by Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book Substack
SDNY COURTHOUSE, Sept 20 – Carlos Ramirez faces a racketeering conspiracy trial to start September 9, 2024. In late March his Criminal Justice Act lawyer wrote in ex parte to the judge, disclosing a possible conflict of interest and arguing it should not bar him from the case and trial.
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York Judge Jesse M. Furman, to his credit, made the letter public, with some redactions.
Previously, Judge Furman granted an application by Inner City Press to unseal defendant Michael Avenatti's CJA financial affidavit (while suggesting the issue should be systematized at an administrative level - it has not been. In the recent Honduras narcotics case and trial, one defendant's affidavit was unsealed on Inner City Press' motion, while another such motion still sits unruled upon).
In this case, Ramirez' counsel at some point reached out to co-defendant Miguel Genoa's CJA lawyer, which whom he had worked on US v. Alexei Saab (a Hezbollah trial Inner City Press covered).
She sought advice on - a topic that remains redacted. But at least the rest of the letter is now public.
On August 30 Judge Furman denied Ramirez' motion to depose "an unnamed witness who was previously deported from the US" who he said would testify that the alleged murder of Jordanny Correa "was not gang related by related to a personal dispute between Carlos Ramirez and others." No deposition, and no testimony via CCTV.
On September 5, in Courtroom 318 where the trial will be held, Judge Furman ruled on motions in limine. Inner City Press was there. Judge Furman inquired into social media account(s) in jail, and admitted evidence that is prejudicial but not unfairly so.
On September 16, with cooperating witness Garcia on the stand, the defense lawyer asking about the witness' role in a 2017 shooting. After excusing the witness, in a green prison jumpsuit, Judge Furman told the jurors to expect summations Thursday or Friday, and to stay later.
Late on September 20, the jury returned guilty verdicts on all three counts.
The case is US v. Ramirez, 20-cr-22 (Furman)
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