Frank Parlato is attending the U.S. v. Raniere trial today – and has provided a brief summary of this morning’s proceedings.
Trial Schedule
First and foremost is his update on the trial’s schedule.
Today will be a full day with the trial expected to adjourn around 5:00 PM.
Tomorrow will only have a morning session as the prosecution brings its presentation to a close.
THERE WILL BE NO PRESENTATION OFFERED BY THE DEFENSE!
Monday will be an off-day for the jury but will likely include a conference between the judge and the attorneys for both sides to review the judge’s charge to the jury.
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Closing Arguments
On Tuesday, both sides will present their closing arguments.
The prosecution will go first – and likely take up the entire morning session explaining why Keith Raniere should be found guilty on all seven charges he is facing.
Then, the defense will have its turn to explain why Keith Raniere should be found innocent on all seven charges he is facing.
And lastly, the prosecution will be given a brief period of time to rebut anything the defense has presented.
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Jury Charge
On Wednesday, Judge Nicholas G. Garaufis will provide the jury with his guidance and instructions as to how it should proceed in its deliberations.
Given that the current version of the jury charge document is 140 pages, that will likely take several hours.
And once Judge Garaufis has finished, the jury will head back to the jury room – and begin its deliberations.
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Timeframe For Verdict
It’s impossible to predict how long it will take a jury to reach a verdict – especially when, as in this case, there are multiple charges for it to consider.
But many courtroom veterans report that a disproportionate number of verdicts come in on Fridays.
So, it’s possible that Keith Raniere could be finding out his fate as soon as Friday, June 21st.
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Emiliano Salinas
The other noteworthy event that occurred today is the number of times that the name of Emiliano Salinas has come up during the testimony of an FBI Special Agent who has been involved in the investigation since it began in the Fall of 2017.
Salinas seems to have been heavily involved in the effort to obtain financial records – and other personal information – regarding NXIVM’s “enemies” and other people (e.g., judges and potential witnesses in NXIVM-related cases; NXIVM’s own attorneys; public officials; etc.).
It seems odd that so much information is being put on the record about Salinas – who, prior to all the bad publicity concerning NXIVM, was considered to be a likely Presidential candidate in Mexico.
Especially since most of his alleged criminal activities did not occur in the EDNY.
You don’t suppose…?
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