As was suggested in an earlier post today, Judge Nicholas G. Garaufis has postponed the start of the trial in the case of the U.S. v. Raniere Et Al by one week rather than the two weeks that the government had requested.
The trial will now start on Tuesday, May 7th.
The attorneys for Keith Raniere filed a letter in opposition to the prosecution’s request; Clare Bronfman’s attorneys consented to a 1-week delay; and Kathy Russell’s attorneys did not object to it.
Some courtroom observers and criminal defense attorneys interpreted the filings by Raniere and Bronfman as an indication that they are not interested in pursuing any sort of plea deal.
Others thought it was simply an indication that their attorneys wanted to put the prosecution in the position of having to go to trial sooner than it prefers – which might give Raniere and Bronfman more leverage in any plea deal negotiations.
At this point, I’ll stand by my earlier predictions as to who will end up taking a plea deal:
• Kathy Russell: 99%
• Clare Bronfman: 60%
• Keith Raniere: 10%
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Judge Garaufis also set the following dates for the remainder of the pre-trial activities (These dates can only be adjusted if the requesting party can show “good cause” for doing so):
• The parties must seek review of Magistrate Judge Vera M. Scanlon’s privilege rulings by no later than April 17th;
• Motions in limine are due by no later than April 19th, with responses due by no later than April 26th (These are motions by which one party will try to limit the evidence that can be introduced by the other party during the trial);
• The jury selection process will begin on April 22nd (The 12 jurors will be selected from the pool of 500 potential jurors that filled-out jury questionnaires earlier this week); and
• The government and defense trial exhibits are due by no later than April 30th.
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Judge Garaufis is expected to issue a ruling tomorrow on Kathy Russell’s pending Motion To Dismiss. As previously noted, my expectation is that he will deny that motion.
Judge Garaufis is also expected to issue rulings in the next few days on several other pending motions – including the ones that have been filed by Bronfman and Russell to sever their trials from Raniere’s (There is zero chance of those motions being granted).
Once the judge has issued his rulings, the pressure will increase on both sides to get a plea deal done for Kathy Russell.
At the end of the day, the prosecution really has no interest in locking her up for an extended period of time – and she’ll simply be a distraction in its showdown with Raniere and Bronfman.
The only thing that could prevent a plea deal for Kathy is her stubborn refusal to be disloyal to Raniere in any way, shape or form.
Hopefully, for her sake, her attorneys will be able to prevent her from making the same kind of stupid decisions that resulted in her getting involved in NXIVM in the first place (They did on their above-referenced letter that they were still in plea deal discussions with the prosecution).
*****
At long last, the final chapter of the takedown of Raniere and his evil empire is about to begin…
It’s about time!
Frank Parlato 
Janine Morrison 
J.J. O'Hara 
Richard Luthmann 
Marie White 
Paul Serran
Please leave a comment: Your opinion is important to us!
When that photoshoot was taken, did they get an undertaker to apply their makeup? KR particularly looks like corpse with his overdone makeup. There’s something seriously creepy about that picture.
Nope. [Name Redacted] owner of [Name Redacted] in Saratoga Springs, NY did it in Mexico.
Here is an outline of my theory of Bronfman’s ideal legal strategy, based in part on what worked to get mobsters of her grandfather’s and more recent generations off, and also Scientology’s spare-no-expense tactics:
* Fight for an acquittal or mistrial (including dirty tricks like jury tampering as necessary), or to get the feds to make enough mistakes to provide a multitude of issues for appeal; drag out freedom out on bond as long as possible
** If a mistrial is declared, rinse and repeat
** If convicted, aggressively demand a seemingly rigorous, no-expenses-spared house arrest during appeal
* Fight for an overturn on appeal, on as many issues as possible, taking one or more to the Supreme Court
** If no overturn on appeal after a few years of ongoing challenges, or if possibly facing a retrial after an overturn without prejudice, push an exhausted NDNY, no longer under the spotlight of the by then long-ago original trial, to settle for a plea bargain of time already served under house arrest, i.e., no time ever spent actually behind bars
*** Optional: Like Patty Hearst, fall for a member of the privately hired house arrest security detail, and marry
KAR will rot in jail while clare will get house arrest at worst. And of course.
Not a bad article, Claviger.
But as usual, you’ve made at least one RETARDED prediction that has no hope of coming true.
Kathy Russell will NEVER make a plea deal WITHOUT CLARE AGREEING TO A PLEA DEAL FIRST.
Get a clue, you shithead. You ignoramus. You company boy.
Kathy will NEVER go against Clare Bear. You cake eater.
Kathy was seen kissing Clare in court the other day because Clare is her ‘everything’.
Clare is Kathy’s entire sense of self esteem.
Kathy’s future employment can only be had with Clare Bear.
Kathy has nothing left at this late stage in her life, except Clare Bear.
Only IF and WHEN Clare Bear makes a plea deal, Kathy will follow suit.
The fact that you don’t know this makes me understand why most of your former clients currently reside in the slammer and are likely getting their buttholes penetrated by Bubba.
Burn in hell Claviger. You company boy. You apple bobbing weenie.
I think it’s very probable Kathy will flip when the judge doesn’t dismiss her case. Time will tell.
You seem pretty sure of yourself… I do hope Kathy uses some of the brains she supposedly has and takes the plea… Clare won’t be in prison with her.
I understand if the prosecution gives a plea deal to Kathy and Clare…
….if the prosecution gives a plea deal of less than 20 years in prison to Raniere it would be an incredible miscarriage of justice.
After Jeffrey Epstein’s plea deal I have had serious doubts about the American Justice System.
niceguy, you pressed the manic buttons of the extreme masturbator who dwells in a mud hut…
https://mobile.twitter.com/SultanOfSix/status/1116456466288926723
He might forgive you if you send him a few jars of Vaseline and/or some halal goose fat.
That is not the real Sultan.
Govt is ready to try this case, just needed extra time to cross the ‘i’s and dot the ‘t’s.
If the govt wanted a plea (and was expecting one) they would stick to trial dates to pressure Defendants. But govt now realizes no more pleas are coming.
Govt just needs little bit more time to load magazines, oil weapons, check coordinates, check Comms, have drones on station…Time to Rock n Roll.
Ooof! Clarebear is in for a rude awakening when she finally figures out that those around her are sycophants and only like her for her $$$. Jury isn’t going to like Clare, her attitude, or her Kentucky Brit accent.
Oh man…Was it worth it Clare? Was it really worth it?
Are you finally ready to admit that Keith Raniere is just a flawed, evil man. A swindler, a fake Guru, a con man?
Are you really prepared to do 15 years in prison for your Messiah? The smelly, box-toed Child Molestor? The Albany Jesus.
The Feds need more time to go over evidence that hasn’t been approved to be used yet.
Good call, that the judge would pick a compromise 1 week delay.
As far as the privilege rulings, my understanding is that there are tens of thousands of pages of evidence whose privilege status was disputed by the defense. Does this mean that everything will at least have been turned over for review by April 17, and is there adequate time for any further review, and then for the prosecution to adequately assess whatever does get turned over to them? I’m guessing that the defense is both dragging their feet and pushing the clock, hoping that the prosecution will either miss damning details or else make mistakes that could be grounds for appeal.
Clare should take advantage of this delay to seek a plea deal.
Even Raniere the pervert should use the delay to cut a deal where the NDNY agrees not to prosecute on the child sex and porn charges.
Let’s hope they don’t, I’d rather lock them up for a longer period of time.
Agreed. Take a plea. 15 years means you get out; 30 years means you don’t.