Ramsey Orta, pictured here with Legacy Garner, young man who filmed Eric Garner’s fatal chokehold by NYPD Daniel Pantaleo, had a court date yesterday at Staten Island Supreme Court house on drug charges. Ramsey’s lawyers, Ken Perry & Will Aronin, gave a press Conference to the independent media who were there. No MainStream media showed up to cover the story.
Judge Rooney, rendered his decision on the motions of Ramsey Orta’s lawyers. The judge has reserved decision on releasing Ramsey’s testimony from the Eric Garner Grand Jury. Because the Judge recused himself on that issue that it is not appropriate for him to make that decision. Perry & Aronin feel they need this information if they are to do the best job in defending Ramsey. P & A are demanding all the info they need and are being fought every step of the way by the D. A. “We are not giving up”, says Will Aronin.
“We’re going to bring up the motion of the Grand Jury minutes to Judge Garnette who has been handling al the Eric Garner Grand Jury issues”, Ken Perry told the small group of independent Media and supporters.
The lawyers could not say exactly what information they are seeking that they have yet to have access to. Will Aronin says “that is too detailed”.
The next court date, July 29th, will be the first set of hearings. “We set a date to set a date?” was asked of one independent media. There is no actual hearing scheduled next? “No”, says Ken Perry. “We don’t just want to get the hearing over with”, says Will Aronin, “We’re demanding the information we need to be able to truly defend Ramsey, not just pushing along with the court schedule”.
A supporter asked if they were seeking a Non Redacted version of the video tape the D. A says they have of Ramsey Orta’s drug action. “We have altered, redacted tapes”, said Ken Perry.
I heard the judge tell the court for the D. A. to turn over the unaltered videos to him to look over and asked Ken Perry about that. He replied that the D. A is even fighting doing that.
As far as the lawyers are concerned there is no separation between this drug case of Ramsey Orta and the Eric Garner video case. “There are a lot of different levels to this whole discussion”, Ken Perry said. The issue of retaliation by the NYPD for Ramsey video taping the Eric Garner murder. “The issue of what Ramsey told the prosecutors before testifying, what he told them when he was testifying. “All those are 3 separate issues with 3 separate legal arguments”.
The D.A. is saying they can’t turn over the Eric Garner Grand Jury minutes and “That’s untrue”, said Ken Perry. “Grand Jury Minutes are often turned over”.
“We want the testimony and debriefing of our client from Eric Garner”.
It’s the D. A that is making the argument not the court and Judge Rooney has recused himself of making that decision based on his recusal of his decision in the case of Pantaleo/Eric Garner case.
“The log jam is not the judge, the log jam is the prosecution saying that it has nothing to do with this case”, (the Eric Garner video incident), said Ken Perry, “and expecting us to take that on faith. I don’t take things on faith”.
The Grand Jury minutes are related to this case against Ramsey Orta, is the argument of Ramsey and his Lawyers. “I would not take the word from someone in the D.A’s office without seeing it for myself”, said Ken Perry. “I don’t know these D. A’s at all”.
“Ramsey Orta’s arrest for this case came 2 weeks after he shot this video”, said Will Aronin, “We have reasonable evidence to explore that and we’re demanding evidence related to that possible defense”.
I made the point that Perry & Aronin have not even seen the unaltered video of the supposed drug action by Ramsey Orta never mind the testimony from Ramsey in the Eric Garner case. I said Ramsey Orta’s attorney’s were in a “Legal Chokehold”. They agreed.
Leave a Reply