Times Square bomber Shahzad yet to appear in court
By ANITuesday, May 11, 2010
NEW YORK - Times Square bombing suspect Faisal Shahzad, who was arrested May 3, is yet to be presented before a court.
According to a Christian Science Monitor (CSM) report, Shahzad has disappeared from sight, going a week without appearing in court on weapons of mass destruction and terror charges.
Federal authorities say 30-year-old Shahzad voluntarily waived his right to an initial court appearance and agreed to answer questions, possibly without a lawyer and while in custody at an undisclosed location.
US law allows him the right to talk without presenting himself before a court.
“You usually don’t see a defendant cooperate this quickly, because his cooperation is really his only bargaining chip,” said Robert Mintz, a former federal prosecutor now in private practice.
Authorities “will continue to question him for as long as it takes to get important and time-sensitive information,” Mintz added.
“But they won’t interrogate him indefinitely, even with his cooperation. At some point, it’s in the government’s interest to get him counsel and have him appear before a judge to ensure his waiver was done knowingly,” he said. (ANI)
