| Denying Dixon Release From
MCC Judge Rakoff Says All Claim Expertise on
COVID
By Matthew
Russell Lee, Patreon
BBC
- Guardian
UK - Honduras
- The
Source
SDNY COURTHOUSE,
May 1 – Jermal Dixon amid the
Coronavirus pandemic sought
release from the Metropolitan
Detention Center in Brooklyn
on May 1 before U.S. District
Court for the Southern
District of New York Judge Jed
S. Rakoff. Inner City Press
covered it.
Judge
Rakoff had been reading the
Bureau of Prison's website
about number of COVID-19
cases, and the lack of
testing.
Dixon's
lawyer cited a 22-page report
evaluating MDC and read out
quotes from it: "I was alarmed
by the facilities refusal to
implement simple procedures...
Most people in MDC are not
being effectively
screened."
He said "it came across my
screen this morning."
Judge
Rakoff said, In other cases
I've said to the attorney, if
you can get me evidence of
actual cases in the MDC, you
can come back. In the two or
three weeks I've been doing
that, no one has come back. So
I'm skeptical there's a real
outbreak in the MDC.
Judge
Rakoff continued, You haven't
told me how your client is
particularly at risk. Maybe a
class action is more
appropriate for your
client.
Dixon's lawyer tried again,
saying that his client doesn't
have much time left on his
sentence.
The
Assistant US Attorney said,
The defendant says he's had
the virus and
improved.
Judge
Rakoff said, I've noticed that
in this crisis, everyone from
the President on down seems to
think he is an expert in the
Coronavirus.
He paused
then continued, One of the
things tried is to use plasma
of people who've had it. So
why isn't your guy at less
at risk?
Dixon's lawyer
said, He's in a very stressful
situation. Unlike we who are
at home.
Judge Rakoff
said, I'm in the courthouse.
The defense lawyer replied,
I'm jealous.
Judge Rakoff concluded, I'm
not going to make a
recommendation that he be
released. But if there is a
recurrence to your client, or
more in MDC, you are free to
re-apply. But for today's
purposes, I will not make that
recommendation. The case
is US v. Dixon, 03-cr-825
(Rakoff).
***
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