United States v. Paulino
United States v. Paulino
Opinion of the Court
*603Honoring the presumption of innocence is often difficult; sometimes we must pay substantial social costs as a result of our commitment to the values we espouse. But at the end of the day the presumption of innocence protects the innocent; the shortcuts we take with those whom we believe to be guilty injure only those wrongfully accused and, ultimately, ourselves.
Throughout the world today there are men, women, and children interned indefinitely, awaiting trials which may never come or which may be a mockery of the word, because their governments believe them to be "dangerous." Our Constitution, whose construction began two centuries ago, can shelter us forever from the evils of such unchecked power. Over 200 years it has slowly, through our efforts, grown more durable, more expansive, and more just. But it cannot protect us if we lack the courage, and the self-restraint, to protect ourselves.
- Justice Thurgood Marshall, dissenting in United States v. Salerno ,481 U.S. 739 , 767,107 S.Ct. 2095 ,95 L.Ed.2d 697 (1987), joined by Justice William J. Brennan Jr.
INTRODUCTION
No deep reading of history books is necessary to know that widespread pretrial detention is a relatively recent development in American law. A district judge's consideration of a defendant's danger to the community in deciding whether to set bail is a similarly new innovation. Indeed, because, dating back to the English common law until just a few decades ago, pretrial detention was limited to the question of whether the Defendant would return to court, orders of detention were exceedingly rare.
A more common thread over time, however, is that, both historically and under our current system, the Government has always borne the burden of persuading the Court that pretrial detention is necessary. Within our current federal system, the Court can immure a pre-trial defendant if the Government proves that the defendant presents a risk of flight or a danger to the community. Under risk of flight, the Government must prove, by a preponderance of the evidence, both that a defendant presents a risk of flight if not detained and that there are no conditions which will reasonably assure the defendant's presence if she is released. Under dangerousness, the Government must prove, by clear and convincing evidence, not only a defendant's potential danger to the community, but also that no conditions can reasonably assure the safety of any other person and the community. This quite meaningful showing will only apply to a limited number of individuals. This onerous standard also reflects an acknowledgment that as Justice Marshall opined, a defendant's interest in maintaining her liberty before trial is paramount, and an essential component of protecting the presumption of innocence. Due to the tremendous stakes involved, an assessment of whether an individual must be detained before trial must be conducted on a case-by-case basis.
Synthesizing these essential principles, the obvious conclusion is that courts *604must be vigilant not to unduly rely upon a proffer of a set of accusations and weighty evidence in support thereof to substantiate an order of pretrial detention. After all, in this District, among many others, such a strong proffer is typical. Rather, a careful balancing of all of the relevant factors is essential to ensuring that not even one defendant is unnecessarily deprived of her interest in liberty pending trial, all while protecting the community at large, and, by extension, ensuring the integrity of and respect for the criminal system.
On June 25, 2018, I heard the Government's appeal of the duty magistrate's decision to grant bail to Ramon Paulino, the sole defendant in this matter ("Paulino" or "Defendant"). Although I concluded that the Government had not met its burden in this case, I do not take these allegations lightly. They involve the Defendant and fellow gang members assaulting a minor on the side of a highway in broad daylight. It goes without saying that these activities are dangerous. What the Government has failed to provide, however, is sufficient evidence demonstrating that there are no conditions, such as home incarceration and electronic monitoring, that will reasonably assure the safety of the community. They further failed to demonstrate, for reasons set forth herein, that conditions could not be put in place mitigating any flight risk he presented.
Following my decision, the Government took another appeal to the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. On July 30, 2018, the Circuit remanded the case with instruction to elaborate on my rationale for granting bail. This memorandum opinion now expands upon my earlier ruling.
BACKGROUND
A. The Charges
This case arises out of a multi-year, ongoing investigation in this District of a gang known as the "Trinitarios," operating in the New York City area and elsewhere and comprised primarily of males of Dominican descent. Complaint ("Compl.") ¶ 6. The Trinitarios have certain measures to ensure the loyalty of their membership, Compl. ¶¶ 8a-8d, and have rivalries with other gangs in the New York area. Compl. ¶ 8e. Their ongoing rivalry with the "Bloods" gang has resulted in fights both in prison and on the streets. Compl. ¶ 8e. Many members of the Trinitarios sell narcotics in the area and smuggle drugs into prisons. Compl. ¶ 8f.
On June 18, 2018, a passenger in a car travelling near the East Gun Hill Road Exit of the Bronx River Parkway in the Bronx, New York observed, and produced video footage of, approximately twelve individuals, among them Paulino, beating and stabbing a minor victim (the "Victim") during the day in the median strip of the multi-lane highway. Compl. ¶ 9; see Video of Incident. The Victim was a member of the "Grizzlies," a set of the "Bloods" gang. Compl. ¶ 13. As corroborated by the bystander's video and further photographs, an eyewitness identification via a photo array, as well as a confession later obtained from Paulino, Paulino lifted a piece of wooden debris over his head and slammed it downward two times in the vicinity of where the Victim was lying. Compl. ¶ 10, 15, 16; see Video at 00:02-00:06.
After several bystanders called 9-1-1, law enforcement officers responding to the scene observed a group of individuals, including Paulino, running away from the location of the assault. Compl. ¶ 14. The NYPD arrested Paulino and transported him to the precinct, where he was Mirandized , interviewed, then released. Compl. ¶¶ 14, 16. Paulino admitted that he was in a park adjacent to the location of the assault with various members of the Trinitarios, before they chased after the Victim and he followed. Compl. ¶ 16b. He admitted to witnessing the assault of the Victim, but he denied participating in it. Compl. ¶ 16a-c.
According to hospital personnel, the Victim was stabbed approximately thirteen to sixteen times, with stab wounds in his lung and kidney. Compl.¶ 11a. The Victim went into cardiac arrest on the way to the hospital, but was revived, and later received emergency surgery to address his wounds. Compl. ¶¶ 11b-c. Friends of the Victim later indicated that a high-ranking Trinitarios member had ordered a "hit" on the Victim on account of a dispute between the Victim's girlfriend and a female member of the Trinitarios. Compl. ¶ 12.
On or about June 21, 2018, Paulino was re-arrested, Mirandized , and agreed to be re-interviewed by investigators. Compl. ¶ 16. Paulino again denied having participated in the assault, but after being shown the bystander's video, he admitted his involvement, and that he was the one swinging the wooden debris near the Victim. Compl. ¶ 16c. Although initially denying membership in the Trinitarios, he later admitted it. Compl. ¶ 16d.
On June 22, 2018, the Government filed a criminal complaint charging Paulino with one count of assault with a deadly weapon in aid of racketeering (
B. Mr. Paulino's Personal Characteristics and Criminal History
Paulino was born in New York City and was 21 years old at the time of the offense. Pretrial Services Report at 2. He spent a significant portion of his childhood-from 1998 to 2009-in the Dominican Republic with his father, three paternal siblings, and other extended relatives.
Paulino reported no significant physical or mental health issues, other than asthma as a child.
Turning to the Defendant's criminal history, on June 10, 2014, at age 17, he was arrested in the Bronx for criminal mischief *606and possession of burglar tools.
On February 19, 2018, Paulino was arrested for, inter alia , second-degree menacing.
On April 26, 2016, the case was resolved upon a plea to disorderly conduct (a violation), with a sentence of a conditional discharge and an order of protection of an unspecified duration. Pretrial Services Report at 4. There is no indication that Paulino was charged with having violated the terms of his supervision as a result of this case.
C. Procedural History
On June 22, 2018, Defendant was presented before Magistrate Judge Pitman and a bail hearing was conducted. Following oral argument, Judge Pitman concluded that bail conditions could be set that would mitigate the risk of nonappearance and dangerousness to the community, though the latter was of greater concern. 6/22/18 Tr. at 28:4-10. The Court further reasoned that home incarceration enforced by a GPS system would, at the least, ensure that Paulino would not come in contact with the victim, as Judge Pitman had no reason by assume Paulino would cut the electronic bracelet off.
The Government appealed Judge Pitman's ruling to the Part 1 judge, and I heard oral argument on June 25, 2018 as part of my duties as the judge then assigned to Part 1. After that hearing, at which approximately one dozen family members were present, I determined that, considering the factors listed in
The Government further appealed the matter to the Court of Appeals for the *607Second Circuit. In an order dated July 30, 2018, the Circuit remanded this case for further consideration. See United States v. Paulino , No. 18-1901 (2d Cir. July 30, 2018) (Dkt. No. 42). In its decision, the Court acknowledged that, while ruling from the bench, I had stated that I had considered all of the relevant statutory factors, concluding that the Government had not carried its burden of proof.
DISCUSSION
A. Bail, Generally
Liberty before a criminal trial is, and has always been, the "norm." See United States v. Salerno ,
Early American practices were much the same. Hudson v. Parker ,
In 1944, Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 46 provided that the weight of the evidence against a defendant could be considered by a judge in assessing whether a defendant would appear. Id. This revision "opened the way for later, more expansive determinations of defendant's guilt before a jury trial." Id. The 1966 Federal Bail Reform Act took the next step. See Bail Reform Act of 1966, Pub. L. No. 89-465,
Thus, although not necessarily intended by the 1966 Act, consideration of whether a defendant presented a public safety risk nonetheless seeped into bail analyses during the period that followed. Clara Kalhous & John Meringolo, Bail Pending Trial: Changing Interpretations of the Bail Reform Act and the Importance of Bail from Defense Attorneys' Perspectives ,
This set the stage for the Bail Reform Act of 1984 ("BRA"), which "dramatically" altered the scope of federal bail provisions by including consideration of danger to the community as a relevant factor, and authorizing pretrial detention where "no condition or combination of conditions will reasonably assure the appearance of the person as required and the safety of any other person and the community." United States v. Chimurenga ,
*609The Supreme Court held that pretrial detention under the BRA on the grounds of likelihood of future dangerousness comported with the Eighth Amendment's prohibition of excessive bail as well as the Due Process Clause. Salerno ,
Indeed, as the Second Circuit once opined in the context of sentencing, "[i]n an age of staggering crime rates and an overburdened justice system, courts must continue to be cautious to avoid the appearance of dispensing assembly-line justice." United States v. Li ,
B. Applicable Legal Standards
1) Burdens of Proof
The BRA has been construed to require that a district judge conduct a de novo review of a magistrate's bail determination. E.g., United States v. Gotti ,
As noted above, the BRA permits a district court to order pretrial detention only if it concludes "that no condition or combination of conditions will reasonably assure the appearance of the person as required and the safety of any other person and the community."
Thus, to obtain an order of pretrial detention on the basis of dangerousness, the Government must demonstrate by clear and convincing evidence that a defendant poses a risk of danger to others, and that no conditions "will reasonably assure ... the safety of the community." Chimurenga ,
To detain a defendant as a risk of flight, a court must determine by a preponderance of the evidence that the defendant "presents a risk of flight if not detained," and that no set of conditions "reasonably will assure the presence of the defendant at trial if he is released."
*610Shakur ,
In making this determination, the Court considers the record before it in light of the factors enumerated in
Where a defendant is charged with certain enumerated offenses, a rebuttable presumption arises that no conditions can provide the requisite assurances. See
Here, however, it is undisputed that Defendant is not charged with an offense giving rise to the statutory presumption. See 6/25/18 Tr. at 2:13-16.
2) Adequacy of Conditions
The Second Circuit has had no shortage of opportunities to opine on the degree to which home incarceration and location monitoring can effectively mitigate a defendant's dangerousness or risk of flight. The first major case on the subject came shortly after the introduction of the BRA in United States v. Colombo ,
Subsequently, in United States v. Orena ,
*611
The court further explained that house arrest, electronic surveillance, and limiting interactions to immediate family would "elaborately replicate a detention facility without the confidence of security such a facility instills." Id. at 632 (quoting United States v. Gotti ,
Several subsequent Second Circuit cases have echoed the doubts of the Orena Court regarding these methods. See, e.g., Dono , 275 F. App'x at 37 (rejecting similar bail package that included promise that father, retired police officer, take "personal responsibility" for the defendant while released) (citing Orena ,
However, these cases, as well as Orena and Colombo , were all presumption cases. See Sabhnani , 493 F.3d at 77-78 (distinguishing Orena on this ground); see Dono , 275 F. App'x at 36-37 ; Mercedes ,
The Defendants appealed, and the Circuit vacated and remanded, concluding *612that the physical restrictions proposed by the parties-which included home confinement, electronic monitoring, 24-hour visual surveillance with on-side private security guards-were "extraordinary." Id. at 77, 79. In so reasoning, the Court of Appeals distinguished Orena in a number of ways beyond it having been a presumption case. Id. at 77-78. Notably, the visual surveillance and home monitoring was more extensive than the Orena conditions, thus "minimizing the risk of circumvention." Id. at 78 (citation omitted). That Defendants would pay all surveillance and security costs "avoid[ed] the drain on limited government resources discussed in Orena." Id. (citation omitted). And, the Government's having selected the private security firm to be hired by Defendants assured the competency and integrity of those methods. Id. Finally, the Court noted that, though both cases involved alleged violence, the circumstances were "not comparable" to the bloody crime war in Orena , because the Sabhnani Defendants limited their violence to two victims in their home, and the Government did not contend that the Sahbnani Defendants posed a "further threat" to those victims or others. Id. The Court thus held there was "no reason ... to think that the proposed conditions of home confinement cannot reasonably mitigate any concerns about defendants' risk of flight." Id.
C. Analysis
As the following individualized analysis reflects, the Government has failed to carry its burden of proving that no condition or combination of conditions will reasonably assure the appearance of the person as required and the safety of any other person and the community. The Court concludes that the conditions set by Judge Pitman are more than adequate to mitigate any concerns regarding dangerousness or risk of flight that might exist.
1) Dangerousness
As to the severity of the allegations, at argument, each side understandably staked out positions at opposite poles. But the reality is that this case likely falls somewhere closer to the tropics on a hypothetical globe of violent criminal conduct. Certainly, this is neither the worst case the U.S. Attorney's Office has ever seen (6/25/18 Tr. at 23:14-15), nor was it a schoolyard fight in which Paulino merely got in "two licks" (6/25/18 Tr. at 25:4-6). But, it is safe to say that this was a brutal and heinous attack, in which the Victim was so badly beaten and stabbed that he went into cardiac arrest, was left hospitalized, and required emergency surgery. It is a crime of violence, one which the law, and the Court, takes very seriously. See
Certainly, the evidence against Defendant appears to be weighty. The nature of the attack is corroborated by a cell-phone video starting mid-way through the attack up to its conclusion seconds later. See United States v. Dono ,
Paulino presents some danger to the community if he were simply released with no conditions. But the circumstances of the instant offense, and Paulino's specific role in it, as well as the lack of certain aggravating factors, are notable to the Court in assessing whether there are no conditions that would reasonably assure the safety of the community. The attack itself, while allegedly premeditated, does not appear to have been carried out with any measure of advance planning or sophistication on Paulino's part, or that of anyone involved. Cf. United States v. Morrison , No. 04-CR699 DRH,
Moreover, the Government has not presented any evidence suggesting that Paulino led this attack, or otherwise occupied a leadership position within the Trinitarios. Cf. United States v. Cirillo ,
Regarding Defendant's other personal characteristics, though he has a criminal history, it is not as substantial as one might expect for someone deemed so dangerous that pre-trial detention is mandated, consisting of one 2018 disorderly conduct conviction (a violation) and one 2015 conviction for possession of burglar's tools (a misdemeanor). Compare *614United States v. Vasconcellos ,
And, of course, this incident-Paulino's first arrest since 2015-does not amount to any pattern of illegal activity on his part leading up to the instant offense. Cf. United States v. Cicale , No. 06-CR-285 (NGG),
Also warranting discussion is Paulino's history on supervised release, which bears on dangerousness in the sense that "past behavior best predicts future behavior and whether the court can rely on a defendant's good faith promises[.]" United States v. Barnett , No. 5:03-CR-243 (NAM),
That Paulino committed the instant offense and the conduct underlying the menacing arrest while still on supervised release from his 2015 case does undercut his argument to a certain degree. However, Paulino, who appears to have otherwise adhered to his supervised release over the preceding three years, was not accused of violating his supervised release as a result of the menacing arrest. Though his record is not spotless, Paulino's failures on supervised release are neither numerous nor substantive enough to be indicative of not being able to meet the Court's demands. Cf.
*615United States v. Williams ,
Paulino reports no mental health issues. Though Paulino has self-reported weekly marijuana use, the Government has presented no evidence demonstrating a nexus between that drug use and the offense conduct, or other risky behavior. The Court thus concludes that it is unlikely that Defendant's personal use rises to the level of posing a public danger. See United States v. Arizaga , No. 16-CR-89 (LTS),
It appears that Paulino has resided in a suitable and stable residence with his mother for nearly a decade, and the Government has made no showing casting doubt on the quality of his living situation. Cf. Combs ,
Thus, while the Government has shown that Paulino presents some danger to the community, they have not proven by clear and convincing evidence that no conditions could be set that reasonably assure the safety of the community. The strict release requirements imposed by Judge Pitman, including, but not limited to, a $100,000 bond, home incarceration enforced by GPS monitoring, limited travel and surrender of all travel documents, reasonably assure the safety of the community.
Here, as in Sabhnani , there is no presumption, and thus the Government must bear the burden of demonstrating the inadequacy of home incarceration and electronic monitoring. And though this case differs from Sabhnani in a few obvious ways, the Government has similarly failed to demonstrate, with clear and convincing evidence, that the proposed home confinement and electronic monitoring would not "reasonably mitigate" any concerns that Defendant is a safety risk.
Although Sabhani was a risk of flight case, the violent conduct in this case, though certainly severe, is no more severe than that at issue in Sabhnani . The primary distinction is that Paulino is a member of the Trinitarios. However, Orena does not suggest, nor would the Court be justified in concluding, that gang membership alone renders these conditions ineffective. If anything, the Colombo - Orena line of cases reflects a unique concern with *616leaders of gangs, or at the least primary actors in gangs.
Expanding the Orena rule accordingly would have the effect of rendering any individual charged with an assault in aid of racketeering offense too dangerous for release under such conditions, which would constitute an abandonment not only of the presumption, set by Congress, in favor of release, but of the individualized inquiry required when considering conditions under the statute and relevant case law.
Indeed, the speculative nature of the Government's argument is all the more apparent when the record is reviewed holistically, assessing the danger that this particular defendant is suggested to present. See, e.g., United States v. Stewart , No. 10-CR-360A,
By communicating directly or through third persons, leaders of gangs under home-incarceration can still deploy others to carry out acts of violence. Home incarceration and electronic monitoring would thus be ineffective in keeping these leaders from commanding violence. Like a hungry, home-bound customer orders sushi while others gather the ingredients, prepare the meal, make the delivery, in a "beef" between rival gangs, the gang leader issues an edict while other gang members assemble the crew, grab the weapons, and mete out pain. Just as the sushi restaurant cannot make a delivery unless the customer places an order, so too gang members await permission and instructions from their leaders before engaging in targeted violent activity against other gangs. Paulino places no orders; he simply participates in a larger group delivering pain.
In addition, Paulino's activities with the gang do not involve solo acts of violence. His violently swinging wooden debris at the Victim is part of a brutal group-inflicted beating that involved multiple stabs, kicks, punches, and strikes. His acts are violent, yet not essential to inflicting harm. His actions don't require special access to weapons nor do they require particularized skill. This is entirely consistent with his early 2018 case. His actions are unnecessary; he is assuredly, easily replaceable. The evidence indicates that Paulino's value to the gang is not based on his ability to strategize, motivate, or communicate. As far as the gang is concerned, Paulino's greatest asset is his physical presence coupled with his physical strength. Depriving the Trinitarios of his physical presence renders his physical strength nugatory. Home incarceration and electronic monitoring accomplish this goal.
Any suggestion that the Trinitarios may seek him out, or vice versa, while under supervision of this nature, is highly dubious. Seemingly, a criminal enterprise would want nothing to do with a non-essential member being monitored by the Government, especially since he is a mere member, as opposed to a boss or supervisor. His presence near any member of the Trinitarios would bring unwanted attention from law enforcement with no real benefit to the gang. This assumes also that Paulino would want anything to do with them, as well, such that he would be willing to circumvent the watchful eyes of his family members, who are also proposed sureties. Cf. Dono ,
Indeed, though Defendant's two recent violent incidents appear to have resulted from a feud between gang rivals, there is no evidence that Paulino knows any of the victims personally or would, as the Government has suggested, attempt to retaliate against them. See 6/22/18 Tr. at 26:3-27:7. As to the menacing incident, it does not appear that Paulino violated the order of protection over the months that followed. As to the instant offense, in the two days while Defendant was at liberty between arrests, there is no indication that he attempted to reach the victim or his family. Nor are there allegations of threats of future harm to the victims or their families, as is often present in these cases. Cf. Dono ,
Finally, also of note is the degree to which electronic monitoring technology has progressed since the days of Colombo and Orena .
For the above-stated reasons, taken together, the Court need not merely rely on Paulino's good-faith promises that he will comply with conditions, Orena ,
2) Risk of Flight
The Court reaches a similar conclusion as to risk of flight. Although Paulino spent no insignificant amount of time in the Dominican Republic during his childhood, it reasonably appears that New York City is his home and that he intends to stay here. He is an American citizen and the bulk of his family members are here, or in other nearby states. Although not currently employed, Paulino is recently employed. In addition, Paulino is expecting a newborn child in October, a significant incentive not to flee. See United States v. Friedman ,
Moreover, while the record is not perfectly clear as to Paulino's finances, counsel was appointed for him as an indigent defendant. It is thus unlikely that Defendant would even have the means to obtain a passport and/or flee the country, but the Court notes that the Dominican Republic has what appears to be a strong extradition treaty with the United States. See
*619To be sure, as the Government noted (6/25/18 Tr. at 22:16-23:2), Paulino is facing a much more substantial sentence than he has ever before,
As to that showing, the relevant plus factors typically suggestive of a detention-worthy risk of flight are not present here. The Government emphasizes the Defendant's past bench warrants and his probation status when arrested here. However, for many of the reasons discussed above, the Court is not persuaded that this conduct is sufficiently predictive of whether he would violate conditions imposed in this case by fleeing. Notably, Defendant was released, albeit for only approximately forty-eight hours (6/25/18 Tr. at 31:23-25), between his first arrest and interview and his arrest on the charges presented here, and thus, despite anticipating possible charges, made no efforts to flee. See, e.g., Friedman ,
To be sure, reasonable minds may differ about the degree to which such a calculus changes for a defendant once he faces actual charges. See, e.g., United States v. Khusanov ,
Moreover, the conditions set by Judge Pitman reasonably assure that Defendant will not flee. When I probed the Government on the adequacy of home incarceration and electronic monitoring at oral argument, counsel rightly pointed to Paulino's prior difficulties complying with supervised release. 6/25/18 Tr. at 23:14-24:3, 33:3-23. The problem with this argument, however, is that, even putting aside the lack of a meaningful and consistent pattern of Defendant's non-compliance, his prior failures to appear in court and committing an offense while on supervised release are one thing; evading home confinement and electronic monitoring to affirmatively flee, is another.
As discussed supra , electronic monitoring technology has progressed since the Colombo - Orena era, and absolute certainty of their efficacy is not required, only a "reasonable assurance...." See Alston ,
Thus, because the Government's arguments are founded upon layers of speculation regarding Paulino's inability to comply with Judge Pitman's conditions, the Court concludes that the Government has not met its burden.
CONCLUSION
For the above-stated reasons, the Court adheres to its original determination that the Government has failed to adequately demonstrate that no conditions would reasonably assure that Defendant appears in court and reasonably assure the safety of the community. The conditions set by Judge Pitman are more than adequate in *621light of the record before the Court. As such, the Government's appeal of Judge Pitman's bail determination is denied.
Defendant's release is stayed for an additional three business days following the issuance of this order, so that the Government may, if it so chooses, restore the matter to the active docket of the Second Circuit by letter, and pursue a further stay.
SO ORDERED.
The Complaint alleges that Paulino used a "large log" to assail the Victim, but also suggests that an eyewitness described it as a "tree branch." Compl. ¶¶ 10, 15. However, based on what the video depicts of the weapon and the rapid motion in which Paulino downwardly swings it, it is far more plausible that the weapon was something lighter than a log, such as a branch or a piece of wooden debris that might commonly be found on the shoulder of a well-trafficked transit route, such as a piece of broken railroad track.
Upon remand, the parties each submitted additional letter briefing regarding the issues that the Circuit raised in its decision. However, in accordance with the directive to "elaborate on [the] rationale" of my June 25, 2018 decision to grant bail, this opinion is limited to the arguments raised and matters that I considered in conjunction with that decision. In any event, even if I were to consider the parties' supplemental submissions, they would not alter this decision.
As an aside, it is worth noting that bench warrants are issued so frequently (nearly 4 in 10 people who receive criminal summonses fail to appear in court) that, this last year, the City of New York has implemented a program of sending text reminders to defendants regarding their court dates and the consequence of failures to appear. Press Release, City of New York, New Text Message Reminders for Summons Recipients Improves Attendance in Court and Dramatically Cuts Warrants (Jan. 24, 2018), available at https://wwwl.nyc.gov/office-of-the-mayor/news/058-18/new-text-message-reminders-summons-recipients-improves-attendance-court-dramatically [Permanent Link: goo.gl/wb9oVG]. This system has been found to decrease rates of failure-to-appear in court by 36 percent, preventing thousands of warrants each year.
Though the Government may suggest that Paulino's family members were previously inadequate to deter him from criminal conduct, the circumstances have now drastically changed. Moreover, such an argument would be applicable to any criminal defendant seeking home incarceration in the same setting in which they resided prior to their arrest. The Court is not prepared to reject the concept of home incarceration in such a wholesale manner.
A radio frequency ("RF") bracelet is the more conventional "ankle bracelet" that has been used over time. See United States v. Gambino ,
Though the Second Circuit's remand order appears to seek clarification primarily as to dangerousness, the Court nonetheless states its rationale as to risk of flight out of the abundance of caution.
It is no secret that life is exceptionally difficult for deportees (which Paulino is not) to the Dominican Republic on account of criminal conduct. See Charles R. Venator Santiago, Deporting Dominicans: Some Preliminary Findings ,
At oral argument, the Government indicated that, upon "reevaluation of the evidence," there was "sufficient evidence to show that the offense could have qualified for first-degree murder," which would result in a higher Guidelines calculation of 235 to 293 months' incarceration. 6/25/18 Tr. at 11:24-12:23.
Notably, as discussed further above, in each of his last two arrests, Paulino appears to have been the only one arrested among the members of the groups. In the menacing incident earlier this year, Paulino was left to flail his body as officers arrested him. While this unproven allegation certainly suggests a disrespect of law enforcement, his repeatedly being left behind demonstrates a certain lack of sophistication.
The Court pauses to note that some courts in this Circuit-though not all-have sanctioned the possibility of releasing defendants who are financially able to replicate a private jail at their own expense See, e.g., United States v. Dreier ,
Reference
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