| In Tren de Aragua
Case in SDNY Death Penalty
Decision by May 22 But US
Shutdown Impacts
by
Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book
Substack
SDNY
Exclusive,
Oct 22 – A defendant charged
with conspiracy to commit
carjacking as part of the Tren
de Aragua gang was presented
on December 12 before U.S.
District Court for the
Southern District of New York
Magistrate Judge Robyn F.
Tarnofsky. Inner City Press
was there, the only media in
the SDNY Mag Court.
The
defendant Samuel Castro
repeatedly turned and gestured
to the law enforcement
officials in the back of the
courtroom; his Criminal
Justice Act appointed lawyer
said he wanted medicine for
his ear.
He had
arrived from immigration
detention after being arrested
on November 6.
On December 12
Castro was detained on consent
on the conspiracy
charges.
On January 17,
2025 co-defendant Jarwin
Valero Calderon came from the
MDC to the Magistrates Court,
with his CJA lawyer seeking
release on bond. Inner City
Press was there. Thread
On September 19
Inner City Press was in the
SDNY Magistrates Court when
two more were brought into the
case, with murders and special
circumstances cited.
On October 15 an
all-defendant conference held.
Four face possible death
penalty requests. Their
mitigation submissions are due
December 19, but defense
counsel said information is
hard to get from Venezuela -
and that Criminal Justice Act
investigations, interpreters
and mitigation specialists
have not been paid since July
3, before the shutdown.
On October 17 the
Coordinating Discovery
Attorney filed a status report
noting that "the Office of
Defender Services offers free,
unlimited storage Box.com
accounts to all defense
counsel and staff working on
CJA cases." But who's paying
now?
On October 22,
another conference. Four
defendants may face the death
penalty. Judge Cote gave the
Government until May 22 to
decide. If no, trial in July.
If yes, trial in September
2026. Defense counsel
complained about not being
able to see his client before
or after the conference -
attributed to the Federal
budget shutdown by the judge,
as is the ability to collect
mitigation material about the
death penalty. Inner
City Press is on the case(s).
The case is USA
v. Gonzalez Castro, et al.,
1:25-cr-41 (Cote)
***
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