Judge Brands Defendant’s Accidental Fall a ‘Charade’

By DANIEL STEIN-SAYLES & SEAN EGAN

The 66-year-old defendant accused of stabbing a younger man to death in Brooklyn after feeling “disrespected,” failed to appear in court on Thursday after allegedly falling in transit.

News of the accident to Juan Ramos was relayed to the Brooklyn courtroom by defense paralegal Serge Desearieux

Desearieux reported that after falling Ramos walked to a stretcher before receiving medical attention. After a doctor on-site medically cleared Ramos, he lay on the ground refusing to come to court.

Ramos is accused of stabbing and slicing to death 22-year-old Giovanni Rodriguez who allegedly taunted and disrespected him in the Sunset Park neighborhood in September of 2013.

While Justice Vincent Del Giudice told the courtroom it was Ramos’ right not to come he described the situation bluntly.

“It’s a charade,” the judge said. “It would appear that he slipped and fell on purpose to avoid coming.”

The judge added, “if this was a basketball game he might get a technical foul.”

Ramos’ attorney, Frank Paone, said that his client has a number of medical conditions including sciatica and a slip disk.

Ramos also was set to testify in court on Wednesday, however, according to the judge, Ramos then said he was too tired.

Ramos’ defense has been focused on self-defense.

The prosecution did not accept the defense’s justification for the use of lethal force by Ramos and the judge agreed with the prosecution that Rodriguez’s actions did not warrant the use of lethal force in the case by Ramos. The judge acknowledged that Ramos’ testimony could have provided justification.

Without Ramos’ attendance, the judge scheduled summations in the case for the afternoon.