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by Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book Substack

SDNY COURTHOUSE, Nov 12 – An assault on an inmate in NYC's detention center for juveniles in The Bronx resulted in the indictment of two employees there.

 Both were offered bail on July 26; one however wanted to leave the next morning on a vacation to Mexico. The request was granted but the prosecutors said they would appeal. Inner City Press was there for the arraignment and will continue to report on the case. 

 The prosecutors began the day announcing charges against DAQUAN SEYMOUR and RASHAWN WALKER, two supervisors at the Horizon Juvenile Center (“Horizon”), a secure detention center for juveniles located in the Bronx, New York.  The charges relate to the April 25, 2022, beating of a 16-year-old resident at Horizon and attempt to cover-up the beating.  SEYMOUR and WALKER were charged with federal civil rights offenses, including conspiring to deprive the Minor Victim of his constitutional rights and depriving the Minor Victim of his constitutional rights under color of law, as well as filing false reports.  SEYMOUR and WALKER were arrested this morning and will be presented in Manhattan federal court later today.  The case has been assigned to U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York Judge Edgardo Ramos. 

The appeal, from Magistrate Judge Valerie Figueredo's decision based on Seymour's children remaining in the US, was to be directed to Judge Ramos or to the Part 1 judge. As of 10:30 pm there was nothing in the docket.

On July 27 Inner City Press asked and was told that the vacation to Mexico was allowed and has begun. From the docket: "BAIL DISPOSITION: Deft released on own recognizance; $100,000 Personal recognizance bond; To be cosigned by two financially responsible persons; Travel restricted to SDNY/EDNY and Mexico for the preplanned trip from July 27-July 31 - surrender passport to attorney on 8/1/23."

On October 10, Judge Ramos amid a murder trial he is presiding over held a conference: "The defense needs time to review discovery."

Jump cut to July 9, 2024 when Seymour's lawyer wrote in asking the Court to order that the NYSJC and Investigator Nicholas Ferraro produce copies of the video he referenced in his May 9, 2022 interview with the victim."

On July 12, Judge Ramos ordered ACS and NYSJC to respond by July 22: "request for order to compel production of "missing" video... Endorsement: Counsel for the Government, NYSJC, and ACS are directed to respond by Monday, July 22, 2024. So Ordered."

And after the response, Judge Ramos denied Defendant' requests.

And again on October 2: "Minute Entry for proceedings held before Judge Edgardo Ramos: Arraignment as to Daquan Seymour (1) Count 1s,2s,3s-4s held on 10/2/2024. Plea entered by Daquan Seymour Not Guilty. Defendant present with counsel Daniel Parker and Joshua Horowitz. AUSAs Jamie Bagliebter and Elizabeth Daniels, present. Defendant was arraigned on the S1 Indictment and entered a plea of not guilty. For the reasons stated on the record, defendant's motion to sever is denied. The jury trial is rescheduled for Wednesday, November 13, 2024 at 9:30 a.m. Motions in limine, proposed voir dire, proposed jury instructions, and proposed jury verdict are due October 21, 2024. Responses thereto are due November 4, 2024. The final pretrial conference is adjourned to November 11, 2024, at 2:30 p.m.

We note: "NOLLE PROSEQUI ENTERED as to Rashawn Walker. Rashawn Walker (2) Count 1,2,4. (Signed by Judge Edgardo Ramos on 10/3/2024)....  Rashawn Walker died."

On November 12, guilty plea: SDNY "announced today the guilty plea of DAQUAN SEYMOUR, a supervisor at the Horizon Juvenile Center (“Horizon”), a secure detention center for juveniles located in the Bronx, New York, in connection with his beating of a 16-year-old resident at Horizon (“Minor Victim-1”), and attempt to cover-up the beating, on April 25, 2022.  SEYMOUR pled guilty to depriving Minor Victim-1 of his constitutional rights under color of law." So, no Nov 13 trial...

  The case is US v. Seymour, et al., 23-cr-373 (Ramos / Figueredo) 

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