S.O. testified that she was sexually abused by her mother, her mother's sex partner, George Lang (or “George” or “Lang”), Sacco, and by two strangers in encounters arranged by her mother.
The defendant O'Connor sold her daughter to her landlord, defendant Sacco, in exchange for rent owed by O’Connor to Sacco. Evidence at the trial revealed that Sacco produced pornographic images from the sexual assaults. The victim also testified that O'Connor had also prostituted her at local hotels. The victim was trafficked for a period of approximately two years, when she was between the ages of 12 and 14.
After an 18-day trial, the jury found O’Connor guilty on three of the five counts against her, and she was sentenced to 30 years imprisonment, to be followed by supervised release for life. Sacco was convicted on all five of the counts against him, and was sentenced to life imprisonment.
Both defendants appealed the judgment to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. The Second Circuit affirmed the judgment on June 16, 2011.
Linda O’Connor argued that the evidence was insufficient to support her conviction on any count, and that the district court had deprived her of a fair trial by denying her motion to provide her with a separate trial from that of Sacco. Sacco contended that the district court had deprived him of a fair trial by denying his attorney’s request to withdraw from the case, because his self-titled autobiography gave an account of his past thoughts and conduct, and by denying his request for a continuance following unexpected testimony from a government witness.
The Court of Appeals found no merit in any of defendants’ contentions and affirmed the judgments.
Ibidem Defendant 1
United States District Court for the Northern District of New York
http://www.law.umich.edu/clinical/HuTrafficCases/Pages/CaseDisp.aspx?caseID=120
http://caselaw.findlaw.com/us-2nd-circuit/1570871.html
