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Graziano denied bail in murder solicitation case

News Channel 8 photo by TODD DAVIS

Edward Graziano appeared in court today for a bond reduction hearing.

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By STEPHEN THOMPSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 1, 2009

A Pinellas Circuit Judge has denied bail for Edward Graziano, who stands accused of trying to hire a hit man to kill his wife Debbie.

This is the second time the judge has denied bail for Graziano.

The first request came from the public defender's office. The most recent request came from Graziano's new attorney, John Trevena.

Graziano, 53, was arrested Feb. 26 on a charge of solicitation to commit murder. At the time he was on probation for two prior charges, one of which involved an assault on his wife. Technically, he is being held without bond because authorities believe he violated his probation by getting arrested again.

Debbie Graziano, who attended this morning's hearing with one of her two sons, was grateful that Pinellas Circuit Judge R. Timothy Peters refused to allow Graziano to be released.

"We just appreciate the judge's wisdom in this case," she said after the hearing, outside the courtroom.

The Graziano family is locked in a civil suit with famed former wrestler Hulk Hogan and Hogan's family. The Grazianos' son John was the passenger in a car wrecked by Hogan's son, Nick Bollea, on Aug. 26, 2007, leaving the former Marine with brain damage. He is in the James A. Haley Veterans Administration Hospital in Tampa.

Trevena argued, among other things, that Graziano should be granted bail because, that way, he could resume visiting his son in the hospital. Trevena said John Graziano's condition could be worsening due to his father not seeing him, Trevena said.

Assistant State Attorney Scott Rosenwasser thought the argument particularly low.

"I think it's disgusting that the defendant brings his son's condition into the courtroom and tries to benefit from it," Rosenwasser said.

Further, Rosenwasser said, the claims were not true. A medical doctor treating John Graziano said John Graziano was not suffering due to his father's absence, the prosecutor said. And the James A. Haley Veterans Administration Hospital doesn't want Edward Graziano around any more any way, and is threatening to charge him with trespassing if he comes onto the property.

Rosenwasser also said that among the plethora of audio and video recordings taken by investigators during the case, at least a handful have Edward Graziano talking about killing his wife, or hiring someone to, while in the vicinity of the hospital. That meant Edward Graziano was trying to arrange for his wife's murder during his visits, or while he was on his way to or from the hospital, Rosenwasser said.

Trevena also attacked the case itself. He all but announced he was going to file a motion to suppress the audio and video tapes on the grounds that the confidential informant used by the Pinellas Sheriff's Office in the case had also worked as a private investigator for Edward Graziano.

At the same time, the confidential informant was being paid by Graziano and he was being paid by the sheriff's office to implicate Graziano, and that represents a breach of confidentiality and of fiduciary responsibility, Trevena said.

Trevena also made a contrast between his client's case – in which no one was injured – and that of Nick Bollea, who was granted bail on a charge of reckless driving—serious bodily injury following the wreck involving John Graziano. Judge Peters later remarked that the wreck involving Bollea and John Graziano had nothing to do with the charges against Edward Graziano.

"I frankly don't understand why it comes up to the extent that it does," Peters said.

The case is set to go to trial Aug. 4.

Reporter Stephen Thompson can be reached at (727) 451-2336.

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