A service of Salisbury University and University of Maryland Eastern Shore
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Delaware Supreme Court Rejects Appeal in Waterboarding Case

delaware state courts website

DOVER, Del. (AP) - The Delaware Supreme Court has rejected an appeal from a former pediatrician imprisoned for abusing his female companion's daughter, including "waterboarding" the girl by holding her head under a faucet.

Melvin Morse argued that the trial judge erred in allowing evidence of other uncharged abusive acts against the girl and in granting a request from jurors during deliberations to re-watch videotaped statements of the girl and her younger sister.

But a three-judge panel ruled Thursday that there was no merit to Morse's claims.

The 61-year-old Morse was sentenced to three years in prison after being convicted of felony reckless endangerment for a bathtub waterboarding, and five misdemeanors.

Morse, who has published articles on paranormal science and near-death experiences involving children, denied that he may have been experimenting on the girl.

Don Rush is the News Director and Senior Producer of News and Public Affairs at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.