Dear Mr. Zapp,
I am an inmate awaiting extradition in the Picota-Eron jail, Patio 15. I am being detained on conspiracy to commit trafficking of drugs destined to New York State. I am being requested by the Southern District of New York.
I am someone who lacks the means to hire an attorney; I cannot even do it here in my country where they are more affordable, much less in yours. I am a simple worker.
I would like to know what you would advise me in order to have an attorney represent and guide me in your country.
I have never been arrested; this is the first time that I find myself in this situation and that is not fair. If I really were a drug trafficker I would admit to it, but since I am not, it is very hard because I am paying for others’ mistakes.
Thank you for your time.
Sincerely, A Colombian Inmate
Dear Sir:
You are accused of committing a crime in the United States. Your case is in the Southern District of New York—probably the most responsible and certainly the most prestigious United States Attorney’s Office in America. The notion that this Office is going to arrest someone that is totally innocent is improbable. This Office is uniformly risk-adverse and seeks corroboration for everything they believe. They also analyze everything based on the “worst possible scenario” from their point of view. They leave nothing to chance and think of everything. And they can think! They probably have the highest percentage of Harvard and Yale lawyers in the country. That said, there is always a first time that they could be mistaken. But totally mistaken? I doubt that.
Your case will be treated no differently than others. Extradition is inevitable. When you are extradited and brought to New York you will be given an assigned attorney not of your choice. You will then be incarcerated in the federal jails of the MCC or MDC in New York City and will get the opportunity to speak to the agents and prosecutor in your case.
If your desire to speak to them is to prove your innocence or get them to understand that this has all been some big mistake, forget about it. They are not interested in your claims of innocence. They are interested in your information about other people and other crimes. Where they sometimes can make a mistake is overstating your role in the overall conspiracy, but to think they picked you out of thin air is magical thinking.
I am not a pessimist. I am a realist and only from seeing your situation realistically will you be able to make reasonable decisions, cut your losses and shorten your time. There are ways to manage your situation that will result in a return home sooner, but if your idea is to fight these guys, you better have the goods to win because if you lose, you will pay for it.
If you give me the name of your unit along with your inmate number and address, I will be glad to send you our biweekly newsletter specifically written to guide defendants through the process.
Faithfully yours, David Zapp