Man
Speaking Farsi
Nears Closing
For Plot to
Import Drugs
from
Mozambique to
NYC
by
Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book
Substack
SDNY COURTHOUSE,
May 12 – Malek
Mohammad
Balouchzehi is
in trial for
conspiracy to
import
narcotics into
the US from
Mozambique and
elsewhere.
On May 11,
2023, U.S.
District Court
for the
Southern
District of
New York Judge
Jesse M.
Furman was
presiding over
the trial in
large
courtroom 318
in 40 Foley
Square. Inner
City Press
went and
covered
it.
Balouchzehi's
CJA counsel
from Quinn
Emanuel was
cross-examining
the
prosecution's
phone and
photo expert.
It was
established
that while
most photos
taken by a
phone were
stored in the
DCIM folder,
other defaults
can be
set.
Over
objections,
Defense
Exhibit 2C
came in - the
prosecutors
had already
introduced it.
Summations
should be
Monday, May
15.
On
May 12, the
charge
conference was
held. Inner
City Press was
there. The
defense wanted
out the
instruction
about absent
witnesses,
saying they
could not have
called the
Mozambique
undercover,
who was
anonymous. The
prosecution
said they
didn't try.
Judge Furman
to his credit
docketed the
draft charge -
and the jury
questionnaire,
which
included:
Some
of the
evidence in
this case may
concern events
that took
place at or
around the
following
locations: a.
Windsor Golf
Hotel &
Country Club
in Nairobi,
Kenya b. Baia
Mall in
Maputo,
Mozambique c.
Maputo
Shopping
Center in
Maputo,
Mozambique d.
Taverna Café
in Maputo,
Mozambique e.
The
Balochistan
region in
Iran,
Afghanistan,
and Pakistan
More
generally,
there may be
references in
this case to
Iran,
Afghanistan,
Mozambique,
and Kenya. Do
you have
familiarity
with any of
these
countries or
places that
would
interfere with
your ability
to be fair and
impartial in
this case and
to decide the
case based
only on the
evidence
presented in
court?
Closings
are May 15.
The
case is US v.
Balouchzehi,
21-cr-658
(Furman)
***
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