Rochester, N.Y. –The trial of former Greece Police Chief Merritt Rahn began Monday morning.
The former police chief faces criminal charges for allegedly falsifying a background check, for lying about the theft of his service gun, and for trying to impede the investigation of a crash involving an off-duty Greece Police officer.
‘Impeding an investigation’ stems from Rahn’s behavior in an accident then-officer Nick Joseph had when he hit a car and then left the scene.
After his trial, Joseph is now in prison.
The background check was related to then officer Gary Pignato who was charged with using his position as an officer to coerce a woman into sex.
After his trial, Pignato, too, is in prison.
John Parrinello, Rahn’s attorney, has said he will claim that Rahn is being treated as a scapegoat for the whole police department of the Town of Greece.
Before noon, the judge had denied the prosecution’s request to remove Parrinello as Rahn’s attorney. The request had been made because, according to the prosecution, Parrinello could be called as a witness in the trial.
The judge also ruled on the prosecution’s request to allow the use of evidence regarding 7 additional alleged “bad acts” that came out of the investigation—he is allowing one of them to be used: the allegation that Rahn attempted to alter Pignato’s psychological exam to help ensure PIgnato would be hired by the police department.
Jury selection is slated to begin around 11:20am.
