Drug defendant to get two lawyers for retrial
Hugh Stevens, a local harness racer accused of moving drugs for a major narcotics ring, will get a new trial, with jury selection beginning Sept. 8 in U. S. District Court.
Taxpayers will pay for two court-appointed attorneys to defend the 63-year-old Derby man.
U. S. District Judge William
M. Skretny said he approved the appointment of two attorneys because of the complexity of the case and because Angelo Musitano, Stevens’ main court-appointed attorney, has had health problems.
Federal law allows the appointment of more than one attorney in “an extremely difficult case” and when the defendant cannot afford to hire a lawyer, Skretny explained during a Monday court appearance.
Assistant U. S. Attorney Thomas S. Duszkiewicz opposed the appointment of a second attorney, arguing that the additional expense was unwarranted. The attorney, who will assist Musitano, has not yet been named.
Court-appointed lawyers for indigent defendants — known in the federal courts as Criminal Justice Act attorneys—are paid $110 an hour for their work on a case, inside and outside the courtroom.
A well-known horse owner, trainer and driver, Stevens was arrested in 2004 after a lengthy investigation by the U. S. Drug Enforcement Administration. Federal agents accused him of using horse trailers to transport the ingredients for methamphetamine for a drug ring with connections to Canada and Mexico.
Stevens went on trial last September, but the proceedings were aborted when Musitano suffered a heart attack in the courthouse. Musitano has since had successful bypass surgery and is back at work.
Sandra Jacobi Stevens, Stevens’ wife, who also is known as Sandra Jacobi, was convicted of drug smuggling and two counts of conspiracy. She awaits sentencing.
Federal prosecutors also are pursuing a $1 million forfeiture case against Sandra Jacobi Stevens, 52, of Derby, who has been identified in court papers as part-owner of a Lackawanna restaurant.
Stevens — who has contributed to delays in the trial by changing lawyers several times — has been in jail since his arrest.
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