New:Follow us on TWITTER BloggingHeads.tv
Click here for Inner City Press' weekday news reports, from the United Nations and elsewhere. Click here for a recent BBC piece on Inner City Press' reporting from the United Nations Search This Site Click for March 1, 2011 BloggingHeads.tv re Libya, Sri Lanka, UN Corruption by Inner City Press. Click here for Inner City Press front page
ICP has published a (double) book about
a variety of Bronx-relevant topics -- a review in
Commonweal magazine of Dec. 5, 2003, opines that
"Predatory Bender... is as vivid an account of life in
the Bronx as you are likely to read" -- click here for
sample chapters, here for
an interactive map,
here
for fast ordering
and
delivery, and here for
other ordering
information. See
also, "City
Lit: Roman a Klepto [Review of ‘Predatory Bender’],"
by Matt Pacenza, City Limits, Sept.-Oct. 2004. CBS
MarketWatch of April 23, 2004, says the
the novel has "some very funny moments," and that the
non-fiction mixes "global statistics and first-person accounts."
The Washington
Post
of March 15, 2004, calls Predatory Bender: America in
the Aughts "the first novel about predatory lending;" the
London
Times of April 15, 2004, "A Novel Approach," said it "has
a cast of colorful characters." The Pittsburgh
City Paper of Dec. 11, 2003, wrote that it "may, in fact,
be the first great American lending malfeasance novel" including
"low-level loan sharks, class-action lawyers, corporate bigwigs,
hired muscle, corrupt politicians, Iraq War veterans, Wall
Street analysts, reporters and one watchdog with a Web
site." And all in The Bronx! Click
here
for that
review; for more information, contact us.
See, in Nov 2021, Inner City Press' book "Belt and Roadkill,"
here
By
Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Maxwell
Book
BBC-Guardian
UK - Honduras
- ESPN NY
Mag
SDNY
COURTHOUSE, May 1 – Christina Charles of 1317
Boston Road in The Bronx slipped and fell in the
Family Dollar store at 1345 Boston Road and
sued. Family Dollar removed the case to Federal
court.
On April 29, U.S. District Court for the
Southern District of New York Judge John G.
Koeltl held a proceeding. Inner City Press
covered it.
Judge Koeltl denied Family Dollar's motion for
summary judgment and directed the plaintiff to
make a demand by May 4.
Next
up is a joint pre-trial order by May 20, with
the parties to be ready on 48 hours notice for a
trial starting June 17.
By
Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Maxwell
Book
BBC-Guardian
UK - Honduras
- ESPN NY
Mag
SDNY
COURTHOUSE, April 28 – Jose Cabrera was filmed
in the course of an armed robbery of a
laundromat in The Bronx on March 12, 2021.
On
April 28, 2022, in a yellow prison jumpsuit, he
came to plead guilty.
U.S.
District Court for the Southern District of New
York Judge John P. Cronan held the in-person
change of plea proceeding. Inner City Press went
to cover it.
In response to each questions, Cabrera said, Yes
sir, Yes Your Honor. He said he had gotten
$1500.
By
Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Maxwell
Book
BBC-Guardian
UK - Honduras
- ESPN NY
Mag
SDNY
COURTHOUSE, April 18 – Target in The
Bronx was robbed of $215,000 on March 26, 2018.
The robber Tsani Russell was caught and
sentenced to 40 months.
His
co-defendant who worked at Target and gave him
the key because a
cooperator.
On April 18, U.S. District Court for the
Southern District of New York Judge Naomi Reice
Buchwald held a sentencing proceeding. Inner
City Press covered it, as the only
media.
Judge Buchwald began by asking each person on
the call to identify themselves. Inner City
Press did. After the Federal Defender began
recounting how his client was pressured and
received only $1500, Judge Buchwald said she
would give a time served sentence but had
questions about supervision - and emphasized
there can be no drug use (including marijuana,
which remains under Federal prohibition).
Judge
Buchwald indicated that some of the money should
be paid back. The Federal Defender cited a
Second Circuit case against that, and will put
in a letter, as will the AUSA. Inner City Press
may continue to cover this legal issue.
The
cooperating defendant spoke for herself,
apologizing to those working at Target who were
there during the robbery and saying she was
making bad decisions at the time. She said she
has lost 50 pounds and been vegan for the past
two years.
She said she is renting a room in Hamilton
Heights in Upper Manhattan for $1200 a month -
she is thinking of moving (back) to the Bronx.
She said she did not want this following her
forever, nor her current company to know.
While
Judge Buchwald acknowledged that the felony
conviction cannot be erased, Inner City Press
has chosen to not here report the name.
By
Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Maxwell
Book
BBC-Guardian
UK - Honduras
- ESPN NY
Mag
SDNY
COURTHOUSE, April 14 – William Scott
is on trial in connection with the firing of a
gun outside East 183rd Street in The Bronx on
June 23, 2020.
Inner
City Press is covering this felon in possession
of a firearm case in the U.S. District Court for
the Southern District of New York before Judge
Analisa Torres.
On
April 11 the prosecution painstaking showed
security video of gunfire by a man in red
shorts, a white T-shirt and running shoes they
said was William Scott, whom they a/k/a as "Ill
Will."
The
defense - Scott has two separate CJA counsel,
after earlier in the case having the Milbank law
firm - introduced other camera angles.
SDNY
US Attorney Damian Williams came in for a bit,
as Inner City Press also noted
he did during the recent US v. Eric Spencer /
Soho Chanel store robbery trial.
His
Assistant US Attorney complained that the
defense is not sharing its exhibits in advance.
On
April 12, another of Scott's CJA lawyers cross
examined a witness, demanding to know "if you
said 'pop'!" There were fewer people in the
courtroom. The AUSA's request to for a brief
re-cross was denied. The US is arguing that
Witness B's sale of ecstasy to Scott and others
should not come in, or at least not be the
subject of cross examination.
On
April 13, at the end, Scott's Rule 29 motion was
denied by Judge Torres, after the AUSA insisted
that they had presented enough evidence, with
video and live witnesses and the ATF testimony
about inter-state transport.
On
April 14 before 2 pm, Judge Torres gave her
legal instructions to the jurors. By 3:30 pm,
they had returned: guilty.
By
Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Maxwell
Book
BBC
- Guardian
UK - Honduras
- ESPN
SDNY
MAG COURT EXCLUSIVE, April 7- In the U.S.
District Court for the Southern District of New
York on April 7, a series detention or release
proceedings were held until 8 pm by new
Magistrate Judge Jennifer Willis after an early
morning police raid on a fentanyl mill on the
fourth floor of 15 East 196th Street in The
Bronx.
One of the final two defendants had sold a kilo
and a half of fentanyl to an undercover agent,
the Assistant US Attorney told Judge Willis. The
other had fled out of the drug mill apartment
upon the arrival of the police by kicking out
the airconditioner and going up the fire escape
to an apartment on the fifth floor. He entered
by kicking in the airconditioner.
The Criminal Justice Act lawyer for the
defendant charged with selling the fentanyl said
that his client's father, an Uber driver, was
downstairs in the courthouse. He asked for
permission to go down and get him, which was
granted.
But
15 minutes later, the lawyer had not returned,
and it was nearing 8 pm.
Inner City
Press covers the SDNY
Magistrates Court as it has
The Bronx, sometimes
as the only media in
the gallery, as it was on April 7. It left and
sent to find the lawyer and
the defenant's
father, ultimately finding them
by the metal detectors
at the 200 Worth Street
entrance.
Back up
on the Magistrates
Court, Judge Willis
said that the fentanyl
seller
could be
released upon
the signature
of his father
as moral
suasion. But
the defendant
who fled, and
who is not a
US citizens,
would have to
have a GPS bracelet
installed. It
being too late
to accomplish
that, he was
ordered detained
overnight.
His passport
was not
seized in the
drug mill
apartment. His
CJA lawyer
said his
client's
brother has
the passport
but his client
does not
know his brother's
number, it is
saved in the
contacts of
his phone the
police seized.
Judge
Willis said
the passport
should be
turned in as
soon and
possible, and with
the GPS the defendant
should not go near
an airport.
By
Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Maxwell
Book
BBC
- Guardian
UK - Honduras
- ESPN
SDNY
MAG COURT EXCLUSIVE, April 1- In the U.S.
District Court for the Southern District of New
York on March 31, a detention or release
proceeding was held by Magistrate Judge Sarah L.
Cave on a short man arrested that morning in a
multi-defendant drug gang sweep in The Bronx.
Inner City
Press covers the SDNY
Magistrates Court as it has
The Bronx, sometimes alone in
the gallery, as it was on
March 31. Story here.
The man, Joseph Rivera, was aka-ed in the
unsealed complaint as "Shorty." Most of his
co-defendants got detained, but the Assistant US
Attorney in this case said Rivera could be
released on his own signature, with two weeks to
find two co-signers for a $75,000 bond (and to
come back on April 1 for a GPS bracelet).
The
reason? Rivera is the sole caretaker for his
mother, who has dementia. Judge Cave thanked the
parties for their compassion.
On April 1, another co-defendant was present,
also named in Counts 14 and 15. He was detained
- on consent, with time excluded until May 2.
By
Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon
BBC
- Guardian
UK - Honduras
- ESPN
SDNY
COURTHOUSE, March 23 – Back in December 2020,
with a legal filing full of misspellings asking
to enjoin an election or its results, a dozen
constituents of ousted New York City Council
member Andy King asked a Federal judge for a
restraining order. It was denied.
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of
New York Judge Valerie E. Caproni, in a
proceeding covered by Inner City Press, asked
how the plaintiffs had standing. (King's own
lawsuit against the City Council for ousting him
48-2 for misconduct had already failed).
Judge Caproni declined to issue a preliminary
injunction in Marchant et al v. De Blasio et
al., 20-cv-10544 (Caproni).
Then on April 12, fellow SDNY Judge
Paul A. Crotty held a proceeding in the case King v. City of
New York, 20-cv-8283 (Crotty). He gave King's lawyer Pamela
Hayes two weeks to file more papers. She asked for three.
Judge Crotty said he was not inclined, but
then relented. He gave three weeks but said if the papers are
not in, he will dismiss the case. That case is King v. City of
New York, 20-cv-8283 (Crotty).
On May 27, SDNY Judge Edgardo Ramos held a
proceeding in a case against King, by former staffer Shana
Melius for retaliation. The NYC City Council was refusing to
produce documents unless ordered by a court. So ordered.
On October 28, 2021 Judge Ramos held another
proceeding in this case. He was amazed that some discovery
remained to be done, but gave a brief extension for it to
happen.
Jump cut to March 23, 2022 when Judge Ramos
held another conference. Inner City Press again covered it.
The defense argued that ordering Melius to report to work in
the North Bronx and not 250 Broadway was not an adverse
employment action. Her lawyer said it added two and a half
hours to her commute, and precluded IVF. The defense argued
she'd like on her application for employment and so lost
rights to sue. Judge Ramos disagreed and said he doubted he
would grant these motions. So the case proceeds.
By
Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Maxwell
Book
BBC
- Guardian
UK - Honduras
- ESPN
SDNY
COURTHOUSE, March 15 – Desmond Chin
Sued Central Transport LLC for a vehicle crash
on the Major Deegan Expressway in The Bronx on
May 5, 2020.
On March 15, U.S. District Court for the
Southern District of New York Magistrate Judge
James L. Cott held a proceeding. Inner City
Press covered it.
Judge
Cott thanked the plaintiff for filing the
removed complaint into the docket. Counsel noted
other events in July including vacation; Judge
Cott said he'll aim for late June mediation with
a joint letter seven days after.
If
unsuccessful, motions are due by December 5.
By
Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Maxwell
Book
BBC
- Guardian
UK - Honduras
- ESPN
SDNY
COURTROOM Exclusive, March 10 – A Bronx man who
served 51 months in prison for shooting at a man
on Brook Avenue after a car accident has been
arrested and detained again, for menacing two
women in an apartment building in the South
Bronx.
On March 10, U.S. District Court for the
Southern District of New York Magistrate Judge
Sarah Netburn held a detention proceeding. Inner
City Press covered it, the only media in the Mag
Court.
In the gallery were the man's girlfriend and her
three young children. His Criminal Justice Act
lawyer told Judge Netburn that the ammunition
found in the apartment he had been living in may
not have been his.
The
apartment, she said, is under the name of the
mother of his ex-girlfriend, who the lawyer said
is a cocaine addict and "sleeps with a variety
of men" to feed her habit.
The CJA lawyer said that for the armed menacing,
the Bronx District Attorney has decided not to
prosecute.
But the standard of proof in Federal Violation
of Supervised Release proceedings is lower.
Judge
Netburn said that along with other SDNY judges
she has inquired and found there is no
requirement for arraignment on
VOSRs. She also said it was sad that
the children were in court to hear this, that
they were "a little young."
By
Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon
BBC
- Decrypt
- LightRead - Honduras
-
Source
SDNY
COURTHOUSE, March 2 – A crack cocaine conspiracy
with then only one defendant was alleged in
December 2019 to be taking place around 168th
Street and Fulton Avenue in The Bronx. Jose L.
Irizzary was charged in the Complaint, but it
was Destiny Romero and Mikal Tariq Leahr who
were arrested.
On January 6, 2020 Judge Sidney H. Stein of the
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of
New York held a conference with both of those
arrested. He said, "We have somebody that is a
fugitive here; Mr. Ross,
correct?"
Assistant
US Attorney Jacob R. Fiddelman replied, "That's
correct. Mr. Ross has not yet been
apprended."
On
February 12, 2020 in the SDNY Magistrates Court,
with Inner City Press the only media present,
Martin Ross was brought in shackled, and left
the same way.