Feds fight to detain man convicted, then acquitted of killing Jam Master Jay

In granting Karl Jordan Jr. bail, a federal judge said his nearly six-year detention had "blunted" the danger associated with his drug trafficking charges.MANHATTAN (CN) — Judges of the Second Circuit questioned on Tuesday whether a man found guilty of killing hip-hop’s Jam Master Jay should be released from jail after a federal judge overturned his murder conviction.Prosecutors say Karl Jordan Jr., the godson of Run-DMC DJ Jason “Jay” Mizell, shot and killed the artist in his Hollis, Queens, recording studio on Oct. 30, 2002, after a failed drug deal. Decades later, prosecutors charged three men in the murder, and in 2024, jurors found Jordan and co-defendant Ronald Washington guilty of murder while engaged in narcotics trafficking and firearm-related murder.But the government’s proof that the killing was motivated by narcotics trafficking was too tenuous for U.S. District Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall, who presided over the five-week trial. She voided Jordan’s murder conviction late last year and, in April, granted him bail as he awaits trial on cocaine charges severed from the indictment’s murder counts.The government appealed both of Hall’s rulings to the Second Circuit, and the judge granted a stay in the meantime, keeping Jordan, now 42, in custody at the Metropolitan Detention Center.Tuesday’s panel considered only whether Hall, a Barack Obama appointee, erred in her April 6 bench ruling granting Jordan’s $1 million bail package, secured by 17 friends and family members.Assistant U.S. Attorney Miranda Gonzalez argued the judge “disregarded Jordan’s commission of the murder” in clearing him for release and arbitrarily determined other violent acts Jordan is accused of — including two nonlethal shootings in 2003 — were too long ago to create a substantial danger to the community in the present day.When questioning defense attorney Michael Hueston, judges asked about a remark Hall made during the April hearing: “In light of the fact that Mr. Jordan has been in custody for the last five and a half years, the court can reasonably conclude that the danger associated with the then-ongoing or alleged ongoing drug trafficking scheme or conspiracy has been blunted.”Senior U.S. Circuit Judge Reena Raggi, a George W. Bush appointee, asked Hueston where to draw the line.“Do you want us to take judicial notice of how many people, after release from incarceration … managed to go back to drug trafficking, precisely because they have few options at that point?” Raggi asked.“You’re damned if you do, and you’re damned if you don’t, respectfully, Your Honor,” Hueston replied. “It’s not so much to say that there’s not a possibility of that happening, but it’s in the weight in terms of looking at this individual defendant, where he stands now, as opposed to where he stood.”“You’re not saying that’s the only factor,” U.S. Circuit Judge Denny Chin, an Obama appointee, chimed in. “You’re saying that’s one factor, along with others."Before the judges reserved ruling on Jordan’s bail appeal, U.S. Circuit Judge William Nardini suggested the parties move to expedite oral argument over Hall’s acquittal decision, which is not yet on the court’s calendar.“I hope you’re all aware, as experienced practitioners, that you can move to expedite consideration of the appeal, particularly in criminal cases where liberty is at stake,” Nardini, a Donald Trump appointee, told the attorneys. “You don’t want it just sitting in the pile.”Subscribe to our free newslettersOur weekly newsletter Closing Arguments offers the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world, while the monthly Under the Lights dishes the legal dirt from Hollywood, sports, Big Tech and the arts.Additional Reads