Is Carmen Ortiz Subjecting Dzhokhar Tsarnaev to Solitary To Prevent Him from Learning about Developments in Florida?

"Josh Gerstein provides a good overview of the SAMs, but they basically amount to inching Dzhokhar closer to full solitary confinement, as well as reviewing even legal materials his lawyers bring into the prison and prohibiting lawyers and other defense staff from passing on messages from third parties. The big question is why they're doing this. The government's excuses - that Dzhokhar employed "tradecraft" by (in part) throwing away a detonator in the trashcan outside of Gerry's Italian Kitchen,"

"to which Dzhokhar and his brother had interesting ties; that Dzhokhar's mother released a recording of a call they had back on May 24 "to generate sympathy;" and that Dzhokhar has received 1,000 pieces of mail - are all absurd. I find it non credible that DOJ considers it "tradecraft" to throw criminal evidence away in a place that should offer up more clues. The call with Dzhokhar's mother was 3 months before the imposition of the SAMs - and she has obeyed instructions not to repeat it."

"So why did Carmen Ortiz (and not, Dzhokhar's lawyers point out, prison officials) impose these SAMs over 4 months after Dzhokhar got arrested? It may be the government just wants to subject Dzhokhar to solitary to make him less defiant in case of any public appearances - to "break" him, just as the US government has used other torture methods for. (Still, if that was the purpose, why not impose them back in April and May, before his arraig"

Attorney General Eric Holder imposed Special Administrative Measures on Dzhokhar Tsarnaev at the request of US Attorney Carmen Ortiz. The SAMs escalate isolation toward solitary confinement, permit review of legal materials brought by defense, and bar attorneys and defense staff from relaying third-party messages. The government cites alleged "tradecraft," a recorded May 24 call with his mother, and a high volume of mail as reasons. Defense attorneys call those justifications absurd, note lack of responses from Tsarnaev, and report much mail is non-jihadist. Questions arise why Ortiz, rather than prison officials, imposed SAMs months after arrest.

Read at Emptywheel