WATERLOO, IA — Defense attorneys for Sholom Rubashkin quizzed the state's lead investigator over the age of Guatemalan and Mexican immigrants detained in the 2008 Agriprocessors raid Thursday.
DCI Investigator Asked to Guess Ages of Agri Workers
WATERLOO, IA — Defense attorneys for Sholom Rubashkin quizzed the state’s lead investigator over the age of Guatemalan and Mexican immigrants detained in the 2008 Agriprocessors raid Thursday.
Showing Agent Jon Turbett dozens of mug shots one-by-one, attorney Mark Weinhardt asked if the people pictured looked over or under age 18.
Burkett, with the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, examined the photos, sometimes concluding accurately, sometimes missing the mark Thursday as Rubashkin’s child labor trial continued.
“These are hard to pick out, aren’t they?” Weinhardt asked.
“Some more than others,” Turbett responded.
Weinhardt showed another photo, and Turbett guessed he was close to 18.
The defense attorney said he was 17. “Hard to draw that line, isn’t it?” Weinhardt said. He then suggested the agent try to guessing ages for people wearing frocks and hard hats.
Rubashkin is charged with 83 counts of child labor violations stemming from 31 teens who worked at the Postville meatpacking plant.
The defense claimed that state is trying to prosecute Rubashkin solely on his ability to guess the ages of workers at his facility.
Other witnesses included Rabbi Moses Weissmandel, who was in charge of the kosher certification at Agriprocessors. He told jurors the difference between the Orthodox and Ultra Orthodox Jewish groups and the Conservative and Reform Jewish groups.
The Rubashkin family would fall under Ultra Orthodox, said Weissmandel. He said Conservative groups were trying to get involved in the certification process.
He also testified that he had toured the plant and didn’t notice any underage workers.
There will be no trial Friday, because the courts are closed for a furlough because of budget reasons. There will no trial Monday because of the Memorial Day holiday.
EARLIER STORY:
WATERLOO — Testimony that an Agriprocessors supervisor told Sholom Rubashkin about minors working at the Postville slaughterhouse came as a surprise to investigators who handled the child labor case.
Rubashkin, a former Agriprocessors executive, is on trial for 83 counts of child labor violations. He also is awaiting sentencing on federal fraud convictions.
On Thursday, Special Agent Jon Turbett with the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation told jurors that supervisor Matthew Derrick never told him about a meeting he had with Rubashkin.
Derrick testified two weeks ago that he approached Rubashkin about a boot that was put on his vehicle to immobilize it in the company parking lot. He said during that discussion he told Rubashkin there were minors working at the facility, and the executive didn’t seem to care.
The defense claims the only time Derrick mentioned that discussion was when he took the stand.
Turbett, who was called to the stand by the defense Thursday, said he had interviewed Derrick after the raid, and Derrick never mentioned the exchange he allegedly had with Rubashkin.
He also said the topic never came up when he made arrangements to bring Derrick back to Iowa to testify.
Derrick also came up during a brief hearing while the jury was out of the courtroom. Rabbi Zvi Bass told the court he once saw Derrick kissing one of the female workers, who later was found to be a minor, at the plant. Bass said he sometimes saw Derrick standing close to the female worker, and once Derrick talked proudly of how he was able to get her transferred to a better assignment.
Judge Nathan Callahan ruled against the defense’s attempt to get that part of Bass’ testimony in front of the jury.
Callahan also barred testimony parts of testimony from Ana McCarthy, a Panamanian native who is a Spanish language translator now living in Illinois.
Outside the presence of the jury, McCathy, a Jew, said she traveled to Postville in August after hearing about the raid.
She described waiting at the St. Bridget’s Catholic Church rectory and overhearing a worker with an advocacy group telling former Agriprocessors employees that they could get visas to remain in the country and avoid deportation if they claimed they were abused by Rubashkin. She said the worker told people that Rubashkin was a “filthy Jew” who got rich at their expense.
Callahan ruled against allowing the testimony because there was nothing to show that the advocacy worker had talked to any of the minor workers who were called as prosecution witnesses.
In other testimony, a woman from New York who had a son at the Jewish school in Postville, told jurors she approached both plant officials and Rubashkin about getting a job at the plant for her 17-year-old son. She said both turned her down because he was too young.
ch anash
i live in ch and my son wanted to work at the plant for summer instead of going to camp.
my soon was 17 and looked like 19
strong and able he was not given the job, although i called and asked freind associated with the plant to help me get him in
just remembed this story when reading the news.
to # 1 you can help
to # 1. please………. share the facts with the defense, you never know how an additional good fact can help.
dear number one
idiot
to #1
SO GO TESTIFY!!!!
just wondering?
the pic states that SMR is ‘co-vice president’
who is the other vice president?
From thr Witness Stand
To all of who – for years – have made a big stink of how Agri “abused” the poor workers, did you hear the testimony presented today in court? I’m afraid that these “complaints” of grave “mistreatment” was – in a large part – connected by liberal Jews, Forward ‘rabbi’ Allan, unions, PETA etc. who had a vested interest in destroying the Rubashkin family and kosher.
9:34 Jeff Reinitz: ANA McCARTHY: I was just speaking to the people to see what was happening. I wasn’t taping the people. Someone else was taping. went to St. Bridget’s Catholic Church August 21
ANA McCARTHY: spoke to people who said they were former Agripros employees in the rectory. Met Thomas Wash who was meeting with a couple. There was another couple waiting, and I was waiting.
ANA McCARTHY: U-visas are almost impossible to obtain
F MONTGOMERY BROWN: if illegal alien found in the US with 3 months of their 18th birthday … have you worked with immigration lawyers re: people seeking residency?
ANA McCARTHY: yes, including U-visas.
ANA McCARTHY: I was gathering information in order to get an opinion to tell the news networks.
MB: (going over Thomas Walsh and Jewish Council of Urban affairs working with S. Bridget’s Church. )
ANA McCARTHY: Walsh was having discussions with people about visa issues. He told them if they made claims, they could get legal status in the US.
ANA McCARTHY: I was there to meet with Father Paul and Sister Bradly. I waited by a couple and was talking to them. We could hear what Walsh was saying. He was coaching them, telling them about the rights, what they could do to get legal state. He said they had to say they were being abused by Mr. Rubashkin. told them he was a filthy Jew who became rich at their expense. telling them they could get deported.
ANA McCARTHY: Walsh got upset when he came out and saw me, Fatehr and Sister did nothing. Walsh almost assaulted me. I tried to reach Jewish Council for Urban affairs.
ANA McCARTHY: I complained to Catholic church, refered to Sister Bradly
To CH Anash: So ask if they need you.
CH Anash: They may need you to testify. Please help. Call Hech of NCFJE or Moishe Rubashkin.
a reader
you should go and testify on his behalf if that is the case