Anand Jon. Syed Haris Ahmed. Ehsanul Sadequee. The first is the Indian born fashion designer (who’ve we’ve covered on Sepia before) convicted of one count of rape and 15 counts of sexual assault and sentenced yesterday to 59 plus years in prison. The second is a Pakistani-born American who was convicted of conspiring to commit terrorist acts back in June and who is set to be sentenced September 15 along with the third man, a Bangladeshi American. Besides the fact that these are three brown men accused and convicted of disparate bad deeds, they do share another thing in common – they chose to represent themselves in court.
First, Anand Jon. This case has been drama from the start. In July, after his request for a new trial was overruled, Jon fired his entire defense team and took responsibility for his own defense. While he read law books in a prison cell, his mother, sister and various supporters staged vigils for his release. And even after yesterday’s conviction, his family is continuing to press the Indian government to intervene in the case.
Sanjana had last month pleaded with the Indian government to extradite her brother for a fair trial because “being an Indian in the US, I know we won’t get justice”.
Addressing a press conference in New Delhi on Aug 18, Sanjana Jon said: “We have been subjected to racism. Even mass murderers are not treated that way, the way Anand is treated in jail.”
[Link.]
Funny thing, that racism charge. Jon tried to use the same defense in court on Monday.
Jon asks Wesley if the judge will grant him a new trial if Jon can prove he received an unfair trial. Wesley says, “Let’s see what your evidence proves.”
Jon now suggests he is a victim of racial prejudice. “In March, 2007,” he says of his Beverly Hills arrest, “I found out what it means to be brown in the USA. I was called a brown sand nigger.” Jon calls the presentation he is about to make his last stand.
[Link.]
Okay, so that didn’t work. His request was overruled, he was sentenced to jail. Now on to Ahmed and Sadequee. During Ahmed’s trial, he interrupted his own defense attorney in order to give his closing statement.
Syed Haris Ahmed, charged with providing material support to terrorism in the United States and abroad, used the time to talk about his Muslim faith instead of addressing the evidence against him. “I just want to convey the message of God,” Ahmed said.
Ahmed cited verses and prayers from the Quran and spent a great deal of time comparing his religion with Christianity. “We worship the same God,” Ahmed said. Ahmed, a naturalized United States citizen who was born in Pakistan, waived his right to a jury trial so he could make the statement during closing arguments.
[Link.]
And Sadequee? Following Ahmed’s lead, he chose to represent himself.
During the trial, he acted as his own lawyer, wearing a Muslim skullcap over his curly hair and engaging witnesses in occasionally odd exchanges about Superman and the antichrist
In addition to the evidence against him, the 23-year-old’s performance as his own lawyer in court may have helped seal his fate, said Evan Kohlmann, an expert witness for the prosecution. Sadequee discussed the fine points of holy war and other Islamic concepts with Kohlmann during a lengthy cross-examination. Sadequee seemed eager to discuss his radical ideas and apparently did not realize that a jury was unlikely to sympathize, said Kohlmann, who also worked as a consultant to investigators in the British trials. “I think he believed he could express these ideas eloquently enough that an American jury could see the light,” Kohlmann said. “But I don’t think there was a light to be seen. He may have convicted himself.”
[Link.]
Okay, I’m only going to say this once, desi guys and gals with legal troubles: get a lawyer. Just. Get. A. Lawyer. This is not the time to fulfill that Perry Mason fantasy you’ve had since childhood. Representing yourself only works well if you’re in traffic court. (And even then, it doesn’t always work :/) Law students don’t go to school for three years for fun. And I don’t care how long you’ve been at the prison’s law library, it’s still not the same thing. It’s time to get a lawyer. Free legal advice from me to you. Thank me later.
ROFL, Perry Mason. Well said.
What is the color of his soul? Me thinks this is a slam dunk case, he just went overboard with his wild ways..no racial overtones in this case.
I dont know about the other cases, but I believe that in case of Anand Jon he is victim of race. I mostly agree that he did sleep with the girls he did but with consent and girls did in hope of getting some assignment. But when they did not get it, they turned hostile and are crying hoarse. Sleeping to get assignment around is so common in fashion industry that I find it hard to believe that he had to rape any one, girl just fall in your Bed. I am yet to read any news which contains actual proof of rape except the testimonial of girls.
Maybe they were just trying to save money ? Isn’t that what Indians are known for 🙂 Or maybe it was just the ego….
Ash, What you say may be true about casual or coercive sex in the fashion industry, but I find it really difficult to argue that 14 different unrelated witnesses/victims are conspiring against a brother simply because he’s brown.
I was however quite surprised he got minimum 59 years. Usually the celeb defendant gets a slap on the wrist in these trials – but that is assuming that he has a good lawyer.
My god – my post just appeared underneath the rape-apologizer – as if 14 year olds consenting (if they did) to sex with a 35 yr old is somehow ok…..my comment on saving money was for the Indian men foregoing lawyers and saving money – not the girls trying to save money…. just wanted to make sure that was clear before being jumped on….I am assuming the poster of comment #3 also thinks that Rihanna’s face was the only poor evidence of Chris Brown’s assault ? Geez – I really hope he is being ironic in some way….otherwise that is no better than the Italian judge who threw out a rape case because the victim was wearing jeans that were too tight and couldn’t have possibly have been removable.
Seriously.
Was he a real celebrity though ? Isn’t one of the reason he represented himself was actually because of drained funds ? I don’t think he had enough clout to apply any political pressure either (if it would’ve helped).
I think the judge got sick of all the tomfoolery Anand pulled – and the race card honestly does not make any sense. I am not a repub or an ACLU-hater, but this is not in any way related to race – I think by the end of the case he should’ve just carried around a cross on his back with all the howls of victimhood he was claiming.
I agree with CMF, I find it hard to believe that all these girls conspired to bring down the guy simply because he was brown or because they didn’t get the modeling gig.
It sounds to me like the guy is grasping at straws and the race card is the only hand he has left to play.
stinkies & kuffar haters are banned from lawyers 😉
The 59 year sentence is based on the sentencing guidelines that are mandated by the State of California. The Jury had no say in Anand’s sentence, and the Judge was restricted by the mandatory consecutive sentencing schedule. Sentencing for sex crimes are a lot harsher than other crimes in terms of the % people have to serve and what can run consecutive and concurrent. That’s why 59 years seems a lot. All the Jury had to do, however, was decide whether or not he was guilty of this crime.
I agree with the majority of the commentators. The similarities between the acts that the girls described, plus the gut-wrenching video that was played before the jury is pretty compelling evidence that Anand is a sexual predator who should be locked away for his crimes. And now he’ll be sent to two other states to answer to rape allegations there.
It’s true that he fired his attorneys. Why, I cannot say. But, this racism card that’s now being pulled is just pure bologna. It’s a last ditch effort on his family’s part to skew the evidence and truth in this case. His own sister is a schemer who saw that his case was not going well for him. She tried to manipulate a juror in a pathetic attempt to get her brother free. Thankfully, no one bought it.
I’m as brown as anyone else, but I will not blindly stand by a brother, throw up the race card, and scream injustice when I know such accusations all based on lies and deceit.
I hope the Indian media does not get stupid and start playing along with Jon and his family. The “race card” is so stupid albeit the only option left with Jon.
and for all the three not firing their lawyers and defending themselves, I will say “Good Riddance”
Type and for all the three firing their lawyers and defending themselves, I will say “Good Riddance”
The biggest mistake he did was had sex with kids..but still i feel he shoudl have been given prision for 10 years or 15 makes sense. with no possiblity of payroll..
Pay roll you mean parole. The guy was a scumbag for real, 59 years is rough but hey he should have left them young girls alone. Dude is a predator.
hoping anand gets 59 years of the same thing he did to the girls.
and if you don’t know the difference b/t parole and payroll, you probably shouldn’t be commenting on this site.
Perry Mason LOL
I’ve read that Anand Jon Alexander is a card carrying ‘South Asia’nite. Shouldn’t he be identified with his preferred allegiance, i.e. as “South-Asia-born (serial rapist) fashion designer” instead of as being “Indian born?”
Certainly, in the case of the terror suspects, they just might prove how insane they really are by representing themselves to the judge/jury/etc. I am no lawyer and I really don’t know if they could have proved themselves to be insane and get a lesser sentence as a result. Certainly anyone who is crazy and stupid enough to get caught planning a horrendous crime has a screw loose in their head.
Anand’s case is very interesting. He must also be out of touch with reality if he thought he could represent himself. (To any legal experts out there, will the guy get any possibility of parole for good behavior? He better watch his derriere in prison, in the meantime.)
They should waterboard Mr. Ahmed. Put him with the bums in gitmo.
US has a long history of political activists defending themselves in court cases as a form of resistance to oppression! Perhaps we need an historical lesson in political activism in this country!