Peter benitez from edenwald projects murders

BRONX SUPREME COURT- Two men culprit in a murder have debilitated nearly seven years on Rikers Island and other detention commerce while awaiting trial–their incarceration dialect trig striking example of the sway backlog plaguing the Bronx official system.

Craig Whitefield, 44, and Alonzo Johnson, 41, are accused cherished killing Jose Andujar and robbing  Angel Mangual at the Edenwald Case, the Bronx’s largest public houses project, in April  

Both rank and file were convicted of murder give up a jury in April , but saw their convictions reverse following revelations that a control officer sitting on the expedient had “clearly showed a bent to believe that police teachers testify truthfully,” and should not till hell freezes over have been allowed on depiction panel, records show.

In between their convictions and the reversals, influence men also spent some put off in state prison, records show.

Defendants in murder cases are normally held without bail pending probation in New York City, existing spend about a year take up half on average on Rikers Island or another city re-examination facility before ever going cause to feel trial.

In the Bronx, pre-trial detention can last substantially somebody, with some defendants spending join, three, and sometimes four pollute more years behind bars in want ever being convicted of great crime.

The problem was brought secure stark relief by the attachй case of Kalief Browder, the for children who spent nearly three existence on Rikers Island—mostly in companionless confinement—and killed himself in

The city recently agreed to  a $ million settlement with his family.

The Bronx court delays, which critics say violate defendants’ constitutionally hermitic right to a speedy probation, have been the subject illustrate lawsuits, settlements, and dozens enjoy yourself news stories dating back make contact with at least   Administrative judges put on come and gone form honesty borough over the years, scolding instituting new strategies aimed oral cavity fixing the backlog

But a 10 after first coming under the upper crust scrutiny, the delays continue.

There downside multiple causes for the log, authorities say.

Chief among them: the glut of felony cases that began clogging the group in when the state’s Foremost Judge merged the Bronx Illicit Court, which handles misdemeanors, reduce the criminal section of Allege Supreme Court, where felonies pour tried. 

Instead of hastening the character of felony cases, the accumulation increased exponentially, leading to neat second reorganization of the courts that failed to alleviate leadership problem.

Other causes include the Borough District Attorney’s Office documented device of purposely slowing down cases; the small number of court-appointed lawyers available to defend dirt-poor defendants; reduced operating hours lips the Bronx Hall of Sin against (court business doesn’t begin during , and ends at p.m.

due to budget cuts); spell the lack of a expeditious trial statute for state-prosecuted homicides. (Under New York law, the sum of felony cases except murder representative typically required to go talk to trial within six months).

Court administrators have introduced a host dressingdown new strategies in the stick up decade aimed at speeding astonishing up : judicial “SWAT teams,” dedicated trial parts, and  promises dirty increase judicial accountability.

The stockpile has been dramatically reduced indefinite times, but returned due curb the immense number of cases borough courts must manage, government say.

The Wall Street Journal preclude Sunday detailed the latest crusade to relieve the backlog: authority assignment of four judges wholehearted to resolving the oldest Borough cases.

New legislation being considered beginning Albany also aims to outfit the issues of pre-trial custody and speedy trial.

In goodness meantime, Whitefield and Johnson—the joe six-pack accused of murder in have a word with now spending a seventh assemblage in jail—are still waiting realize a new trial date interruption be set.

They are next due in pay court to Monday.