United States v. Herron

2 F. Supp. 3d 391, 2014 WL 824291
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. New York
DecidedMarch 3, 2014
DocketNo. 10-CR-0615 (NGG)
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 2 F. Supp. 3d 391 (United States v. Herron) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Herron, 2 F. Supp. 3d 391, 2014 WL 824291 (E.D.N.Y. 2014).

Opinion

[394]*394MEMORANDUM & ORDER

NICHOLAS G. GARAUFIS, District Judge.

I. BACKGROUND

A. Charged Criminal Conduct

Defendant is charged by a twenty-three count indictment with leading a racketeering enterprise between approximately January 1998 and October 2010, responsible for the commission of murder, attempted murder, robbery, extortion, assault, and narcotics trafficking. (Superseding Indictment (Dkt. 217).) The alleged criminal organization was comprised primarily of individuals residing in and around the Gowanus public housing developments in the Boerum Hill section of Brooklyn. (Id.)

Defendant is charged with participating in racketeering and racketeering conspiracy (Counts 1 and 2); conspiracy to distribute cocaine base (Count 3); unlawful firearms possession in furtherance of narcotics conspiracy (Count 4); the murder of Frederick Brooks (Counts 5-8); robbery of narcotics and narcotics proceeds (Count 9); unlawful firearm possession in furtherance of robbery (Count 10); conspiracy to distribute heroin (Count 11); the murder of Richard Russo (Counts 12-15); the attempted murder of John Doe #4 (Count 16); the conspiracy to murder and murder of Victor Zapata (Counts 17-21); and two counts of possession of a firearm (Counts 22-23). (Superseding Indictment.)

B. Procedural History

On August 23, 2013, the Government moved for an anonymous and semi-sequestered jury. (Gov’t Mem. in Supp. of Mot. for Anon. Jury (“Gov’t Jury Mot.”) (Dkt. 362).)

By written motion dated November 5, 2013, Defendant made an Omnibus PreTrial Motion, seeking to suppress a body armor vest seized from his person and seeking discovery of a variety of information from the Government. (See Def. Mot. (Dkt. 378).) On January 3, 2014, Defendant also moved to suppress historical cell-site information obtained pursuant to a court order. (See Def. Mot. (“Def. Cell-Site Mot.”) (Dkt. 386-1).)

The court heard oral arguments on these three motions on February 14, 2014. The court granted the Government’s Motion for an Anonymous and Partially Sequestered Jury, ordered that an evidentia-ry hearing will be held on Defendant’s motion to suppress the body armor, and reserved decision on Defendant’s motion to suppress historical cell-site data. (See Feb. 14, 2014, Min. Entry.) This Memorandum and Order sets forth the court’s reasoning in connection with the Government’s Motion for an Anonymous and Partially Sequestered Jury and addresses Defendant’s Motion to Suppress Historical Cell-Site Information.

II. ANONYMOUS AND SEMI-SEQUESTERED JURY

A. Relevant Facts

1. Defendant’s Organized Crime Contacts

Defendant is allegedly the leader of a gang comprised of individuals from the Gowanus Houses, including members of the “Murderous Mad Dogs” faction of the Bloods. (Gov’t Jury Mot. at 3.) The gang has been linked to violence and distribution of narcotics in and around the Gowan-us Houses. (Id.)

2. Prior Witness Intimidation

In 2001, Defendant was tried in New York State Criminal Court for the murder of Frederick Brooks. (Gov’t Jury Mot. at 6.) This alleged murder is charged as Counts Five and Six in the Superseding Indictment in the instant case. (See Su[395]*395perseding Indictment (Dkt. 217) at 11-12.) On the day of the murder, two eyewitnesses gave recorded statements to the Assistant District Attorney, reporting having seen Defendant shoot Brooks in the head in the lobby of a building. (Gov’t Jury Mot. at 6-7.) Both witnesses later identified Defendant as the shooter in a police lineup and during testimony before a grand jury. (Id. at 7.) Later the witnesses refused to testify at Defendant’s trial, and during material witness proceedings, they recanted their prior statements and stated that Defendant and his associates had threatened them. (Id.) The state court found that Defendant had procured the unavailability of the witnesses and permitted the prosecution to introduce the witnesses’ prior statements. (Id. at 7-8.) Defendant was subsequently acquitted of the murder. (Id. at 5.)

3. Local Celebrity

In 2008, Defendant began to distinguish himself as a rap artist under the name “Ra Diggs.” (Id. at 8.) He has produced songs and music videos, including some with better known rappers Waka Flocka Flame and Uncle Murda. (Id.) Defendant has also posted multiple videos online, garnering hundreds of thousands of views. (Id.)

This case has also attracted news coverage in major news outlets and blogs such as the Neiu York Times, CBS News, the New York Post, the Neto York Daily News, the Huffington Post, Gawk-er, and the Village Voice. (Id. at 9.) Media attention has focused on Defendant’s 2010 indictment on drug charges, his 2012 indictment on murder charges, and the discovery of a cell phone in his solitary confinement cell. (Id. at 9-10.) Due to Defendant’s local celebrity, the Government anticipates that the trial will attract substantial public and media attention. (Id.)

B. Government’s Motion for an Anonymous Jury

The Government has filed a Motion for an Anonymous and Partially Sequestered Jury, requesting:

that the names, addresses, and workplaces of members of both the veni-re and petit juries not be revealed; [2] that the jurors be kept together during recesses and taken to or provided lunch as a group each day during trial; and [3] that [the jurors] be escorted to and from the courthouse each day during trial in a manner to be arranged by the United States Marshals Service.

(Id. at 23.)

1. Legal Standard

Before empaneling an anonymous jury, a court should “(a) conelud[e] that there is strong reason to believe the jury needs protection, and (b) tak[e] reasonable precautions to minimize any prejudicial effects on the defendant and to ensure that his fundamental rights are protected.” United States v. Paccione, 949 F.2d 1183, 1192 (2d Cir.1991), cert. denied, 505 U.S. 1220, 112 S.Ct. 3029, 120 L.Ed.2d 900 (1992) (citations omitted). “Within these parameters, the decision whether or not to empanel an anonymous jury is left to the district court’s discretion.” Id.

a. Whether a Jury Needs Protection

Courts in this circuit have considered various factors to determine whether there is a “strong reason” to believe the jury needs protection: (1) the dangerousness of the defendant, (2) whether the defendant or his associates have engaged in past attempts to interfere with the judicial process, (3) whether the defendant has access to the means to harm the jury, and (4) whether the trial is likely to attract media attention and publicity. See United States v. Wilson, 493 F.Supp.2d 397, 398 [396]*396(E.D.N.Y.2006) (Garaufis, J.) (citing Paccione, 949 F.2d at 1192; United States v. Vario, 943 F.2d 236

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Bluebook (online)
2 F. Supp. 3d 391, 2014 WL 824291, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-herron-nyed-2014.