HOLLIDAYSBURG — The Blair County District Attorney’s Office has asked for the denial of a request for a new trial made by the former Bellwood-Antis School District wrestling coach convicted of sexually assaulting two student wrestlers, stating it failed to meet the necessary burden of proof.

Ryan Leroy Blazier, 45, filed a petition for post-conviction relief through defense attorney Joseph Addink on Sept. 19, in which he requested either a new trial or the dismissal of charges against him on the grounds of ineffective counsel during his October 2021 criminal jury trial.

Blazier was sentenced to 21- to 42-years’ incarceration by now-retired Blair County Senior Judge Daniel J. Milliron after being found guilty of aggravated indecent assault, institutional sexual assault, corruption of minors and intimidation of a victim/witness.

He was acquitted by the same jury of one count of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse by force, two counts of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse where the victim is less than 16, three counts of institutional sexual assault and three counts of indecent assault where the victim is less than 16.

Blazier was arrested by state police at Hollidaysburg in February 2020 when a student wrestler said Blazier sexually assaulted him in the spring of 2019 while they were alone in the middle school’s small wrestling room. A second student wrestler came forward to accuse Blazier of sexual assault, saying the incidents occurred in the wrestling room in late 2019 and early 2020.

Defense attorney Thomas Dickey represented Blazier during the four-day trial and subsequent Superior Court appeal.

In responding to the arguments outlined by Addink, Blair County District Attorney Pete Weeks requested the Blair County Court of Common Pleas to deny and dismiss Blazier’s petition without a hearing. He stated it not only failed to meet the necessary burden of proof, but also failed to include necessary witness certifications as required by law.

Court documents filed by Weeks denied that a new trial or dismissal of charges were warranted and that no arguments within the petition would have changed the outcome of Blazier’s trial.

Addink, in arguing for a new trial, alleged Dickey failed to call witnesses whose testimony would have given the jury reasonable doubt. The two attached affidavits were completed by Blazier’s sons.

Weeks stated that Blazier’s sons were not in the wrestling room when the assaults occurred, so Blazier’s case couldn’t be prejudiced by failing to call witnesses who didn’t witness any of the alleged conduct. He also pointed to the affidavits, where one of Blazier’s sons wrote they wouldn’t be available to testify while the other said their availability to testify was contingent on “what the case was about.”

The documents state other witnesses were subpoenaed for trial but refused to talk to Dickey, so none of them were called to testify.

Weeks argued that potential witnesses wouldn’t talk to Dickey prior to trial, so Dickey subpoenaed them to appear at trial. Dickey was then able to interview them and determine whether to call them.

Weeks said that not only was this strategy appropriate, “but evidence that Blazier’s trial counsel was acting appropriately in his representation.”

Blazier’s petition also alleged that Dickey failed to give the court an accurate time estimate for how long it would take to present his defense. Weeks said the DA’s Office, Dickey and the trial court engaged in discussions prior to Blazier’s trial regarding its length and that juries are told that a defendant isn’t required to produce any evidence or witnesses at trial.

During Blazier’s trial, Dickey called multiple defense witnesses, Weeks wrote.

Blazier then argued he was “strong-armed” into not testifying on his own behalf by Dickey, which “constituted undue influence.”

Blazier maintained that his testimony on the version of events relating to the assaults “would have contradicted the victims’ claims, thereby giving the jury reasonable doubt.”

Weeks refuted this, stating that Blazier said under oath that his decision to not testify was born of his own will “rather than the product of any coercion or duress.”

Blazier is currently being housed at SCI Greene. His next court appearance is scheduled for Dec. 16 in front of Senior Judge Jolene Kopriva.

Mirror Staff Writer Rachel Foor-Musselman is at 814-946-7458.