had a great time in those classes; and (2) Jesse and Mr. Friedman never did anything inappropriate to me or my brother. During the investigation of Jesse and Mr. Friedman, the Nassau County Police visited our house, unannounced, and questioned me and my brother regarding the classes and regarding the Friedmans. We told them that nothing inappropriate happened. I remember other parents of students who were allegedly abused telling my parents that my brother and I were in denial and pressuring them to give us therapy or hypnosis. I can state without reservation that nothing untoward ever happened to me or anyone else in the classes I attended.”
- FORMER COMPUTER STUDENT #16 (recorded interview)
“I honestly believe that if something happened, you know, if it really stood out as something that I didn’t think was right, I would remember it. I’d like to believe that. But you know, I can’t think of anything like that.”
- FORMER COMPUTER STUDENT #17(recorded interview)
“I never saw anything improper happen. I was certainly not aware of anything. Nothing ever happened to me.”
- FORMER COMPUTER STUDENT (interview)
“I took two classes taught by Arnold Friedman. I recall nothing happened. Police came to my house two to four times. I told them I saw nothing and they kept coming back. I took two private one on one classes with Arnold Friedman. Nothing happened.”
- JEFF LEFF (affidavit)
“I was not sexually abused, molested, or sodomized during the computer classes. I am fully aware that there is no way that any sexual abuse or anything else other than computer lessons could have happened in those classes. Nothing inappropriate ever happened during any of the classes I attended, and I attended many of Arnold Friedman’s classes. I do not recall any grownups other than Arnold Friedman and his son Jesse Friedman being present during the computer classes.”
- FORMER COMPUTER STUDENT #20 (per phone call)
Attended many classes over many years. Has no recollection of any abuse during any classes. Remembers the police being aggressive and scary, and that she was enrolled in group therapy at North Shore University Hospital.
- FORMER COMPUTER STUDENT #21 (per phone call)
“Never saw anything. Took years of classes.”
- FORMER COMPUTER STUDENT #22 (per phone call)
“Everything evil they say happened, happened, but I never saw anything”
- FORMER COMPUTER STUDENT #23 (per phone call)
Remembers two years of classes. Never witnessed any sexual abuse.
- FORMER COMPUTER STUDENT #24 (per phone call)
The cops came to his house and were aggressive. They did not ask open-ended questions. They came to him and said, ‘We know Jesse is bad. We know he did bad things. Tell us what Jesse did to you.” He told them he never saw anything bad and nothing bad happened to him.
- FORMER COMPUTER STUDENT #25 (per phone call)
“Nothing happened that I remember. When the news came out I was shocked.”
- FORMER COMPUTER STUDENT #26 (per phone call)
“I hope the truth comes out. I remember nothing happened to me. Arnold would put his hand on people’s shoulder for too long, but maybe [I am remembering that] because of the news.” Remembers taking home computer disks, but that none of the games were weird.
- FORMER COMPUTER STUDENT #27 (per phone call)
“Nothing happened in any of the classes I attended.”
# # #
PARENTS OF FORMER COMPUTER STUDENTS
“My son Mike took multiple computer classes at the Friedman home over a period of one year. I first went to the classroom to sign him up, then regularly picked him and two classmates up after class. The boys were always laughing and joking during the ride home, and I remember feeling pleased that my son was obviously enjoying his classes. When the community hysteria exploded surrounding this case, police, therapists, other parents, and Chief Detective Galasso herself put ever-intensifying pressure on our family for Mike to ‘remember’ and ‘come forward’ and ‘confirm’ charges regarding crimes the police stated they already knew had happened.
- ESTHER FORREST (email)
“Both my sons were students of Arnold Friedman, as was I. I truly believe that Arnold and Jesse are totally innocent of any misconduct or crime. There was never any evidence. I firmly believe that I, or my sons, would have known or sensed it in the many months we were enrolled in computer classes.”
- JOAN BLAHA (recorded interview)
“I can’t remember if it was religion or hockey. But whatever it was, I had to pick him up a little early from class, at least one of the classes. And take him to wherever the next event was. So I would go into Friedman’s house and pick him up. I just saw the kids and the computers and, you know, kids milling around. I let them ask Chrissy all these questions. And they kept at it and at it and at it. And they kept rephrasing the questions and asking the same questions over and over again, in different ways. And he kept answering, and he really held his ground. And he said, ‘Look’, you know. He was a little kid. But he said, ‘No, nothing happened.’”
“I was present with my wife, when Det. Galasso returned some months later for a second questioning of Ron. In both instances Ron was questioned in a separate room, outside the hearing of our family. At this time Det. Galasso stated to my wife and me that [Arnold] Friedman had been interviewed in prison, and Galasso quoted him as saying, ‘Ron was my favorite.'”
“I was always walking into the house at the beginning or end of the class. Never did I see anything other than children sitting in front of computers, and Arnold and Jesse walking around and answering questions.”
“I felt the charges against the Friedmans were implausible because I was in charge of the car-pool to drop off and pick up my son and his friends from the computer classes, including one of the boys who became a major complainant in the case. I never even once noticed my son or any of the other children disturbed or distressed in any way. If these boys had been violently abused during each computer class, I would have seen some evidence of their behavior on any of the many occasions on which I pick my son and his friends up at the classes.”
- ANNE MEYERS (recorded interview)
“The police did not allow me to sit with my child … in fact when I went into the room with cookies, they asked me to leave and not to come back.”
- MOTHER OF COMPUTER STUDENT #9 (per phone call)
She never met anyone who confirmed they were abused and would sit in on classes all the time.
- MOTHER OF COMPUTER STUDENT #23 (per phone call)
No recollection of anything bad happening during computer classes.
- MOTHER OF COMPUTER STUDENT #24 (per phone call)
Speaks poor English, but had nothing condemning to recall about computer classes.
# # #
Jesse Friedman Affidavit: Eighteen page affidavit which outlines the general chronology of events as well as addressing many important legal issues and questions.
Judd Maltin affidavit (Jesse’s best friend from high school)
“I was often at the Friedman home. I spent a great deal of time at their house after school and on the weekends. I never experienced anything untoward. I never witnessed anything resembling pedophilia at their house. I saw no pornography in any form.”
Andrew Jarecki affidavit (Director of Capturing the Friedmans)
“During a three-year investigation, I sought to interview as many of the children involved in the case as possible, including the alleged child victims. I was able to obtain verbal or filmed interviews with approximately twenty-five of the students, now in their mid to late twenties, who had attended the computer classes. These included approximately five who had become complainants in the indictments, and about twenty non-complainants, many of whom had attended classes alongside those who had claimed to have been violently abused.”
David Kuhn affidavit: Attorney who worked on the film details his conversation with Detective Wallene Jones, who returned for 15 visits to one child before he signed a statement regarding being abused.
Peter Panaro affidavit (Jesse Friedman’s former attorney)
If You Are Looking For a Quick Summary of the Friedman Case…
… I don’t know precisely how to help. The complexity of the crimes law enforcement claims occurred is too absurdly convoluted to try and summarize. The original prosecution encompassed three years. The police claimed that five “perpetrators” were sexually assaulting “hundreds of children” for years.
The appeals effort encompassed 14 years; at minimum 12 different courts, over 30 judges, thousands of pages of motions, counter-motions, exhibits, affidavits and other documents.
So, how to answer the question, “What happened to the Jesse Friedman case”? Well….
- I served 13 years in prison before being released to parole, and then Capturing the Friedmans was released the following year.
- Six years after Capturing the Friedmans, the Federal Second Circuit Court of Appeals determined that there was “a reasonable likelihood that Jesse Friedman is innocent,” but failed to take action beyond ordering the Nassau County DA to open a re-investigation.
- In 2013, after three years of a closed-door clandestine “review” cloaked in secrecy and sprinkled with fairy-dust from a dubious “panel of experts,” the Nassau DA released a thousand-page report of lies, misdirection and dismissal of every claim (even those of sworn affidavits) that there could have been anything amiss with the police case against me.
- The following year my legal defense team filed another Motion to Vacate my conviction based upon newly discovered evidence. Within a quick few months, Judge Corrigan granted an evidentiary hearing based upon a claim of “Actual Innocence” and the processes of Demands for Discovery; subpoenas for over 50 witnesses; and preparations for what was tantamount to a new trial for me began.
- And then came the delays. Delays upon delays, upon delays by the Court; by the District Attorney’s office; by circumstances unforeseen, until….
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June 2018: After three years of delays, in a completely unrelated legal matter, the NYS Court of Appeals publishes a Decision in People v. Tiger. The ruling announces that the right to a hearing under an “Actual innocence” claim is only valid “after a conviction at trial” (and does not include convictions obtained through coerced guilty pleas.) This is the same court, the Chief Judge of New York State, who reviewed my Freedom of Information Law request just one year earlier.
This decision thereby ended a 14-year journey of motions, and appeals and courts. The decision is so unambiguous that had my Actual Innocence hearing not been postponed for three and a half years, and had I been exonerated with the charges dismissed, the District Attorney could have filed to have the exoneration nullified, and the conviction reinstated, and that motion would likely have been granted.