In SDNY Murky Mag Court
Bronx Murder Defendant Then Secret Sessions No
Case Numbers
By Matthew
Russell Lee, Exclusive Patreon Scope
SDNY COURTHOUSE,
July 3 – While
many even most
cases in the
Magistrates
Court of the U.S.
District Court
for the
Southern
District of
New York are
sealed or have
no case number
given, on July 3
before
Magistrate
Judge Barbara
Moses
things hit a
new level of
murkiness.
A defendant
was brought in
shackled at 6
pm. But after
his Federal
Defender and
the Assistant
US
Attorney
had what
seemed to be a
routine
conversation,
Judge Moses
started
summoning them to to
office outside of
the courtroom.
It happened
three times,
with Pre-Trial
Services
invited in as
well.
Finally
the Courtroom
Deputy said
that the case
wouldn't be
called until 8
pm. While
Inner City
Press went to
retrieve its
laptop to
report that perhaps
this was
pre-July 4
weekend
solicitude, to
either bail
this defendant
or find him
the right
place, the
proceeding
whatever it
was, was done.
The Mag court
was locked
without any
name or case
number being
given, and no
questions
allowed.
Earlier
on July 3, a
murder
defendant was
brought
through,
charged with
the killing in
2818 Bronx
Park East of
Shaquille
Malcolm. The
defendant's
last name - no
case number
was given -
was Hopkins,
with all
Speedy Trial
Act time
excluded until
September 5.
The charging
document, even
as shown to
the defense,
was missing
the third
count. One CJA
lawyer stood
in for
another. And
so it goes in
the SDNY.
On July
1 two
defendants
were presented
without any
case numbers.
But some, this
time, had
numbers:
" DANTE
PLUMMER
VOSR
15-cr-95."
Inner
City Press
went to the
Mag Court and
found that
this
defendant,
young looking,
wanted to be bailed out
to his mother,
who works at a
nursing
home in
Greenwich, Connecticut.
While out on
supervised
release he was
found in New
Jersey, the
prosecutors
said, with
marijuana and
felons, and
charged with a
crime called
"criminal
simulation."
He was bailed
out, witt
Judge Moses
telling him
that a third
chance will
likely not be
given.ge
For
another
example, "CATALIVO
LOPEZ
NARCOTICS
18-cr-219."
Inner City
Press went to
the Mag court
and found that
this defendant
was arrested
in Massachusetts,
while living
openly in
Providence,
Rhode Island,
on an
indictment that
had been
sealed. So
how, exactly,
was he a fugitive,
if the
indictment
against him
was sealed?
The government
said he once
gave an
address in a
traffic stop
at which, some
unspecified
time later, he
was not found
at. This
Assistant US
Attorney,
filling in for
others but not
given the
information,
was not done
any favors. He
handled it
with good
humor.
Meanwhile
three more
grand jury
indictments
were signed
off on by
Judge Moses:
US v Carroll,
assigned to
Judge Vernon
Broderick, and
US v. Minaya,
Assigned to
Chief Judge
McMahon via
Wheel A. The
third grand
jury
indictment,
which involved
warrants, was
declared fully
sealed. Inner
City Press
will have more
on this, the
sealing of
warrant
information by
SDNY even
later in
cases.
There
was also "ALDE
KAZEEM
SODIQ
FRAUD
19-cr-462."
Inner City
Press went to
the Mag court
and heard that
while notice
had been given
to a consular
officer of the
country of
which Sodiq is
a national,
Nigeria, his
Federal Defender
lawyer on the
record accused
the government
of questioning
after she had
met with him
on Saturday,
June 29, in
violation of US
v. Miranda.
He is charged
with, among other
offenses,
money
laundering.
His Federal
Defender, at
this stage,
did not push
further. But shouldn't
there be an
inquiry? Watch
this site.
O
***
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