The court denied Mr. Soto's petition for temporary release and his request for a bail hearing, reasoning that despite the petitioner's heightened risk for contracting and suffering from COVID-19 due to his pre-existing medical conditions and the spread of Covid-19 in his facility, the seriousness of his current charges and his criminal history meant the petitioner would "pose a flight risk and a danger to his community if released on bail."
United States v. Soto, No. 19-cr-00903-KMW, Dkt. No. 31 (S.D.N.Y. June 22, 2020)
DETAILS
Decision
Date
6/22/2020
Practice Area
Criminal (Federal Charges)
Relief Requested
Release
Type of Court
Federal District Court
Location
New York
Type of Case
Individual
Case Characteristics
Parole or Probation Violations, Pre-Existing Health Conditions, Pretrial Detention [jail], Significant Criminal History
Release Granted
No
Compassionate Release Case
No
Case Tracking Number
1:19-cr-00903-KMW
MORE CASE INFORMATION
Court Name
S.D.N.Y.
Decision
Motion Denied
Place of Incarceration
Federal Detention Center [typically federal pretrial detention]
Previous criminal history includes "well over a dozen" past offenses, many of which were "minor drug possession offenses," as well as "convictions for criminally possessing a weapon and distributing narcotics."
Participating in conspiracy to traffic heroin; possessing a firearm in connection with drug trafficking; being a felon in possession of a firearm
COVID-19 in Jail Prison or Detention Center
Yes
Litigation Database
Crowdsourced legal documents from around the country related to COVID-19 and incarceration, organized, collected, and summarized for public defenders, litigators, and other advocates. Created and managed by Bronx Defenders, Columbia Law School’s Center for Institutional and Social Change, UCLA Law COVID-19 Behind Bars Data Project, and Zealous. Mostly federal court opinions, but now expanding to states and legal filings, declarations, and exhibits.
This resource is designed to help lawyers, advocates, researchers, journalists, and others interested in challenging, remedying, or drawing attention to the grave risk that Covid-19 poses to individuals who are detained.