Raphael Golb case going to trial

THE RAPHAEL GOLB CASE is going to trial according to the New York Post:

Accused Dead Sea Scrolls identity thief rejects plea deal, plans trial

By LAURA ITALIANO
Last Updated: 2:11 PM, August 6, 2010
Posted: 2:05 PM, August 6, 2010

Plea negotiations broke down this morning for accused Dead Sea Scrolls cyber-bully Raphael Golb -- who now says he's taking his wacky identity theft and impersonation case to trial.

Golb, 49, is charged with trying to boost his historian father's scholarship on the 2,000 year old scrolls by going online in the name of rival scholars -- notably Dr. Lawrence Schiffman of New York University -- to discredit their work.

Plea negotiations before Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Carol Berkman fell apart today when prosecutors insisted that any deal include probation -- a deal breaker for Golb, said his lawyer, Ronald Kuby.

[...]

Then there's this odd exchange:

Has he [Mr. Golb] forsaken the scrolls?

"I continue to be interested in the topic," he said, mysteriously, to which Kuby snapped -- "Just keep your hand away from the curser!"

I assume this should be "cursor."

Read on for more about the defense and about Larry Schiffman's response to it ("You can call it a game all you want," he added, "but that doesn't mean anything. Russian Roulette is a game too.").

Background here and follow the links.