🎶 2022-04-12 16:49:13 – Paris/France.
Man accused of killing Run-DMCs Jam Master Jay is now calling for the murder charges to be dismissed, arguing that the government violated his constitutional right to due process by waiting nearly two decades before “bringing him to justice.”
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In a motion filed Monday in federal court in New York, Karl Jordan, Jr. argued that the long wait - he was charged in 2020 for Jay's unsolved 2002 murder - means he won't be able to properly defend himself against the charges. For example, he says cell phone records that would support his alibi are no longer available.
“Karl Jordan, Jr. has due process rights that must be respected and enforced and dragging him into court and forcing him to defend himself against a murder that happened decades ago is neither fair nor fair,” Jordan’s attorneys wrote.
Jam Master Jay, real name Jason Mizell, was shot dead in his studio in Hollis, Queens on October 30, 2002. For nearly two decades the case remained unsolved, but in August 2020 federal prosecutors have charged Jordan and Ronald. Washington with the murder, claiming it was revenge for a failed cocaine deal.
But in Monday's motion, Jordan argued the government had evidence against Washington as far back as 2008, meaning it voluntarily waited years to bring charges in Jay's murder.
"This is not a cold case where the government has just identified the perpetrator of an ancient crime," his lawyers wrote. “Instead, this is a case where the government unfairly delayed the timing of its charging decision in reckless disregard of Mr. Jordan's rights. »
Such delays can be considered a violation of due process if they impair a defendant's ability to defend themselves, since witnesses and evidence may no longer exist. But the government can say it had valid reasons to delay the indictment. A spokesperson for federal prosecutors working on the case did not return a request for comment.
In the same motion, Jordan also requested that his case be severed from Washington's, arguing that statements he made about the shooting could be used against Jordan at trial.
Run DMC, a trio consisting of Jam Master Jay, Joseph “Rev. Run” Simmons, Darryl “DMC” McDaniels, is widely recognized as one of the most influential early artists in hip-hop history. The 1985 album King of Rock was hip-hop's first platinum album, and the band's 1986 cover of Aerosmith's "Walk This Way" reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Jay's shocking murder in 2002 had long been a famous cold case. Although witnesses were in the room when the murder occurred and police generated a number of leads, no charges were filed until August 2020, when prosecutors finally released the case against Washington. and Jordan.
“The defendants allegedly committed the cold-blooded murder of Jason Mizell, a brazen act that finally caught up with them thanks to the dedicated detectives, agents and prosecutors who never gave up on this case,” prosecutors said at the time.
According to prosecutors, Washington and Jordan broke into Jay's studio on the night of October 30, 2002. Washington allegedly initially pointed a gun at another individual in the studio; as he did so, Jordan reportedly fired two shots, one of which struck Jay in the head at close range, killing him almost instantly.
The motive for the murder was allegedly a drug deal gone wrong. Prosecutors say Jay had arranged to purchase 10 kilograms of cocaine, which would be distributed in Maryland by Washington, Jordan and others. When Jay backed out of the deal, prosecutors say, the two decided to kill him.
A trial is scheduled for February 2023.
SOURCE: Reviews News
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