Jury Selection Ransacked

On Tuesday I unexpectedly attended the jury selection for my Dad. We weren't planning on going but we needed to deliver his clothes to the courthouse. It felt good to be there because for the first time in four years (about 58 months) I got to see my Dad in clothes, real clothes, like a member of society, a human being. Still, I was a nervous wreck. I haven't been at a court hearing for my Dad in I can't even remember how long and today the reality of trial hit me. But the process of the jury selection eased my mind.

Tuesday was the first time I have ever felt a sense of justice in regards to my Dad's case. It felt American. A jury selection of all ages, all colors, white collar, blue collar, men, women, a real representation of New York City. I saw people my age, a few kids wearing Yankee fitted hats and I thought they could easily be kids I went to school with. The jurors were smiling and everyone was interviewed by the judge. They all denied having any reason to not be a fair candidate for my Dad's trial. I heard the Judge remind the potential jurors that an indictment is simply a formal accusation, nothing more. He reminded them that they must have an open-mind in order to be on a jury. He reminded them that in America we believe in innocent until proven guilty; that my Dad and his co-defendant are in fact innocent unless proven otherwise. He reminded them that they can only be proven guilty if the jury believes that they have committed the crimes which they are charged with beyond any reasonable doubt. I had never heard the Judge profess such American ideas in court anytime before. The Judge, the government, and the defense worked together and chose the jurors: a just, American process. Everybody left court happy.

Following the jury selection, my Dad went back to Metropolitan Detention Center to find his cell completely ransacked. All of the Italian guys on his floor had their cells tossed too, coincidence? The lieutenants reminded the other guys that their cells were being raided because of Tommy Gioeli (a tactic to divide inmates). Today, they raided the entire floor and again reminded the rest of the inmates who to blame, “Tommy Gioeli.” Tommy Gioeli who speaks up for them on his blog and on the radio. Obviously a warning to the other inmates to keep their mouths shut and to resent my Dad for opening his.

His religious items were ripped up and thrown all over the floor, his clean clothing was thrown around the toilet bowl and shirts were stuffed inside the toilet bowl, his overhead light was broken, his cell was just completely overturned and his personal items destroyed. The intent of the raid was to steal his legal documents: timelines he created with his legal team, personal notes on witnesses, entire sections of tape that he has to review about an upcoming government witness. And that's the part he actually told me; he doesn't ever really tell us the full extent of the abuses because he does not want to upset us. Apparently MDC Lieutenants spent hours in and out of his cell all day. Who do you think orchestrated this raid? Six days before trial to steal his strategies, notes, thoughts. Last time his legal documents were robbed we were denied the right to view the video footage from MDC and boxes of his stuff just disappeared into thin air. The government denied any involvement before anyone even accused them of it.

When my Dad confronted the lieutenant about Tuesday’s raid, the lieutenant was caught off guard and said they raided his cell in search of the cell phone that he used to call the radio station. Meanwhile, MDC staff was well aware that my Dad was calling the radio station because they listen to every phone conversation. My Dad was also informed that the order to raid his cell did not come from MDC. I can only think of one organization that has authority over a federal prison. If the government is so confident in his guilt then why do they have to steal his trial strategies? Why do they have to try and break him? Why are they so afraid of his blog?

Who is going to enforce anti-bullying laws against government officials?

U.S. Attorney's Office, Federal Bureau of Investigations Organized Crime Unit, Metropolitan Detention Center: if you can't win cases without breaking the law, upholding justice and providing your opponents with humane treatment and a fair trial something is very wrong! All the power in the world, backed by the United States Government, the best nation in the world, and you still have to cheat to win. Shame on you! Go ahead, put in your motion to gag my father. I will be his voice and you can't gag me.

Sincerely,

Mattia Ann Gioeli

Check back tomorrow for follow-up posts from my sisters regarding Tuesday's raid