| Bronx
Shootings on Ryer Avenue Result in Jury
Guilty Verdicts Now Pot and Phones in MDC
By Matthew
Russell Lee, Patreon
SDNY COURTHOUSE,
Jan 3 – Darrius Christopher
and Robert Wade were still on
trial for a shoot-out on
October 25, 2019 by 2322 Ryer
Avenue in The Bronx. But it
was at end game. And the issue
of "Theory of Defense."
On November 22, 2021 U.S.
District Court for the
Southern District of New York
Judge Sidney H. Stein held
opening statements, and on
November 23 the presentation
of evidence from government
witnesses. Inner City Press
went and covered both
days. And now the
(guilty) verdicts: "Verdict
reached as follows: defendant
Christopher guilty as to
Counts 1 and 3, defendant Wade
guilty as to Counts 2 and 3.
Sentencing is scheduled for
March 10, 2022, at 4:30 p.m.
Any post-trial motions are due
45 days from today, the
government's response is due
15 days after the motion is
filed. Defendants remain in
custody."
Jump cut to
January 3, 2023, when the US
Attorney's Office filed a
letter that "on November 29,
2022 the defendants' shared
cell [in the MDC[ was searched
and a significant amount of
contraband was recovered....
183 small bags of a leafy
green substance that field
tested positive for
marijuana... a 1.5 inch
scalpel... eight cell phones"
- that won't be relied on at
sentencing. Watch this site.
Previously, Detective Hearns
was cross examined about Smith
& Wesson .40 caliber and
9mm luger shell casings.
Once he and the
jurors, who appeared to be
paying close attention, left
there were lawyers' arguments
about out of court statements
and an upcoming Wade hearing
with an SDNY Probation
officer.
The
government objected to one of
the defense's opening
statements, that a Mr.
Orellana would testify about
(non) membership in a gang.
The AUSA said Orellana's
lawyer said he'll invoke the
Fifth Amendment, if called to
testify.
How do I
know that? the defense counsel
answered.
On November 26,
the day after Thanksgiving,
the US Attorney's Office filed
a letter and three exhibits
with Judge Stein arguing that
DEA agents and NYPD detectives
may not be called for an
improper purpose.
Attached
were defense counsel's
November 22 letter pursuant to
Touhy v. Regan, 340 U.S. 462
(1951) for the testimony of DA
agents Moises Walter, Joseph
Tamweber and David Brown, and
a chain of emails contesting
them. Also at issue: four NYPD
detectives.
The US Attorney's
Office cites Judge Alison J.
Nathan's decision in US v.
Ghislaine Maxwell to bar the
defense from eliciting
testimony about the use or
non-use of certain
investigative technique as it
"does not tend to show
defendant's innocence of the
charges."
And while the
Maxwell circus has made it
more difficult to cover, we
offered this Friday night
report. Darius Christopher
wants an instruction that
while he was present on 183
and Ryer, but being a knowing
spectator is not enough. And
if the instruction is not
taken?
On Monday,
December 6 Judge Stein issued
this: "ORDER as to Darrius
Christopher, Robert Wade.
Ulysses Boyd appeared at the
trial of this action on
November 30 and December 2,
2021, without the jury present
and under oath. While Boyd sat
in the witness stand, the
Court stated as
follows:...[*** See this Order
***]... The Court imposed the
coercive civil sanction of a
$5,000 fine and then asked
Boyd whether he would "still
refuse to answer questions
under oath." (Trial Tr. 1183.)
Boyd responded "Yes." (Id.)
Accordingly, IT IS HEREBY
ORDERED that: 1. Ulysses Boyd
is a recalcitrant witness
under 28 U.S.C. § 1826 and is
in willful contempt of court
for his failure to comply with
the November 30, 2021 Court
order that directed Boyd to
testify at this trial. 2.
Ulysses Boyd shall pay a
coercive civil sanction of
$5,000 due to his continued
civil contempt. That sanction,
due immediately, shall be made
to: U.S. District Court for
the Southern District of New
York Attn: Cashiers Office,
500 Pearl Street, New York, NY
10007. SO ORDERED: (Signed by
Judge Sidney H. Stein on
12/6/2021)."
The case will
continue. It is US v.
Christopher and Wade,
19-cr-875 (Stein).
***
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