Add thelocalreport.in As A Trusted Source
A federal judge on Monday dismissed a former top official’s Ministry of Justice Officials trying to join the defense team defending former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro ruled lawyer Bruce Fein had “no legal basis” for doing so.
Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein initially approved Fein’s bid to join Maduro’s drug-trafficking case, but changed his position after the deposed leader’s de facto lawyer, Barry Pollack, objected to his involvement.
Fein, an assistant deputy attorney general under President Ronald Reagan, claimed in court documents that “credible individuals” in Maduro’s inner circle or family had sought his help. Fein claimed that Maduro “expressed a desire” for him to “help in this matter.”
But Hellerstein said in a written order that only Maduro has the authority to hire Fein as his lawyer, not an unidentified individual. He rejected Fein’s request for a judge to summon Maduro to the stand to ask if he wanted Fein to join his defense team.
“If Maduro wishes to retain Fein, he has the ability to do so,” Hellerstein wrote. “Fein cannot appoint himself to represent Maduro.”
Messages seeking comment were left Monday with Fein and Pollack.
pollack, famous washington Lawyer whose clients include the founder of WikiLeaks Julian AssangeHe was the only lawyer with Maduro during his trial on January 5. manhattan Days earlier, U.S. special forces captured Maduro and his wife, Celia 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 file “substantial” court documents challenging the legality of the military kidnapping and invoking immunity as a sovereign head of state.
When Fein sought to be added to the case, Pollack said in a court filing last week that he had spoken with Maduro, who confirmed to him that he did not know Fein and had not communicated with him, let alone retained him or authorized him to join the case.
Fein acknowledged in his written response that he had not contacted Maduro by phone, video or any other direct means.
Maduro and Flores have pleaded not guilty to charges accusing him of working with drug cartels to help move thousands of tons of cocaine into the United States. They remain being held without bail at the Brooklyn Federal Prison and are due to appear in court again on March 17.