Controversial Judge Linda Reade, from Rubashkin Case, to Preside Over Halal Trial

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iowa-courtThe same federal judge who took criticism from around the country for her involvement in bringing down a large Iowa kosher meat company five years ago is now scheduled to preside over a criminal trial involving the founder of a major Halal food production and distribution company.

U.S. District Judge Linda R. Reade is slated to take over the case of U.S. v. William B. Aossey Jr., the 73-year-old Cedar Rapids businessman who founded Iowa’s Midamar Corporation, which produces and distributes Halal food worldwide. As is often the case in federal courts, a magistrate is hearing the defendant’s preliminary court appearances.

The first appearance in the case took place on Oct. 30 and was presided over by Chief U.S. Magistrate Jon S. Scoles for the Northern District of Iowa. Scoles registered Aossey’s pleas of “not guilty” on all 19 charges contained in an indictment unsealed on Oct. 23. Aossey was arraigned, but has not been detained. He remains free with the only significant pre-trial restriction being a requirement to provide 48 hours notice before any international travel. Scoles will also take the status hearing, scheduled for noon on Dec. 3.

Then, according to the trial management order, the trial will commence at 9 a.m. on Dec. 29 before the Chief Judge for the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Iowa, Linda R. Reade.

Reade was the judge whose role in the 2008 raid of Agriprocessors Inc. kosher slaughterhouse in Postville, Iowa, and the subsequent outrageous conviction of Sholom Mordechai Rubashkin, became subjects for a white hot controversy within the federal judiciary. When, upon review, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th District in St. Louis found the judge’s actions were acceptable, her critics in 2012 tried by a Writ of Certiorari to get the U.S. Supreme Court to review Reade’s actions.

The high court eventually took a pass even though among those wanting Reade’s actions reviewed were a wide mix of former Attorney Generals of the U.S. including Nicholas Katzenbach, Ramsey Clark, Edwin Meese, Richard Thornburgh, William Barr and Janet Reno. All asked the court to review whether Reade’s role in the trial and sentencing was appropriate after her participation in planning the raid.

Reade’s involvement was not just a one-time appearance from a U.S. district attorney seeking to obtain a warrant, argued her critics. Instead, according to an explanation written in 2011 by Pace Law School professor Bennett L. Gershman and defense attorney Joel Cohen, these meetings with the judge went on for six months before the raid and were frequent, and always held in secret. They depicted some of what occurred as:

– Prosecutors gave the judge “a briefing” regarding the number of criminal prosecutions they intended to pursue relative to this investigation.

– Prosecutors discussed with the judge possible dates for the raid, which would meet the judge’s scheduling needs.

– The judge stated she was “willing to support the operation in any way possible.”

– The judge and prosecutors in one of the meetings discussed “an overview of charging strategies.”

– The judge directed the prosecutors to provide her with a “final game plan” by a certain deadline.

– One ICE email describes the judge as a “stakeholder” in the raid.

The 2008 raid of the plant, located in northern central Iowa, led to the arrest of about 400 immigrant employees with false identity papers by the federal Immigration and Custom Enforcement agents for immigration violations.

Rubashkin was arrested in November 2008 and went on trial in 2009. After he was convicted, Reade sentenced Rubashkin to 27 years in federal prison, two years more than the prosecution requested. It was after that that the judge’s extensive role in the raid became known. The judge’s conduct in the case eventually came in for questioning by 86 retired federal judges, prosecutors and former attorney generals in addition to 45 Members of Congress who questioned Reade’s conduct in the case.

Citing the separation of powers doctrine, both the White House and the U.S. Department of Justice declined to get involved in the case, and when the Supreme Court passed on it two years ago, the dispute reached an end.

For almost 20 years, the nation’s largest kosher meatpacking plant at Postville, IA, along with the still-operating Midamar Corporation, a main producer of Halal foods, was a staple of the diverse food landscape in northern central Iowa. Agri Star bought the Postville plant in 2009.

Source: Food Safety, edited by Noam Amdurski

{Matzav.com Newscenter}


10 COMMENTS

  1. How could she still be a judge? How is she not dis-barred? She violated serious impartiality codes? No censure?? No discipline? What is with this legal system? What is with our whole democracy – the Executive branch is broken, the Legislative branch – our elected officials, Congress, Senate etc. – is grossly broken and our judicial branch is not right either! If this Reade miscreant could conduct as she did and the victom, namely ???? ????? ?? ???? can find no recourse not even at the Supreme Court level, this country is doomed! We’re the modern era of Rome of yesteryear and our demise as a country can’t be far off.

  2. And burn she will….along with all the government prosecutors that were so full of hatred that all they wanted was to put away a jew for as long as they could regardless of the real facts of the case and regardless of so many other circumstances that should gave been taken into consideration and had they, SMR wouldn’t be languishing in jail.

  3. Judge Reade is an evil woman who should’ve been disqualified from her role many years ago. It is she who belongs in jail for her illegal actions in prosecuting her “clients”. Why have her actions been disregarded and ignored? Let her stew in her own medicine and she should sit for her crimes that she committed to her “clients?! In America our forefathers instituted a balance of powers. However, if the Judiciary abuses their powers, they should be recused, aquitted and punished for their crimes the same as any other American citizen. It is outrageous that this wicked woman is now presiding over another case. I believe she is senile at this point and can’t think rationally to judge a case. May G-d repay her for all her wickedness speedily!

  4. Could someone please contact me about some conflict of interest concerns pertaining to Linda Reade. I have a friend that many feel he was sentenced to more time than he deserved. Many feel that Reade harshly convicted my friend compared to other convicts that did much worse crime and received minor sentencing. This kind of corruption must be stopped. Convicting a criminal is one thing but using someone to make a statement is not acceptable. Please e mail at [email protected]. Thanks!

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