SDNY COURTHOUSE, Jan 24 – Ten days before the trial of accused CIA leaker Joshua Schulte, set to begin February 3, a final pre trial conference on January 24 showed continuing disputes about the secrecy and sealing of evidence and witnesses.
Assistant US Attorney Matthew Laroche argued that while prospective jurors will be shown witnesses real names, it will only by in hard copy and thereafter some 17 of them will be referred to by pseudonyms.
Schulte's lawyer Sabrina Shroff, still with the Federal Defenders for purposes of this case, insisted on calling these "fake names," and complained about the difficulties imposed in conducting basic research on potential witnesses.
US Attorney for the Southern District of New York Geoffrey S. Berman is asking to have the public excluded from the courtroom during the testimony of several of these CIA witnesses: ten called by the prosecution, and seven the defense seeks to call.
On January 21, SDNY District Judge Paul A. Crotty scheduled a public hearing on US Attorney Berman's request, to be held on January 27 at 2 pm. Opposition to sealing has already been filed, see Inner City Press filing into the docket on Big Cases Bot, here. Watch this site.
