New York Court Overturns Murder Conviction Over Friend’s Courtroom Removal

A New York appellate court has ordered a new trial for Donald White, a convicted murderer, after the trial judge removed White's friend from the courtroom for sleeping during the proceedings. Despite acknowledging that the evidence strongly supported White's guilt in the 2010 shooting of a Queens marijuana dealer, the appellate judges ruled that the exclusion of the friend violated White's Sixth Amendment right to a public trial. The appellate panel criticized the trial judge's decision as hasty and suggested that less severe measures, like warnings, could have been considered. Civil rights attorney Ron Kuby condemned the removal, emphasizing that judicial authority should serve the public and that such actions cause unnecessary additional trauma to victims' families. The ruling highlights concerns about judicial discretion and has raised fears among New Yorkers about the potential for serious criminal convictions to be overturned on procedural grounds. This decision grants White, who remains in state prison, a second chance at trial despite the strong evidence against him.