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With 1 Virtual Juror Iranian Banker Ali Sadr Found Guilty On Most Counts in SDNY Trial

By Matthew Russell Lee, Thread, Patreon Song

SDNY COURTHOUSE, March 16 – Iranian banker Ali Sadr Hashemi Nejad has been on trial, charged with money laundering and violating US sanctions including through a Venezuelan infrastructure project.


On March 16, after an unprecedented decision to proceed with ten jurors in the jury room and an eleventh at home, deliberating by video conference or FaceTime, he was found guilty on most charges. Live tweeted thread here:

Judge Nathan: "The jury has reached a verdict.... The juror on video conference will stay on until he hears from me further." Jury entering! Judge Nathan: "I'll ask the foreperson. Has the jury asked a unanimous verdict?" Yes.

 Judge Nathan: Count 1, how do you find the defendant, with conspiring to defraud the US? Guilty. Count 2: Guilty.

Judge Nathan (after sidebar) "On Count 3, bank fraud, how do you find? Guilty. Under 1344, prong 1, neither (?) Count 4: bank fraud conspiracy:  Under 1344, prong 1, neither (?) Under 1344, prong 2, guilty

Judge Nathan: Count 5: Guilty. Count 6, money laundering conspiracy: Not guilty. Now polling jurors: one? 2? [soon the virtual juror] Let me confirm the verdict with Juror Number 7... I have confirmed it is his verdict. I will dismiss the jury.

  After Judge Nathan had declined to sent Sadr to jail pending sentencing but instead converted him to home detention, Inner City Press rushed out to do a Periscope video live stream (here) and try to ask Sadr a question. His lawyers left in a yellow cab, then he left. Inner City Press asked, Are you going to appeal? He answered softly, Of course. Then he too got in a yellow cab. More on Patreon here.

  On March 16 amid the Coronavirus COVID-19 crisis, jury deliberations ran into a problem. SDNY Judge Nathan proposed proceeding with ten jurors in the jury room and one connected from outside by video.

 Assistant US Attorney Michael Krause objected. But Judge Nathan said there are extraordinary circumstances and she would proceed thusly.

 Judge Nathan then spoke to the remote (male) juror by video. He is at home with wife, child and child care worker. She told him, if and when they need his attention, all deliberations must cease.

  Inner City Press learned, with gratitude, that the juror said while he has Zoom and WhatsApp, he'd use FaceTime. He did not say he has been tested positive for COVID-19, only that he felt sick and stayed home out of an abundance of caution.

  Inner City Press live tweeted it all: thread here. More on Patreon here.

  In other SDNY and Coronavirus news, Inner City Press raised this issue of the virtual juror to none other than US Attorney for the SDNY Geoffrey S. Berman, who came to visit the Magistrates Court which Inner City Press closely covers. It was apparently to see if it was running smoothly. Inner City Press has heard of Saturday proceedings, and pleas referred down from Judge Swain. We'll have more on this.

   The SDNY US Attorney's Office has double standards on #Coronavirus: it wants the US v. Andrews trial to go forward, and wants other stopped. Defense lawyers say some AUSAs have asked to and are working from home.

Ali Sadr is represented by lawyer Reid Weingarten of Steptoe & Johnson and, on November 25 as reported by Inner City Press by Brian M. Heberlig before U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York Judge Alison J. Nathan.

  On Sunday, March 8 [alongside this song] the US Attorney Office which closed its case on March 9 past 9 pm submitted a letter, here.
The case is
US v. Nejad, 18-cr-00224 (Nathan).

***

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