Gene Palmer, a former Clinton County Correctional Facility guard, made a brief court appearance in Plattsburgh Friday afternoon. Palmer is accused of having a part in helping two inmates, David Sweat and Richard Matt, escape the prison in June.
There wasn't much movement in the case -- none at all, in fact. District Attorney Andrew Wylie said he was working right up until Friday's hearing to try and make a deal, but Palmer has one sticking point the parties can't get past: Palmer does not want to go behind bars. He is facing a pair of felony promoting prison contraband charges, each with a possible prison sentence of two-and-a-third to seven years.
It all goes back to Palmer's alleged involvement with one of the prison escapees, Matt. Investigators have said that Palmer, perhaps unknowingly, allowed hacksaw blades into Clinton Correctional Facility. They were hidden inside some raw hamburger meat, which Palmer got from prison worker Joyce Mitchell and gave to Matt. It's believed Matt used those blades to escape the prison with his partner, Sweat.
Neither Palmer nor his attorney Bill Dreyer commented on the case after court. But with both sides standing firm, and the DA insisting that Palmer should go to prison, he still says he is not making any examples of anyone in this case.
"Mr. Palmer committed criminal offenses in this matter," Wylie said. "He's being prosecuted for those, and as Clinton County District Attorney, it's my job to hold him accountable for that. No one's being made an example here. Not at all."
No return date was set, but Wylie said there should be another appearance by the end of the month. The judge did say if a plea deal is not reached by Palmer's next hearing, he will set down a date for a trial.