By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Podcast
BBC - Guardian UK - Honduras - ESPN
MANHATTAN CRIMINAL COURT, Aug 18 – Inner City Press, which daily covers the Federal but not state courts, had heard that cash bail was on the way out in New York.
But on August 18, rushing from the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York to Manhattan Criminal Court for the arraignment of Ken Kurson, it did not turn out that way. In the arraignment part a Ms. Nelson was in the dock, represented by Neighborhood Defenders Service of Harlem.
She was quoted, while being arrested, at telling the police officer, "So youire arresting me for something that cost three dollars." Mentioned was Duane Reade.
The prosecutor, working for Cy Vance who elsewhere issued a wuote about Kurson ("We will not accept presidential pardons as get-out-of-jail-free cards for the well-connected in New York"), asked for $20,000 cash bail.
Ultimately, only because a NDS social worker was also in the gallery with Inner City Press, and said she would take Ms. Nelson directly to drug rehab at Cornerstone (a program also much cited in Supervised Release proceedings in the SDNY), Ms. Nelson did not have to come up with the cash or go to Rikers.
Perhaps it was her lawyer saying she has Stage 1 cancer and has started chemo, that Rikers could be a death sentence.
Perhaps it was adding in a 28 day in-patient program after Cornerstone.
Ms. Nelson did not have to put up the money. But Cy Vance's prosecutor sought it. Watch this site. (and this podcast, including about no Press or public allowed in EDNY courtroom for US v. R.Kelly)
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