Terror Lawyers Kept Locked Up By Jailers for Two Hours
By Jeralyn, Section Inmates and Prisons
Posted on Tue Apr 08, 2003 at 11:04:40 PM EST
Tags: (all tags)
Posted on Tue Apr 08, 2003 at 11:04:40 PM EST
Tags: (all tags)
A defense lawyer and paralegal representing an Egyptian client charged in a major New York terrorism case were held in a locked cell for two hours after concluding their meeting with their client, despite repeated requests to leave. A federal judge has ordered an investigation.
The lawyer and the paralegal who visited Mr. Sattar on March 20 told a guard they were ready to leave at 3:20 p.m., according to a memo sent by his lawyers to the judge. They asked again at 4:45 p.m., and as 5 p.m. approached, they asked a guard to call their offices so their co-workers would not worry about them, the memo said, but the request was refused. They were released at 5:15, the memo said.This was not the first time the legal team had problems at the jail, MCC in lower Manhattan. But the situation has gotten progressively worse.
In the last two weeks, our associates and a paralegal have encountered problems which go beyond what we have previously experienced," they wrote, citing what they called "the completely unacceptable behavior" by staff members at the jail.The jailers' response was essentially, "Sorry, it was busy, we forgot."
| < Tomasky on Warbloggers | Plea Four in the Buffalo Six Case > |