| Amid Coronavirus MCC Warden
Tells SDNY Judge 45 Minute Weekly Legal Call
Too Much
By Matthew
Russell Lee,
Exclusive, Patreon
BBC
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SDNY COURTHOUSE,
April 16 – Amid the
Coronavirus pandemic, the
warden of the NYC Metropolitan
Correctional Center has asked
a judge to vacate an order
granting defendant Shalik
Jenkins a weekly 45-minute
legal call with his counsel.
The MCC,
which switched wardens after
the death of Jeffrey Epstein
and then locked-down to find a
gun, says it receives 20 to 40
requests a day for legal phone
calls. Most, it seems are not
granted. Inner City Press has
reported exclusively, like
this, on moves to establish a
video link from the Attorneys
Lounge at the largely empty
courthouse at 500 Pearl
Street.
On April
16 MCC Warden M. Licon-Vitale
wrote to U.S. District Court
for the Southern District of
New York Judge Analisa Torres,
photo tweeted here:
"Re: United
States v. Shalik Jenkins, 20
CR. 78 (AT) Reg. No. 87793-054
Dear Judge
Torres:
I write
respectfully to ask the Court
to vacate or modify its Order
regarding inmate Shalik
Jenkins, Federal Register No.
87793-054, a federal inmate
currently detained at the
Metropolitan Correctional
Center in Manhattan, New York
("MCC NY"). Specifically, this
Court directed the Bureau of
Prisons to provide inmate
Jenkins with a weekly
45-minute legal call with his
counsel. In accordance with
the Court's order, please be
advised of the following.
MCC New York is
currently receiving
approximately 20-40 requests
per day for legal phone calls.
In light of the unique
challenges presented by the
ongoing pandemic, MCC NY, in
conjunction with Chief Judges
McMahon and Mauskopf, the
United States Attorneys'
Offices for the Eastern and
Southern Districts of New
York, and other outside
stakeholders, have developed
protocols for attorney calls,
and teleconference and/or
videoconference hearings.
In accordance
with the protocols, MCC NY has
established dedicated hours to
allow court appearances and
attorney/client calls. The
weekly schedule is determined
in advance based on requests.
MCC staff are working to
provide all inmates fair and
equitable access to their
counsel.
The BOP
continues to be ready and
willing to work with defense
counsel to discuss issues
regarding clients. However,
this Order requires MCC NY to
put the needs of one inmate
above and beyond the needs of
the remaining 700 inmates here
at the MCC, when protocols
have already been put in place
with the Courts' consideration
and guidance to address legal
communication concerns.
Accordingly, MCC NY
respectfully requests that
Your Honor vacate this Order.
Respectfully submitted, M.
Licon-Vitale, Warden." Watch
this site.
***
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