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SDNY Magistrates Court Access Remains
March 16 As Inner City Press Asked Of
Video
By Matthew
Russell Lee, Exclusive Patreon
BBC
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SDNY COURTHOUSE,
March 16 -- A order staying
all upcoming trials until
April 27 in the U.S. District
Court for the Southern
District of New York went onto
the docket past 6 pm on
Friday, March 13. Inner City
Press uploaded it here.
The order,
by SDNY Chief Judge Colleen
McMahon, also said that "until
further notice, Magistrate’s
Court will be conducted in its
usual location on the Fifth
Floor of the Moynihan
Courthouse."
On March 16
Inner City Press went and
covered six proceedings in the
SDNY Magistrates Court.
Notably, in one of them the
prosecution table was staffed
by US Attorney Geoffrey S.
Berman. (Also notably, even
four hours later this new
defendant was not in the
docket on PACER.)
But this
week's Magistrate Judge
Stewart D. Aaron did yeoman
work, declining requested for
detention in a case where
Berman's Assistant US Attorney
admitted not seeing the video
he spoke of, here, and in a
murder for hire case.
Two
extraditees from Romania has
only lawyers by phone, here.
One wonders if the CJA panels
couldn't be polled for who is
still willing and able to come
into the courthouse.
At one
point, SDNY Clerk of Court
Rita Krajick and other went
back with Judge Aaron for
three minutes in the robing
room. Later, a confab took
place in which Inner City
Press spotted newer Magistrate
Judge Sarah Cave, and another
participant told Inner City
Press he saw Chief Mag Chief
Gabriel Gorenstein.
Since
proceeding continued after
that, one hopes that remains
the case, or that provision
for full Press access is made
for any video or audio
presentments, arraignments or
pleas.
But the
questions of how the Press can
access proceeding that are
moved to tele-conference has
been raised, and Inner City
Press is waiting for and will
act on the answer. Watch this
site.
Earlier
on March 13 a well placed
defense lawyer in the SDNY
told Inner City Press that
"the jails are being closed
for 30 days."
Further
inquiry by Inner City Press
with other SDNY lawyers
confirmed "no legal or medical
visits for thirty days,
nationwide." Several defense
lawyer told Inner City Press
it is an outrage and will
undermine their clients'
rights.
A quick
check-in at the SDNY
Magistrates Court found an
Assistant US Attorney arguing
for the remand to the
Metropolitan Correctional
Center of a defendant named
Sepulveda.
Earlier on
March 13 SDNY Magistrate Judge
Ona T. Wang, with Inner City
Press the only
media in the Mag courtroom,
said without the court
reporter transcribed that
"This court will remain open
[albeit] with social
distancing."
Also on March 13
in SDNY Courtroom 15A Inner
City Press came up a witness
testifying by video to a
Federal trial elsewhere,
seemingly to avoid travel. The
times they are a changing.
Watch this site.
***
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