By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Maxwell Book
BBC - Honduras - CIA Trial Book - NY Mag
SDNY COURTHOUSE, July 17 – Conditions in New York City's Federal jail, the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, have gotten so bad that defense lawyers have written to Brookly Federal judge Margo Brodie on Sunday, July 17 about them.
Inner City Press has most recently covered restrictions in the MDC in connection with inmate Joshua Schulte, who while there has been barred by a Department of Justice order from communication with any media, by any means.
(See new book here for more: "Brutal Kangaroo: WikiLeaks Verdict Against Josh Schulte, and Other Whistleblowers: Convicted of sending the CIA's Vault 7 cyber tools to Wikileaks, Schulte remains in jail under DOJ SAMs. And others?," here)
But for all inmates, access to their defense lawyers is getting more and more restricted, according to the July 17 letter which we'll quote at length:
"Dear Chief Judge Brodie: We write on behalf of the Federal Defenders to provide an urgent update regarding the ongoing deterioration of legal access at MDC Brooklyn. As Plaintiff has reported in recent status letters, issues with legal access at MDC persist; indeed, they appear to be getting worse. On May 18, 2022, the Federal Defenders reported that miscommunications between MDC Legal and staff, particularly officers in the front lobby and visiting rooms, were causing “the cancellation of many legal visits, VTCs, and phone calls.” ECF No. 324. On June 1, 2022, the Federal Defenders recounted an incident in which a legal department paralegal withheld a VTC because the client was having an “attitude.” ECF No. 328. On June 15, 2022, Plaintiff reported that the MDC had experienced several lockdowns, which often resulted in the MDC fully cancelling legal visits and remote legal access. ECF No. 330. And on July 6, 2022, the Federal Defenders described how a mitigation specialist had attempted to visit a client in SHU, waited for two hours in a locked room with her calls for help going unanswered, until she eventually left without seeing her client. ECF No. 334. In between each of these status letters, Plaintiff has reported to the mediation team, the government, and MDC Legal frequent additional issues with legal access, particularly in-person visiting.
On Friday, July 15, 2022, MDC’s interference with legal access reached new heights. That day, several attorneys found themselves trapped in the visiting room during an undefined emergency lockdown—with no ability to leave (despite staff moving about freely), speak to MDC Legal, speak to the Warden, or call family regarding urgent childcare obligations. This incident not only raises serious questions about clients’ Sixth Amendment rights," etc.
And as noted in Brutal Kangaroo, First Amendment rights as well. Watch this site
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