By Matthew Russell Lee, Author on Patreon Song Ruling
BBC - Decrypt - LightRead - Radio - Podcast
SDNY COURTHOUSE, Dec 22 -- This could be the day, Kurt was thinking as he came out onto Foley Square on the second day of jury deliberations in US v. Maxwell.
The lapse between thinking it on the stairway up from the 4 train to Centre Street, where a long line of people were waiting, not socially distances, to get tested for COVID / Omicron, and saying it on Twitter video was less than a minute. The first response? "Your video is sideways." Damn landscape.
But up in Courtroom 318 things were entirely silent. Not only at 9 am, as it had been yesterday until 10 when the first jury note came back from the deliberations room, but all the way to noon. Kurt took the chance to run over to the Magistrates court.
The door as unlocked and inside, Magistrate Judge Parker was hearing jail-or-bail arguments about a defendant named Romero, who'd shot a gun on 191st Street and St. Nicholas, as a felon no less.
Romero's lawyer emphasized that the mother of his client's future child was here and there she was, the only person in the gallery other than Kurt (and a Court Security Officer on his own chair by the door). When Judge Parker summoned Pre-Trial Services out of the room, presumably to a robing room she shared seriatim with the other Magistrates, Kurt ran back over to check on US v. Maxwell. Still nothing. Had the jurors even come in?
There being no update to provide on Maxwell, back in the Mag court the conclusion came. Judge Parker ruled that the government had met its burden and the Romero would be detained. His lawyer had said he was unvaccinated; Kurt watched how he was led out, after short eye contact to the gallery, to see if there were any differences. Then back to the larger difference: #MaximumMaxwell.
It was nearly four o'clock when the lawyers started assembling in Courtroom 318. It was not initially a note from the jury, but rather a note TO the jury. Judge Nathan proposed to ask them to decide: would they deliberate on December 23 or not?
But then a note did come out, asking for the testimony of house manager and dildo cleaner Juan Alessi and of Kate (as well, strangely, of Jane which they already had). As the lawyers assured that they could agree on this, faster than the three hours they'd taken on Jane, Carolyn and Annie Farmer, the jury's answer about deliberating tomorrow came out.
No, the jury said. Jurors have plans.
So there would be a four day break, at least. In those four days anything could happen: one or more jurors could get COVID. It seemed inevitable that they - one or more, of course - would learn or hear about the case, whether from the Internet on their phones, or a relative at a loaded holiday meal table.
Would the jurors be questioned on that when they came back on Monday? Would Team Maxwell now want a mistrial?
Kurt did a podcast in the fire stairs, and put his live tweeted thread into a story. Then out into Foley Square, where again Isabel Maxwell and Leah Saffian stood surrounded by photographers, waiting for the Uber seemingly stuck in the traffic created by this circus.
Kurt took it all in, and put it all out, and another picked it up. It might be delayed a few days but the news was getting out. #MaximumMaxwell.
Note: On October 29, 2021 and again on November 12 Ghislaine Maxwell and the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York filed a flurry of motions in limine, heavily redacted; the Government argued that trial exhibits are not public and will be withheld. Inner City Press opposed and opposes the continued secrecy.
Inner City Press will cover the trial, and all the comes before and after it; #CourtCaseCast and song I, Song 2, Song 3, fifth song and now Nov 27 song
The underlying case is US v. Maxwell, 20-cr-330 (Nathan).
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