JusticeSeeker11
New Member
Several months ago a suppression hearing was held in federal district court, in the Northern District of New York. The defendant, his fiancée and father expected to testify against the testimony of two NYSP detectives. Minutes before the proceedings the court-appointed attorney met with the defendant and told him he had just spoken with the US Attorney, who informed him the government was prepared to charge the defendant with obstruction and perjury if he testified, and that if his witnesses testified he would also be charged and they could be charged as well.
The defendants attorney had met with the family before speaking to his client and told them this information, and informed all parties that the judge would believe the sworn testimony of the detectives over theirs and that the defendant would lose any credibility with the judge if he or his family took the stand, and this would affect him at sentencing. (Also the attorney told the defendant he would not want to be responsible for his family members facing federal charges and imprisonment, along with his own charges).
It was only after this hearing we discovered that the attorney never filed a witness list with the court. The government filed their witness list 5 days after the deadline, with no request for any extension. We believe obstruction of justice was committed that day by the US Attorney and the defendants own lawyer, as well as threats, intimidation, and tampering of witnesses. We did not testify and lost the hearing.
These threats directly affected the outcome of the hearing and this case- and that is an obstruction of justice. The court appointed attorney has since been terminated and another retained, yet he refuses to do anything about this. It is his opinion the government can and does do this frequently, it is an acceptable practice in the federal court system, and we cannot press charges and/or file civil suit against the government or the previous attorney.
Please help with your advice. This is not democracy; it is a mockery of democracy.
The defendants attorney had met with the family before speaking to his client and told them this information, and informed all parties that the judge would believe the sworn testimony of the detectives over theirs and that the defendant would lose any credibility with the judge if he or his family took the stand, and this would affect him at sentencing. (Also the attorney told the defendant he would not want to be responsible for his family members facing federal charges and imprisonment, along with his own charges).
It was only after this hearing we discovered that the attorney never filed a witness list with the court. The government filed their witness list 5 days after the deadline, with no request for any extension. We believe obstruction of justice was committed that day by the US Attorney and the defendants own lawyer, as well as threats, intimidation, and tampering of witnesses. We did not testify and lost the hearing.
These threats directly affected the outcome of the hearing and this case- and that is an obstruction of justice. The court appointed attorney has since been terminated and another retained, yet he refuses to do anything about this. It is his opinion the government can and does do this frequently, it is an acceptable practice in the federal court system, and we cannot press charges and/or file civil suit against the government or the previous attorney.
Please help with your advice. This is not democracy; it is a mockery of democracy.
