This drawing by Joseph Papin is an interesting one – it reads, “Attorneys protest press coverage with clippings and front pages.” The people pictured are Judge Eugene H. Nickerson, United States District Court, Eastern District of New York (Brooklyn Federal Court; from left to right, Richard Rehbock, attorney for defendant Wilfred Johnson; Barry Slotnick, one of the attorneys for defendant John Carneglia, holding the Daily News newspaper, April 14, 1986; Bruce Cutler, attorney for defendant John Gotti (seated); and defendant John Gotti (seated).
Joseph Papin Courtoom Collection, Library of Congress, PR 13 CN 2015.128.3426
Attorney Barry Slotnick is waving a copy of the New York Daily News:
I did not find any news coverage of this particular court appearance of the attorneys in front of the judge but it would have been between the publication of the News on April 13, 1986 and the decision of Judge Nickerson to delay jury selection for the trial as announced on April 29, 1986.
PR 13 CN 2015.128.3419, PR 13 CN 2015.128.3419
The following sections of text are copied directly from the New York Times article, “Judge puts off Gotti crime trial until August to revamp the jury” by Leonard Buder, April 29, 1986 (https://www.nytimes[dot]com/1986/04/29/nyregion/judge-puts-off-gotti-crime-trial-until-august-to-revamp-the-jury.html)
“After 10 days of jury selection, the judge in the Federal racketeering trial of John Gotti, the reputed crime boss, abruptly postponed the case yesterday until August [1986].
“In announcing the decision – highly unusual at this stage of a trial – Judge Eugene H. Nickerson of Federal District Court in Brooklyn cited ‘events of the past few weeks,’ his own courtroom ‘observations’ during jury selection and ‘extensive’ news coverage of the case.
“But his order did not specifically cite recent accounts of violence – including a car bombing in Brooklyn on April 13 that killed a Gotti associate – or raise issues of fairness, bias or concern for jurors’ safety that have often come up in trials of reputed mob figures.”
“Mr. Gotti and his co-defendants are facing trial on charges that they took part in a ‘criminal enterprise’ involving loan sharking, gambling, hijackings and at least three murders.”
“Defense lawyers, citing what they described as excessive and unfair publicity, had repeatedly but unsuccessfully requested a postponement during pretrial hearings and the early days of jury selection. Most said they were surprised by yesterday’s development.”
Joseph Papin, Joseph Papin Courtoom Collection, Library of Congress
John Rogers, criminal defense attorney provides a summary in his blog (https://johndrogerslaw[dot]com/the-john-gotti-trials-a-deep-dive-into-the-prosecution-of-the-teflon-don/):
“John Gotti rose to power within the Gambino crime family, one of New York City’s most powerful Mafia organizations. By the mid-1980s, Gotti had become the boss of the Gambino family, earning a reputation for his flamboyant style and ruthless leadership. His ability to avoid conviction in numerous trials earned him the moniker ‘Teflon Don,’ as charges seemed to slide off him without sticking.
“Gotti’s first major legal battle came in 1986 when he was indicted under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act. The charges included murder, loansharking, illegal gambling, and obstruction of justice. However, Gotti’s legal team managed to secure his acquittal, largely due to jury tampering and intimidation tactics orchestrated by the mob.”
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