Time moved slowly this morning at the Richmond County Supreme Court when activists, family and supporters waited in the second floor courtroom for the Ramsey Orta proceeding that was scheduled for 9am and did not get underway until at least ten. When the lawyers, the judge, Ramsey and his brother, Michael Batista were brought into the courtroom, the lawyers, approximately eight in total, converged around the judges bench for a few words.

Ramsey and his brother, looking back at the people who showed up for them filled the available benches, maybe 30 all together. Ramsey Orta mouthed to his aunt, “Where’s my mother?” who was on her way via the Staten Island ferry. The proceeding took all of ten minutes, if that long, for the defense attorney, Kenneth M. Perry to inform the judge his firm was taking over the case and for the DA prosecuting attorney to come to a conclusion over a video of a supposed drug interaction of Ramsey Orta and an undercover cop.

Ken Perry said the video was altered and he needed to see the unaltered version. The prosecution said only the voice of the undercover cops was altered for his safety. After another few minutes a new court date was set and the court was dismissed until May the 28th.

Outside the courthouse, Defense attorney Ken Perry spoke to the press briefly that the video is totally inaudible and does not show who is in it or even any type of drug interaction. He said the video shows only the part the prosecution wants to show. Mr. Perry went on to talk about DNA results that the prosecution wants to say are Ramsey Orta’s that are not. “The D.A. is trying to poison the well”.

William R. Aronin, the partner of Ken Perry spoke up next about prioritizing the release of Ramsey Orta by coming up with the bail money and referring the public to their Go Fund Me page to help raise the $16,250 bond.

I asked about the case of poisoning at Rikers Island of 19 inmates who ingested rat poison in Ramsey Orta’s area. The only reason Ramsey was not poisoned was because he feared for his life and has refused to eat anything except ‘food’ from vending machines. A lawsuit has been filed on behalf of the 19 inmates who were poisoned in Federal court.

The attorneys “make no allegations towards Riker’s Island” about poisoning inmates. Danette Chavis does, however. Danette is an activist against police brutality who lost her son to police and is a supporter of Ramsey Orta and his family. She went on to say that it was Riker’s own medical facility that determined it was rat poison in the food.

Please see video footage at Catherine Watters’ YouTube:

Photos by Cat Watters: