One of the men accused of killing Jam Master Jay over two decades ago is asking that the murder charges be thrown out. Karl Jordan, Jr. is arguing that the government violated his constitutional right to due process by waiting almost 20 years to take him to court, per Billboard.
In a motion filed Monday (April 11), Jordan argued that he won’t be able to properly defend himself against accusations that have spanned almost two decades. Evidence from cell phone records that would support his alibi is no longer available. Jordan’s attorneys wrote, “Karl Jordan, Jr. has due process rights that must be respected and enforced, and hauling him into court and forcing him to defend himself against a murder that happened decades ago is neither fair nor just.”
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Jam Master Jay was shot and killed in his studio in Hollis, Queens, on Oct. 30, 2022. In August 2020, Jordan and Ronald Washington were charged with killing the DJ over a cocaine deal gone wrong. In the motion, Jordan argued that the government had evidence against Washington from as early as 2008, but they willing waited years to charge Washington with the murder. “This is not a cold case where the government has just identified the perpetrator of an old crime. Instead, this is an instance where the government unfairly delayed the timing of its charging decision in a reckless disregard for Mr. Jordan’s rights.”
Jordan has also requested that his case be handled separate from Washington, arguing that statements he made about the shooting might be used against him in the trial per Billboard.
[Via]