By Matthew Russell Lee
SDNY COURTHOUSE, February 15 – On East 104th Street in Manhattan last April 24, multiple gunshots to the chest killed 17-year old Samuel Ozuna. A week later, 24-year old Gary Turner was arrested and charged. WhenTurner on February 15 changed his plea to guilty in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, Azuna's family members sat on one side of the courtroom. On the other, separted by security officers, were supporters of Turner. In the back, the only media in the room, was Inner City Press.
SDNY Judge Jesse M. Furman asked Turner the extent of his schooling - 9th grade - and then to explain in his own words what he had done. Turner read a statement full of legal terms of art ("I shot him, resulting in his death") and a woman on Ozuna started to cry. Judge Furman told Turner to speak directly in the the microphone, and slower. Turner said he did the shooting to protect drug territory. The crying on Ozuna's side got louder.
Judge Furman explained that the plea agreement meant that Turner was waiving his right to appeal any sentence less than 405 months, that is, 33 years. (Turner had faced the death penalty). There was some discussion of whether Turner's allocution was sufficient, since he refused to say he had committed the murder to improve or maintain his position in an organization. These crews are looser, his lawyer said. Judge Furman agreed, and the proceeding was adjourned.
The marshals asked those on Turner's side of the courtroom to leave first. As they did, and Turner was led out in shackles, from Ozuna's side a women screamed, "You piece of sh*t!" This did not make it into the U.S. Attorney's Office press release. There was more crying, and on the way down some said the gun could have been pointed the other way. But this is what happened.
