By MICHAEL R. SISAK and LARRY NEUMEISTER, Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) — A federal judge on Monday nixed a former high-ranking Justice Department official’s attempt to join the team defending ex-Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s defense team, ruling that lawyer Bruce Fein had “no legal basis” to do so.
Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein had initially approved Fein’s application to join Maduro’s drug trafficking case but reversed course after the deposed leader’s actual lawyer, Barry Pollack, objected to his involvement.
Fein, an associate deputy attorney general during Ronald Reagan’s presidency, claimed in court papers that “individuals credibly situated” within Maduro’s inner circle or family had sought out his assistance. Fein claimed that Maduro “had expressed a desire” for his “assistance in this matter.”
But Hellerstein said in a written order that only Maduro has the authority to retain Fein as his lawyer, not unidentified individuals. He rejected Fein’s request for the judge to summon Maduro to court to ask him if he would like Fein added to the defense team.
“If Maduro wishes to retain Fein, he has the ability to do so,” Hellerstein wrote. “Fein cannot appoint himself to represent Maduro.”
Related Articles
Crowd yells ‘cowards!’ after federal agents crash into a car and fire tear gas in Minneapolis Judge is asked for emergency hearing after Congress members blocked from ICE facility in Minneapolis FBI: Suspect in Mississippi synagogue fire targeted house of worship because of its ‘Jewish ties’ The Trevor Project receives $45M from MacKenzie Scott after difficult years and federal funding cuts Meta names former Trump adviser Dina Powell McCormick as president and vice chairmanMessages seeking comment were left Monday for Fein and Pollack.
Pollack, a prominent Washington lawyer whose clients have included WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, was the only lawyer with Maduro at his Jan. 5 arraignment in Manhattan federal court, days after U.S. special forces seized Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, from their home in Caracas.
In court, Maduro called it a kidnapping and declared himself a prisoner of war. Pollack told Hellerstein he expected to make “substantial” court filings challenging the legality of his military abduction” and invoking immunity as the head of a sovereign state.
As Fein sought to join the case, Pollack said in a court filing last week that he’d spoken with Maduro and that the ex-leader confirmed to him that he doesn’t know Fein and has not communicated with him, much less retained him or authorized him to join the case.
Fein acknowledged in a written response that he’d had no contact with Maduro by telephone, video or any other direct way.
Maduro and Flores have pleaded not guilty to charges alleging he worked with drug cartels to facilitate the shipment of thousands of tons of cocaine into the U.S. They remain held without bail at a federal jail in Brooklyn and are due back in court on March 17.
Hence then, the article about judge rejects lawyer s disputed bid to join ex venezuelan president nicolas maduro s defense team was published today ( ) and is available on GreeleyTribune ( Saudi Arabia ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Judge rejects lawyer’s disputed bid to join ex-Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s defense team )
Also on site :