A.G. office hands off Reid case

You've heard of inside baseball, right?

Well, here's a little "inside football," for those closely following the ongoing criminal saga of the drug-addicted sons of Eagles Head Coach Andy Reid:

Yesterday, Reid's oldest son, Garrett, 24, waived his preliminary hearing on charges he smuggled 89 pills inside his rectum into the Montgomery County Jail. The case is now on course to go to trial.

But unlike his heroin-related DUI case, the state Attorney General's Office will not be prosecuting Garrett on the smuggling charges.

Instead, the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office will handle the case.

Why?

Because Garrett's defense team, Ross Weiss and William J. Winning of the law firm Cozen O'Connor, advised him to hire a new lawyer.

Why?

So county prosecutors - rather than state prosecutors - will handle the case. The buzz was that county D.A. Bruce L. Castor Jr.'s office would go easier on Garrett. Castor called the speculation "ridiculous," pointing out he won't be handling the case.

(Castor had recused his office from the Jan. 30 DUI case against Garrett and asked the state to take it over to avoid a potential conflict of interest. Weiss was Castor's campaign treasurer in his successful Nov. 6 bid for county commissioner. Weiss also is Castor's close friend).

Now, however, Castor has a potential conflict with not only Weiss, but the entire Cozen O'Connor firm. Castor confirmed yesterday that he has accepted a job at the firm and will start Jan. 7, the date he steps down as district attorney and becomes county commissioner.

Hence, Garrett's new lawyer, Norristown-based Timothy Woodward, whom the Daily News was unable to reach last night.

Weiss and Winning will continue to represent Garrett on the DUI case, which is pretty much wrapped up. Earlier this month, Garrett was sentenced to up to 23 months in jail for smashing into another motorist's car while high on heroin.

While in jail awaiting sentencing, prison guards found 89 pills, including Valium and Xanax, hidden in a sock in Garrett's cell. He was charged with smuggling contraband, possession and attempted delivery of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

The new charges carry a mandatory minimum of two years in jail.

"We just thought it was in Garrett's best interest for it to be prosecuted here in Montgomery County by the district attorney's office," Weiss said last night.

Weiss made the comment after being asked if he thought Garrett had a better chance of getting a lighter sentence if the county D.A.'s office prosecuted the case, rather than the state. Prosecutors can ask the judge to go below the two-year mandatory sentencing guidelines.

In general, however, state prosecutors are not inclined to use that discretion, said Kevin Harley, spokesman for Attorney General Tom Corbett.

"The minimum mandatory is something that we seek in nearly every case," said Harley, who declined further comment.

Castor pointed out that he'll be gone by the time Garrett Reid's case goes to trial. Risa Vetri Ferman, who was recently elected to replace Castor as district attorney, will handle the case. And she's "as tough as there is," Castor said.

Ferman took a tough tone last night, though she said she hasn't decided whether she'll seek a two-year jail sentence for Garrett.

"Prison officials need to be able to maintain control," Ferman said. "They simply cannot have people bringing contraband or illegal substances into the prison. That's why the mandatory minimum exists."*