After Guilty For 2016 Hunts Point Slaying Bruce Morris Got 27 Years now US Asks Unseal

After Guilty For 2016 Hunts Point Slaying Bruce Morris Got 27 Years now US Asks Unseal by Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book Substack SDNY COURTHOUSE, April 3 – For a murder in Hunts Point in the South Bronx in 2016, Bruce Morris was on trial before U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York Judge Jesse M. Furman. Inner City Press is covering it, as it has covered Hunts Point and The Bronx.    On January 14, the Bronx Homicide detective who caught the case was on the witness stand, followed by the superintendent of the building at 848 Faile Avenue, who said he saw Morris with a gun.     The prosecutors put into the record the grand jury transcript of Morris' brother, represented by Federal Defenders, repeatedly invoking his Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination. Morris has four CJA lawyers. One of them wrote in dated January 10 (but not docketed until January 16, amid the charge conference) that "Witness-3 has a strong motive to curry favor with the government because he may hope that his assistance in helping to secure a murder conviction will shield him from prosecution for his own drug crimes." On January 17 after the jury instruction, the jury sent a note. Judge Furman told the parties to propose answers, on what they must find on conspiracy, and file them by noon - on MLK Day. On January 23, "JURY VERDICT as to Bruce Morris: Guilty on Count 3ssBruce Morris (1) Guilty of Lesser Offense on Count 4ss." And... "Retrial scheduled for 2/26/2025 at 9:30 am." Then on February 20 that was canceled: "ORDER as to Bruce Morris: With the parties' consent, see ECF Nos. [86], [87], all open counts against Defendant Bruce Morris including Counts One and Two and the discharge charge in Count Three of the S2 Indictment are dismissed. Accordingly, the trial and final pretrial conference scheduled for next week are CANCELED. Sentencing on the counts of conviction will be held on June 25, 2025, at 2:30 p.m." Over the transom: "Bruce Morris had his murder charge vacated along with all others except two." On July 24 counsel to Bruce Morris filed a sentencing memo asking for seven years, arguing the US had not met its burned that Morris killed Jemison under circumstances that would constitute murder under 18 USC 1111. On August 4 Morris was sentenced to 20 years on one count, seven (consecutive) on the other. Out by the elevators a woman shouted out "taking a life away" as jurors from the trial across the hallway, USA v. Hanratty, and Inner City Press looked on. Worlds collide. Jump cut to April 3, 2026: the US Attorney's Office wrote it asking to unseal its own sealing motion of January 12, 2025 which assigned a pseudonymous witness the name David Saleh. Now with Morris appealing, the US with its brief due on April 10 wants it unsealed - it does not even know which of the docket items, 66 or 67, its motion is..g   The case is USA v. Morris, 1:24-cr-358 (Furman)  *** Your support means a lot. As little as $5 a month helps keep us going and grants you access to exclusive bonus material on our Patreon page. Click here to become a patron. Feedback: Editorial [at] innercitypress.com SDNY Press Room 500 Pearl Street, NY NY 10007 USA Mail: Box 130222, Chinatown Station, NY NY 10013 Reporter's mobile (and weekends): 718-716-3540 Other, earlier Inner City Press are listed here, and some are available in the ProQuest service, and now on Lexis-Nexis.  Copyright 2006-2025 Inner City Press, Inc. To request reprint or other permission, e-contact Editorial [at] innercitypress.com