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Sex Cult Case Larry Ray Refuses To Come to
Court So Judge Prepared to OK Force in MDC
By Matthew
Russell Lee, Patreon Podcast
BBC
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SDNY COURTHOUSE,
Jan 24 – When Larry Ray was
arraigned on charges of sexual
exploitation, prostitution,
forced labor and money
laundering on February 12,
2020 he was wearing prison
blues and still had a Federal
Defender, but no financial
affidavit to have FD
appointed. Twitter theadette;
More on Patreon here.
On April
28, 2021, there was a
suppression hearing about his
arrest and questioning. Inner
City Press live tweeted it here
and below.
On December
22 Ray's Federal Defenders
requested a jury questionnaire
citing adverse publicity "not
only in traditional media
outlets." But the next
sections contains redactions,
after the words "Community
Bookstore live, and apparently
of a URL, because it contains
a name. But how then is it
confidential?
On January
24 for an in-person conference
at 2 pm, Judge Liman issued
the following order: "ORDER as
to Lawrence Ray: The Court has
been informed by the United
States Marshals that Mr. Ray
is refusing to come to Court
for the previously scheduled
hearing today. The hearing has
long been on the calendar, and
defense counsel has not
submitted a request to excuse
Mr. Rays presence.
Accordingly, the Court has
informed the United States
Marshals to deliver Mr. Ray to
the courthouse. If necessary,
the Court will sign an order
authorizing the Marshals to
use force to compel his
attendance. A copy of this
Order will be emailed to
counsel for Mr. Ray and for
the government. SO ORDERED.
(Signed by Judge Lewis J.
Liman on 1/24/2022)."
Back on January
6, 2022 Judge Liman held
another conference; Inner City
Press live tweeted here.
On January
19, Judge Liman held a Daubert
hearing which Inner City Press
live tweeted here
hearing on
Federal Defenders-proposed
expert Joseph Pierre, who's
being paid $500/hr for 20 hrs,
so far.
Doctor Pierre
describes his paid testimony
for "sovereign citizens,"
acknowledged he's not a
forensic psychiatrist and
never interviewed Ray in
person (due to COVID
restrictions). Will Judge
Liman let him testify?
AUSA Sassoon: You
called Mr. Ray's beliefs
conspiracy theories. That's
not a term in the DSM, right?
Dr. Pierre: Right.
AUSA Sassoon:
Define delusion-like beliefs.
Dr. Pierre: There's not a
study. But there's agreement
on what it is. [You know it
when you see it?]
Dr. Pierre:
There's no study saying
diagnosis of a sore throat
does not involve asking the
patient if he or she has a
sore throat?
AUSA Sassoon:
Wait --
Judge: Let Doctor
Pierre talk. [Pause] Or, let
me ask. What's the difference
between a delusion and an
error?
AUSA: Can a
person have delusion-like
belief and follow the law? Dr.
Pierre: Yes. AUSA: They don't
explain violent behavior,
right? Federal Defender:
Objection. Judge: Sustained.
AUSA: So
Larry Ray told you he believed
he had been poisoned, at the
direction of Bernie Kerik? Dr.
Pierre: Correct. AUSA: And
that he put a lock on his
fridge in New Jersey, right?
Dr. Pierre: Yes, I believe it
was in New Jersey.
AUSA: Did
it strike you as strange that
Larry Ray continued to live
with people he thought were
poisoning him? Federal
Defender: Objection!
Judge: Overruled.
Dr. Pierre: I don't like to
use the word strange. And
we're back: US v. Larry Ray
Daubert hearing on whether to
allow Dr. Pierre is back on.
During a break,
Federal Defenders have been
required to provide US
Attorney's Office with
unredacted copy of Dr.
Pierre's notes. AUSA: It was
risky? Dr. Pierre: Define
that.
AUSA: And
you do not know if, when these
emails were written, the
writer had a knife to his
genitals? Dr. Pierre: I do
not... Judge: Thank you,
you are excused.
Dr. Pierre:
Thanks for not making me fly
out there. Arraignment on
superseding indictment to
follow.
Update and
conclusion (for this case, for
today) Arraignment will not
take place - Larry Ray has not
received a copy of the
superseding indictment. Judge
Liman adjourns the Daubert
hearing.
Watch this
site.
Back on September
27, Isabella Pollak moved for
a continuance (delay) or for
severance, noting the third
team of lawyers and this
volume of discovery: 516,169
images, 1,462 documents, 1043
spreadsheets, 320 audio files,
256 video files and 277
internet files.
On October 8, the
US Attorney's Office wrote to
Judge Liman that "the
Government objects to
adjourning the joint trial for
the lengthy period of time
requested by Pollok [but] does
not object to severing
Pollok's trial from Ray's,
keeping the trial of Ray
scheduled for February 2022
and scheduling Pollok's trial
for a later date."
But Ray opposes
severing Pollok's case. On
October 15 Pollok's Hastings
on Hudson-based lawyer
insisted on severance: "As
Judge Learned Hand succinctly
stated, '[n]o accused person
has any recognizable legal
interest in being tried with
another, accused with him.' US
v. Bronson, 145 F.2d 939, 943
(2d Cir. 1944 (L. Hand, J.)"
On October 18
Pollok's counsel wrote to
Judge Liman asking to modify
her conditions of release, so
she can work overtime at
Amazon, which no longer with
permit any electronic devices
(like GPS bracelets) on the
warehouse floor. The US
consents to this change.
And on October
19, Judge Liman granted the
requests: "MEMO ENDORSEMENT
granting [235] LETTER MOTION
filed by Isabella Pollok (2),
addressed to Judge Lewis J.
Liman from Attorney Jill R.
Shellow dated 10/18/2021 re:
Request to modify conditions
of pretrial release. I am
writing to request
respectfully two modifications
to Isabella Pollok's
conditions of pretrial
release: (1) Ms. Pollok has a
curfew from 9PM until 5AM. We
respectfully request that the
curfew condition be removed.
(2) Ms. Pollok wears a GPS
ankle bracelet. Accordingly,
we respectfully request that
the GPS bracelet condition be
removed. ENDORSEMENT: REQUEST
GRANTED. Bail modifications
approved. SO ORDERED. (Signed
by Judge Lewis J. Liman on
10/19/2021)."
But what about
Amazon barring any worker with
a GPS bracelet, under
pre-trial release (that is,
presumed innocent) from
working its warehouses?
On October 20,
Judge Liman granted severance:
"ORDER as to Lawrence Ray,
Isabella Pollok. It is hereby
ORDERED that the proposed
schedule appearing at Dkt. No.
219, setting forth the
deadlines related to expert
witnesses in the case United
States v. Ray,
20-cr-110-LJL-1, is APPROVED.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that,
for the reasons stated by the
Court on the record at the
October 19, 2021, Status
Conference, the motion of
Isabella Pollok for a
continuance is GRANTED and the
trials of Lawrence Ray and
Isabella Pollok are severed,
with Isabella Pollok's trial
to begin on July 18, 2022."
On November 11,
Veterans Day, the US
Attorney's Office wrote to
Judge Liman asking to push
Ray's trial back to February
22, to enable it to produce
3500 / Giglio material on
month in advance of
trial.
On November 19
Pollok filed a motion to
suppress all statements she
made upon arrest. She says,
"At 6 am on February 11, 2020
Ms. Pollak awoke to banging
and people shouting FBI." Then
statements without Miranda
warnings. What will Judge
Liman do? Watch this site.
The case is US v.
Ray, 20-cr-110 (Liman).
***
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