| In Rare SDNY In Person
Proceeding Larry White Fires Lawyer and
Vacates Arson Plea
By Matthew
Russell Lee, Patreon
BBC
- Guardian
UK - Honduras
- The
Source
SDNY COURTHOUSE,
July 20 – Larry White pled
guilty on November 5, 2019 to
conspiracy to commit arson and
robbery, before U.S. District
Court for the Southern
District of New York Judge Jed
S. Rakoff. He was to be
sentenced on March 11,
2020.
Then the
COVID-19 pandemic hit, and the
sentencing was postponed. On
June 26, White wrote to Judge
Rakoff seeking to withdraw his
plea, saying that his assigned
lawyer Daniel S. Parker had
coerced him into pleading
guilty, and alleging
prosecutorial
misconduct.
While
nearly all SDNY proceeding
remain by phone or video,
Judge Rakoff scheduled an
in-person proceeding for July
20. Inner City Press attended
it to report on it.
Larry White was in the jury
box with two U.S. Marshals.
There were a half dozen family
members and supporters in the
gallery, along with Inner City
Press. Three Court Security
Officer were also
present.
Judge
Rakoff entered; his deputy
told all present to keep their
masks on. Another Criminal
Justice Act lawyer was
present, to take over for Mr.
Parker. But White said he will
henceforth pay a lawyer,
Robert Walters.
Judge
Rakoff asked, Why is he not
here? White
replied, He didn't want to
take money until you withdrew
my plea.
Judge Rakoff told White that
CJA lawyers are often better
than those retained in such
circumstances.
There was
grumbling from the gallery,
and Inner City Press recalled
a case it has reported on, US
v. Michael Jones before SDNY
Judge Koeltl, where a non-CJA
lawyer prevailed to the
extended that Jones was
recently released from the
MDC.
Judge
Rakoff gave White / Walters
until July 24 to file a notice
of appearance, then to pick a
date for a trial, which he
said he is looking forward to.
Inner City Press intends to
cover this ongoing case. It is
US v. White, 19-cr-277
(Rakoff)
On the way
out, at least one family
member said, loudly, Black
Lives Matter.
***
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