After thirteen years in prison, H. Beatty Chadwick, once a successful Main Line attorney who was sent to jail indefinitely back in 1995 for not handing over millions of dollars to his ex-wife during their divorce, is in court Monday, December 22 asking for a Christmas furlough (and maybe a miracle for that matter).
Chadwick also wrote a letter to U.S. Rep. Joseph Sestak, dated November 28, to ask Rep. Sestak for help in putting an end to his confinement behind bars.
Chadwick writes: “As an opinion leader by virtue of your office…I ask for your assistance to compel a public focus on a confinement that should be abhorrent to fundamental notions of fairness. Pennsylvania should not confine its citizen indefinitely without trial and criminal process.”
After a judge ruled that Chadwick hid money in overseas bank accounts so that he didn’t have to pay his ex-wife a large sum of money during their divorce, was tossed behind bars until he could fork over the cash.
“[This] lengthy imprisonment (is) solely for civil contempt of the Delaware County Court because I have been unable to comply with a preliminary injunction issued in a divorce action in 1994 to deposit the sum of $2,500,000 with the court,” Chadwick writes.
Over the years, the case has gone through different judges who have spoken out saying Chadwick holds his destiny in his own hands: reveal the location of the money.
But Chadwick said he doesn’t have the money. The money was lost in investments-gone-sour.
“At this point, no further court remedies federal or state are available and the courts apparently are willing to extend my confinement for life,” Chadwick wrote in his letter to Rep. Sestak.
Is Chadwick hiding the money from his ex-wife or was it really lost due to bad investments?
Has Chadwick done his time or does he deserve life in prison?
Hmm.
Whatever the case may be; Chadwick is frustrated, according to Michael Malloy, Chadwick’s attorney.
“It’s just a fundamental fairness issue…I’m frustrated with the unfairness of it all and he must be feeling it 100 percent more,” Malloy said.
Rep. Sestak responded to Chadwick’s letter on December 18: "All communications with constituents is considered confidential, until and unless, a constituent decided otherwise."
