Village Diane tells us more about what she observed at court yesterday.

By Village Diane

KATHY RUSSELL

Attorney Justine Harris [l] and her client, Kathy Russell, outside the Brooklyn courthouse, April 8, 2019.

Kathy Russell with her lawyer, Justine Harris, outside the Brooklyn courthouse on April 8, 2019

A hearing was held yesterday at 1 pm on Kathy Russell’s motion to dismiss because, her lawyers said, she was deceived into testifying before a grand jury that later indicted her.

Keith Raniere, Clare Bronfman and Kathy attended the hearing. Allison had already pleaded guilty an hour earlier and was excused from attending.

Marc Agnifilo, Raniere’s attorney, was also in the audience evidently as an observer.

Kathy’s lawyers argued that she was already a target of the investigation when she appeared before the grand jury last year, but the prosecution misled her, saying she was not a target.

This, they argued, is grounds for dismissal.

There was discussion over whether Kathy Russell should have known or have been told she was a target. The government already had evidence against her and her grand jury testimony was not the first step in her indictment.

There was a lot of back and forth between Kathy’s lawyers and the prosecution.

The judge read something on the record, as I understood it, to the effect that there is no guarantee of non-prosecution when someone appears before a grand jury.

The judge reserved decision on whether to dismiss the case against her.

Kathy had a gray suit on with black pants and a pinkish top. She had her hair pulled up.  It didn’t look like it was styled.

KEITH ALAN RANIERE

Keith Raniere

Keith Alan Raniere: Does he have an overbite?

Keith Raniere was not wearing his prison jumpsuit. He’s in front of jurors now and permitted to wear good clothes so as to not prejudice jurors.

He was clean shaven, wearing a black suit and a white shirt and wore a tie.

He also had a haircut – his hair was shorter and there was a little gray at the temple. Otherwise, his hair was dark.

Accept no inferior substitutes: Keith Alan Raniere will always be known to those who love Nxivm as its first and only Vanguard.

This photo of Keith Raniere taken around January 2018 by the New York Times – prior to his arrest on March 26, 2018 shows what appears to be a dye job with the temples deliberately left with a touch of grey to give him a distinguished look.

I noticed that Keith has a very prominent overbite. It gives him a menacing appearance. With his overbite, Keith looks a little like Homer Simpson’s long lost evil cousin.

{Another observer noted that Keith was again staring at Toni Natalie in court. It is not clear if he is trying to menace her – or if he is merely haplessly signalling that it was him he meant, and not her, in the timeline he created 20 years ago – where he told her he would either see her dead or in prison.]

CLARE W. BRONFMAN

Georgiana Webb Bronfman Havers with her daughter Clare Webb Bronfman and high priced celebrity attorney Mark Geragos, who crafted the supposed two-year plea deal that meant less than nothing.

On her 40th birthday, Clare Bronfman arrives at court with her mother, Georgia Havers, and attorney, Mark Geragos.

It was her 40th birthday and Clare did not look happy. She looked haggard. When she was chatting with lawyers, my impression was she was trying to put on a happy face.

I imagine Clare had a pretty lousy 40th birthday present from Allison, who pleaded guilty and may be a witness against her.

The last time I saw the two of them together Allison and Clare hugged and kissed. That’s Hollywood friendship I guess.

At the hearing yesterday, they did not meet. Clare was not at Allison’s hearing and Allison was not at the hearing for Kathy Russell.

Keith, Clare, and Kathy did not look at each other in court from what I observed.

[Another observer told Frank Report that when they met, Clare gave Kathy Russell a big hug and they kissed each other repeatedly. So much so that the observer said to herself, “Go get a hotel room.”

Clare seemed to be making a kind of biting face when she was outside after court. But it was not cold. It was a beautiful day in New York. It was not from the cold.

Unless she was talking and putting on a good face for the people around her – when she seemed to be trying to appear more cheerful – she had a pinched expression.

Her lawyer, Mark Geragos, was more subdued than he was at previous hearings.

They were chatting once in a while. Clare would smile, but it didn’t look like a happy smile.  But, of course, what should she be happy about?

[Editor’s note: Clare’s mother, Georgiana Bronfman Havers (née Rita Webb) accompanied Clare to court on her birthday. Clare’s sister, Sara Bronfman-Igtet, has not made an appearance in support of her sister. A source tells Frank Report that she has been advised not to travel to the USA under any circumstances. She is reportedly living in Provence, France with her husband, Basit Igtet, and their two daughters in a lavish new home she had built near her resort hotel, Domaine des Andéols.

Clare Bronfman [center] with her mother, Georgiana Havers, and attorney, Kathleen E. Cassidy.

Clare Bronfman with her mother Georgia Havers and what looks like one of her lawyers, Kathleen E. Cassidy.

Georgianna Havers with her daughter, Clare Bronfman, leaving court last year.

ALLISON MACK

Allison leaves court appearing not very happy. She finally told the judge that she was misled by Keith Raniere and apologized. Had she not been arrested, she would have likely continued on her reckless path with Raniere.

Photo by Village Dianne:

Allison Mack leaves court, flanked by her attorneys,  Sean S. Buckley. [l] and William F. McGovern, after pleading guilty to two felony counts – racketeering and racketeering conspiracy, She dodged the major bullet of sex trafficking with which she was also charged. While Clare Bronfman paid for Allison’s attorneys, they seem to have done quite a splendid job for Allison Mack in negotiating a plea that clearly will spare her years in prison had she been convicted. We won’t see Allison for a while, unless she testifies at trial.  She is scheduled to appear in court on Sept. 11, at noon for sentencing.

At her hearing where she pleaded guilty on Racketeering and Racketeering Conspiracy charges, before and after her teary allocution, she had a quiet, thoughtful demeanor. She smiled a few times but was quiet and thoughtful. She was not the smiling Allison Mack we saw at previous hearings.

During the hearing where Allison Mack pleaded guilty, there was a 10-page document that I believe came from the defense to the judge.

The judge asked her a series of questions about it, including whether she had been offered any promises or told anything not contained in the 10-page agreement.

She said no.

The judge told her that she faced a maximum of 20 years on each of the two counts and that they could run consecutively. He said despite what anyone might have indicated as to what she might or might not expect to receive as a sentence – it was solely up to him to determine her sentence.

She said she understood.

He asked her if she signed the agreement, she said yes.

I noticed that Allison was clearly off the Raniere-diet. She was a little plumper around the hips.  She doesn’t look bad. She’s still very presentable looking. But I wouldn’t call her skinny. I would say a nice, happy medium. Maybe a touch on the slimmer side but a nice happy medium.

Assistant US Attorney Moira Penza is now thinner than Allison Mack.

When Allison came out of the courtroom with her lawyers, she looked somber.

When reporters hurled questions at them, her lawyers said, “No comment.”

It looks like Allison may not be keeping up with going blonde. There were some blonde streaks in the back but her hair was dark blonde.

Allison Mack heads to court to plead guilty

Allison Mack gets media attention after leaving the courthouse on April 8, 2019 after pleading guilty to two racketeering felonies and ending the prosecution against her for sex trafficking, sex trafficking conspiracy and forced labor conspiracy.

Did Allison Mack plump up a little?

JURORS BEING SELECTED

A pool of some 500 potential jurors were narrowed down to 12 jurors and six alternates in the trial of Keith Alan Raniere. The following post is by one of the 500 who was rejected as a juror and is therefore free to speak about her experience. The photo is a line of potential jurors arriving in April for jury selection in the Raniere case. [Photo Dianne Lipson]

Photo Village Diane

The jury pool – I saw them lined up outside the courthouse. There was a long line.

[Another observer said the line of prospective jurors – estimated to be around 250 – went around the block.]