#Maduro & wife #CiliaFlores are about to appear in court.
The Maduros’ appearance in Federal District Court in Manhattan could be brief. He & his wife, who are being held at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center, are expected to enter pleas of not guilty, & a judge will almost certainly order them detained. It could be well over a year before a jury is seated to weigh the evidence against them.
Here again is the indictment →
https://www.justice.gov/opa/media/1422326/dl
@Nonilex it might be to everybody’s benefit just to let him go back to Venezuela on bail. After all, the US government has demonstrated clearly that they can retrieve him from wherever he may be if he doesn’t turn up!
Mark E. Donnelly, a lawyer from Houston, will be representing Maduro’s wife, #CiliaFlores. Donnelly is a former federal prosecutor & is now in private practice with a Houston law firm.
There are nearly 2X as many journalists as the 3-dozen members of the public who were kept in a line in the hallway prior to the opening of the courtroom where #Maduro & Flores are to make their initial appearance.
#MafiaState #law #criminal #Trump #Venezuela #oil #sovereignty #InternationalLaw 🧵
5 “overflow” courtrooms where spectators would be able to watch the proceedings on large screens are set up to be filled as needed after the actual courtroom was filled.
#Maduro is charged in a narco-terrorism conspiracy & a conspiracy to import cocaine, among other charges, & will likely plead not guilty.
#MafiaState #law #criminal #Trump #CiliaFlores #Venezuela #oil #sovereignty #InternationalLaw 🧵
@Nonilex what statute defines narco-terrorism?
Judge Hellerstein has entered the courtroom & proceedings are beginning. #Maduro has appeared, wearing a shortlseeve navy shirt over orange jail garb. His hair is streaked with grey & he is taking notes.
Maduro is wearing black over-the-ear headphones for translation, as is his wife, #CiliaFlores, who is sitting 2 seats away from him in a similar same navy & orange outfit. Both have shackles around their ankles.
#MafiaState #law #criminal #Trump #Venezuela #oil #sovereignty #InternationalLaw 🧵
Judge #Hellerstein says that it is his job to ensure a fair proceeding & a fair #trial, if it comes to that. “That’s my job & that’s my intent,” he says. He is now summarizing the indictment.
The judge asks #Maduro to identify himself. Maduro does so, in Spanish, calling himself the president of the republic of #Venezuela, & saying he is here, “#kidnapped.”
#MafiaState #law #criminal #Trump #abduction #CiliaFlores #Venezuela #oil #sovereignty #InternationalLaw 🧵
#Maduro is standing & speaking in Spanish, saying he was captured at his home in Caracas, #Venezuela.
“I am innocent, I am not guilty, I am a decent man, I am still president of my country,” Maduro said speaking rapidly. Judge #Hellerstein interrupts, telling him “there will be time & place to get into all of this,” & for now he is asking only for his identity. Maduro repeats that he is, in fact, Nicolás Maduro Moros.
#MafiaState #law #criminal #Trump #abduction #oil #InternationalLaw 🧵
Ousted #Venezuela President Nicolás #Maduro has hired prominent #criminal defense lawyer #BarryPollack, who long represented #Wikileaks founder #JulianAssange….
#Pollack, a veteran Washington #trial lawyer, filed a notice of appearance Monday as Maduro’s attorney in the #SDNY narco-terrorism case, ahead of a hearing scheduled for noon.
#MafiaState #law #criminal #Trump #abduction #CiliaFlores #oil #sovereignty #InternationalLaw
https://news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/nicolas-maduro-hires-julian-assange-lawyer-for-criminal-defense 🧵
#Maduro clearly intended to make a personal statement about his situation; instead, he was forced to conform to the rules of the courtroom, where the judge is the highest authority.
Maduro says he has the indictment in his hands “for the very first time.” Judge Hellerstein asks, “Would you like me to read it to you?” Maduro responds through an interpreter, “I would rather read it personally.”
#MafiaState #law #criminal #Trump #abduction #Venezuela #oil #sovereignty #InternationalLaw 🧵
“I’m innocent. I’m not guilty. I am a decent man,” #Maduro says, asked for his plea. His lawyer clarifies that he is pleading not guilty to all 4 counts against him.
Maduro, in response to questions from the judge, says he had not seen the indictment before appearing in court & he does not know his rights. This suggests that he & his lawyer may not have had much time to discuss the case before the hearing.
#MafiaState #law #criminal #Trump #Venezuela #oil #sovereignty #InternationalLaw 🧵
Judge Hellerstein turns to #CiliaFlores, Maduro’s wife and co-defendant.
As his wife stands in court, #Maduro sits back in his chair, his arms on the armrests. Occasionally, he clasps his hands in a prayer motion & lowers his head. He’s fidgeting & glancing around, then bowing his head.
Maduro’s wife spoke through an interpreter & pleaded not guilty.
“Not guilty, completely innocent,” Flores said.
#MafiaState #law #criminal #Trump #abduction #Venezuela #oil #sovereignty #InternationalLaw 🧵
Judge Hellerstein asks what would usually be rudimentary, housekeeping question: the date & time of the arrest. The prosecutor responds that the defendants entered law enforcement custody on 11:30 AM on Jan. 3. He does not mention the #military raid on #ForeignSoil that led to that apprehension.
The manner of apprehension will not be dealt with by the judge. That is established #law. Judge only deal with the charges in front of them in the #indictment.
At initial hearings, a prosecutor usually summarizes the evidence in the case, like recordings, documents & other materials seized in searches. We may hear that soon from Kyle A. #Wirshba, an assistant #USattorney.
#MafiaState #law #criminal #Trump #abduction #Maduro #CiliaFlores #Venezuela #oil #sovereignty #InternationalLaw 🧵
