I was very sorry to learn that Gerry Deady passed away last week in Wilkes-Barre. He practiced law for many years in Luzerne County.
It's safe to say Gerry had a few demons, and there were some rocky years, including a brush or two with police. Let me tell you about the Gerry Deady I knew.
Gerry was a busy guy in the mid 80's. It seemed he was always in a trial under the Luzerne County Courthouse dome. Most of his clients were challenging, to say the least. They were difficult to defend, for a variety of reasons, including overwhelming evidence of their guilt. I never saw Gerry give less than 100 per cent. Even though many of his clients were convicted, they were lucky to have a lawyer who cared so much. He had a passion for the law, and making sure the rights of the individual were protected. He was smart.
I have a test when it comes to lawyers. It's one question: Would I let this person defend me if, God forbid, I needed help? In Gerry's case, the answer was yes.
As I noted earlier, there was a spurt of major Luzerne County criminal cases in the mid 80's. It inspired me to produce a WARM radio series detailing the trial process. Believe me, it's not like "Matlock." I went to Gerry to get an explanation of how a trial works, especially the defense. He took the time to go through everything. It was clear and concise, and he put it in terms anyone could understand.
My sympathy to Gerry Deady's family and friends.
