Former McMartin Defendant Takes Stand

Former defendant Peggy Ann Buckey took the witness stand in defense of her mother and brother in the McMartin Pre-School molestation trial Thursday over vehement prosecution objections.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Roger Gunson called her “the most prepared, the most rehearsed witness” of the 19-month trial and protested the prosecution’s inability to probe all areas of her work as a defense assistant.

Gunson noted that Buckey, 32, has been working as a paid paralegal in the office of attorney Danny Davis, who represents her brother, Raymond Buckey.

He complained that she has had access to evidence and defense strategy decisions unknown to prosecutors and “she will be tailoring her testimony to the goals of the defense” as the result of her inside information.

65 Counts

Buckey’s mother, Peggy McMartin Buckey, 61, and her brother, Raymond, 30, are charged with 65 molestation and conspiracy counts in the five-year-old McMartin case.

Buckey, who taught briefly at the family’s now-defunct Manhattan Beach preschool, was one of five original defendants whose charges were dismissed after a two-year preliminary hearing for lack of evidence. She remains embroiled in a fight to regain her California teaching credentials.

Superior Court Judge William Pounders, saying, “It is a very difficult situation,” ruled that Buckey should testify.

“She’s a crucial witness for the defense,” he said.

But he envisioned legal problems involving attorney-client privilege when the prosecution tries to cross-examine her about her work for Davis.

Gunson declared, “The most prepared, the most rehearsed witness is put on the stand and the people are not allowed to explore that preparation.”

‘Dangerous Area’

“Your point is well taken,” the judge said.

“It is a very dangerous area. We’re going to have a lot of problems,” Pounders said, adding: “It’s a complication that should have been avoided in the first place.”

But he noted that Davis had chosen to employ Buckey and had court approval for the decision.

Outside court, Davis noted that Los Angeles County pays Buckey’s salary as a defense assistant.

“I have found her of inestimable value,” Davis said. “She has the motivation to dig to the bottom of every accusation. She’s working far longer, far harder than she’s paid for.”

In the first minutes after she took the stand, Buckey’s testimony was interrupted by prosecution objections.