Shania Twain Stalker Appeals Guilty Plea
An already unpredictable court case against Shania Twain stalker John Palumbo just got stranger. The 51-year-old former doctor is appealing his own guilty plea in hopes of getting an acquittal or a new trial. Legal experts are suspicious of his motivations. The trial had officially ended in November.
The Toronto Sun reports that Palumbo may just be looking for a legal way to see Twain again. “This new trial would allow him to have Shania Twain back in his life as it did in the last trial,” defense lawyer Cynthia Fromstein said. Fromstein isn’t Palumbo’s lawyer, but she has practiced law for over 25 years.
Palumbo — whose medical license was suspended in May after he was arrested for breaking an agreement to stay away from Twain in March — was sentenced to three years probation after he unexpectedly changed his plea, following the singer’s testimony via closed circuit television. During his sentencing, he interrupted proceedings to shout “I’m innocent!” Later he chirped, “I’m sorry about that. I know you are all superior to me mentally and physically.” At another point he laid down in the prisoner’s box.
As previously reported, Dr. Helen Ward diagnosed Palumbo as having bipolar disorder and narcissistic personality disorder. He’s not allowed to be within half a kilometer of the famous singer.