Momeni judge blasts defense attorneys for failure to follow court rules
The judge overseeing the trial of Nima Momeni lambasted defense attorneys for failing to follow court rules at an emergency hearing today at San Francisco’s Hall of Justice.
“An issue has arisen and I want to make sure it is addressed promptly,” said Judge Alexandra Robert Gordon this morning in Department 28. Momeni – accused of murdering Cash App founder Bob Lee last year – sat on his own in court as all attorneys appeared by videoconference.
“I noted that the defense’s motions were not in our ‘C-Track’ system and I had concerns about whether they were filed,” said the judge.
“Room 101 has absolutely no record of any filing.”
After a scheduled hearing on September 18, said the judge, it transpired that ‘courtesy copies’ that Momeni’s attorneys had been emailing to her directly had not then been filed on the public docket – including a trial brief and motions in limine.
“As I am sure you are all aware…emailing a courtesy copy is not the same as filing your documents,” said the judge.
“I was going to ask you what happened but, to be perfectly honest, I’m not interested in the answer.”
The court ordered the defense to properly file all of their case documents by 12 noon today. A defense request to give them until 2:30pm was roundly rejected by Gordon who pointed out that she had emailed attorneys yesterday afternoon broaching the issue and they did not reply.
The judge noted the considerable lengths she had gone to to figure out what had gone on and called the episode “an absolute waste of my time.”
“This won’t happen again,” said the judge. “Follow the rules. Do things the right way.”
“This is unacceptable,” said Momeni Attorney Saam Zangeneh, “This is not how we practice. There is no excuse for this.”
“We are going to rectify this promptly,” he told the judge.
Momeni began to apologize for his attorneys’ oversights, before Gordon cut him off and took pains to say that issues she had with his lawyers would have no effect on him
“I do not want you to worry at all,” she assured him. “this is not on you.”
Momeni will next appear in court on September 23.
The case continues.
