| Dr Cruciani
Death on Riker's Island Noted by SDNY as
Sealing Appeal in 2CIR Set To End
By Matthew
Russell Lee, more on Patreon
BBC
- Guardian
UK - Honduras
- ESPN
SDNY COURTHOUSE,
August 23 – A former pain
management doctor who was
indicted for sexually abusing
female patients in three
states for fifteen years was
offered bail conditions to be
released on the evening of
October 20, 2021. Inner City
Press was there, and again on
October 21 when he was
arraigned in a yellow prison
jumpsuit.
Jump cut
to July 2022, Cruciani found
guilty in NYS court, and
August 2022, Cruciani found
dead in Riker's Island. On
August 17, the US asked to
drop the Federal case: "LETTER
MOTION addressed to Judge John
P. Cronan from AUSAs
Jacqueline Kelly and Jane Kim
dated August 17, 2022 re:
Nolle Prosequi of Criminal
Case . Document filed by USA
as to Ricardo Cruciani." More
(reflection) on Patreon here.
Judge Cronan
ordered: "ENDORSED LETTER as
to Ricardo Cruciani addressed
to Judge John P. Cronan from
AUSAs Jane Kim / Jacqueline C.
Kelly, dated August 17, 2022
re: Nolle Prosequi of Criminal
Case. ENDORSEMENT: In light of
the Defendant's passing and
the Government's filing of the
proposed order of nolle
prosequi, by August 24, 2022,
the parties shall advise the
Court, either jointly or
separately, as to their views
on how to proceed as to the
Court's Order dated April 4,
2022, see Dkt. 47, which
granted Defendant's request to
file the Financial Affidavits
with proposed redactions and
stayed any public unsealing of
the Financial Affidavits
pending the decision on
Defendant's appeal. SO
ORDERED. ( Responses due by
8/24/2022).
On August 23 the
Federal Defenders via Daniel
Habib wrote in that "the
parties have conferred and
agree that, in light of his
death, Dr. Cruciani's
financial affidavits may be
filed on the public docket,
subject to the redactions
approved in Dkt No. 47."
But why would those redactions
stand, after his death? Watch
this site.
In the
past, Cruciani and then his
Federal Defenders repeatedly
sought to keep sealed his
financial filings to get
publicly funded
representation. Inner City
Press filed two letters
seeking to unseal, on January
10 and February 2, see below.
In a February 15 hearing Judge
John P. Cronan cited them and
said they will be docketed,
along with the transcript of
his ruling: the financial
information should be
unsealed. But he gave the US
and Federal Defenders four
weeks to confer on redactions.
On March 15
Federal Defender Daniel Habib
submitted into the docket a
letter, but not any of the
affidavit. In the letter, he
implies the government has
agreed that "collateral"
information should be
withheld, and payees including
investigators.
On April 4, this:
"ORDER as to Ricardo Cruciani:
It is hereby ORDERED that
Defendant's request to file
the Financial Affidavits with
the proposed redactions is
granted. The Court will stay
any public unsealing of the
Financial Affidavits pending
the decision on Defendant's
appeal. Within one week of the
decision on Defendant's
appeal, Defendant shall file a
letter advising the Court as
to the outcome of the appeal
and, if appropriate based on
the outcome of the appeal,
file the redacted Financial
Affidavits on the docket.
(Signed by Judge John P.
Cronan on 4/4/2022)." We will
have more on this - watch this
site.
This is
the third such decision on
Inner City Press' filings, in
US v. Avenatti and US v.
Correia (in both cases Inner
City Press unsealing requested
were more quickly filed,
something we will also seek to
address.)
On July 26, Inner
City Press went to 100 Centre
Street, Part 41 to hear
Cruciani's closing, and live
tweeted from Courtroom 1116, here:
Jury entering!
Judge: Jurors, you will now
hear closing arguments.
Cruciani's lawyer: The magic
of a criminal trial is we have
people who don't want to be
here, to hear accusations
against a member of the
community. [Note: Cruciani has
3 homes, in PA, NJ...]
Cruciani's
lawyer is turning to address
jurors who are sitting in the
gallery under COVID protocols.
The lights hanging from the
ceiling blocks the view of the
"In God We Trust" behind the
bench.
Cruciani's
lawyer: It's easy to imagine a
drug dealer lying. But what is
the liar is a woman talking
about medical procedures, a
patient ... who is lying. In
this trial you can had six
liars. When I and Elizabeth
are cross examining, we try to
show you the lies
Note: Here
in the gallery, there are a
number of NY prosecutors,
presumably to support or learn
from the performance of their
colleague. But did any
SDNY prosecutor, in the
US v. Cruciani case, come?
Cruciani's
lawyer shows the first
witness, Ms. Tobin's, "five
star review" of Doctor
Cruciani on a web page with a
"Pay as Little as $15" add
still on the side.
Cruciani's
lawyer: Supposed she was
sexually assaulted two weeks
before this five star review.
It defies common sense. Then
the bookend, Ms. Prince told
you about the penultimate
visit. [Letter on Mount Sinai
letter head on screen]
On July 29,
conviction on all counts:
"conviction of neurologist
RICARDO CRUCIANI, 68, for the
sexual assault, abuse, and
rape of six patients under his
care at the Beth Israel
Medical Center. The conviction
follows a month-long trial
that included testimony from
the individuals assaulted by
CRUCIANI, each of whom sought
his medical expertise to treat
chronic and debilitating pain
disorders. As proven at trial,
CRUCIANI not only forced his
patients to have
non-consensual sex, but
overprescribed serious pain
medication in order to keep
them in his care. A New York
State Supreme Court jury found
CRUCIANI guilty of one count
of Predatory Sexual Assault;
one count of Attempted Rape in
the first degree; one count of
Sexual Abuse in the first
degree; two counts of Rape in
the third degree; and seven
counts of Criminal Sexual Act
in the third degree. He will
be sentenced on September
14. As proven at
trial, CRUCIANI manipulated
and abused six patients at
Beth Israel Medical Center and
later, at facilities in New
Jersey and Pennsylvania.
RICARDO CRUCIANI Wynnewood,
Pennsylvania
Convicted: Predatory
Sexual Assault, a class A
felony, One Count Attempted
Rape in the First Degree, One
Count Sexual Abuse in the
First Degree, One Count Rape
in the Third Degree, Two
Counts Criminal Sexual Act in
the Third Degree, Seven
Counts."
Inner City Press
will continue on the
case(s)...
This case is US
v. Cruciani, 21-cr-636
(Cronan)
***
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