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State Superior Court to hear appeal of sexual assault, other cases, in Lackawanna County Court

Times-Tribune - 6/21/2022

Jun. 21—A Greenfield Twp. couple's appeal of their conviction for sexually abusing a teenager is among several cases a three-judge panel of the state Superior Court will hear at a special session in Lackawanna County Court on Tuesday.

Nicodemo Baggetta, 33, and his wife, Ruth Anna Baggetta, 40, are challenging their 2019 conviction on charges of institutional sexual assault and several other offenses, arguing there was insufficient evidence to support the Lackawanna County jury's verdict.

Nicodemo Baggetta, a former Lakeland High School band director, and his wife were arrested in March 2018 after a therapist reported a former Lakeland High School student revealed she had a two-year sexual relationship with Nicodemo Baggetta. The victim also alleged Ruth Baggetta knew about the relationship, but rather than stop it, she encouraged it.

The Times-Tribune does not identify victims of sexual assault.

Nicodemo Baggetta was sentenced in January 2020 to 4 1/2 to nine years in prison and is currently incarcerated at the State Correctional Institution at Mahanoy. Ruth Baggetta was sentenced to 2 1/2 to six years and is housed at the State Correctional Institution at Cambridge Springs.

The Superior Court ordinarily hears arguments on appeals in Harrisburg, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, but occasionally visits other locations for special sessions. The Baggetta cases are among seven cases slated for hearings Tuesday, starting at 10:30 a.m.

Two other Lackawanna County cases are also scheduled: Nicholas Fick v. Terri Fick, an appeal of a divorce ruling, and George Semian v. Kneph LLC, an appeal involving an employment dispute. All hearings are open to the public.

Contact the writer: tbesecker@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9137; @tmbeseckerTT on Twitter.

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