Judge gives ex-student 20 more years

Moskovits 'lacked remorse' Former Wharton student and convicted drug trafficker Alexander Moskovits was sentenced to 20 years in prison last week. Citing Moskovits' lack of remorse for his crimes and his perjury during the original trial, Judge Clarence Newcomer extended Moskovits' original sentence by three years. Moskovits will receive credit for the seven years he has already served. But, he must serve at least seven additional years before he will be eligible for parole, according to Assistant United States Attorney Kristin Hayes. William Kunstler, Moskovits' attorney at the sentencing hearing, said he was shocked by the ruling. According to Kunstler, the probation board had recommended that Moskovits be sentenced to twelve years in prison, with credit for time already served. "The judge was just cruel," he said. "I expected him to give him the twelve years." Although Kunstler expressed anger at the length of the sentence and describes the case as "an American tragedy of enormous proportions," he said he blames Moskovits for the sentence. "I am terribly angry at him, I'm not even sorry for him," Kunstler said, referring to the fact that Moskovits had repeatedly gone against the advice of his attorneys throughout the history of the case. "It wasn't the system who destroyed the client, it was the client who destroyed the client," he added. Kunstler said last week's hearing appears to be the final chapter in a case which has been bizarre from the outset. Moskovits was originally convicted in 1988 on 18 federal drug counts -- including a conspiracy to sell drugs on the University campus. Moskovits' 15-year sentence was increased by three years because of a previous conviction for drug possession in Mexico, where Moskovits was convicted without the benefit of an attorney. Citing ineffective counsel by Moskovits' original attorney -- who advised Moskovits not to testify on his own behalf -- Judge Louis Pollack granted Moskovits a new hearing. Prosecutors had offered to drop all but one charge against Moskovits in return for a guilty plea. Against Kunstler's advice, Moskovits refused to accept the deal -- although it would have allowed him to leave prison. In October 1994, Moskovits chose to represent himself at his new trial and was convicted by Newcomer.

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.