Khari Noerdlinger pictured with his mother, Rachel Noerdlinger.
By
HACKENSACK
– A state judge ordered lawyers from the Bergen County Prosecutor’s
Office on Monday to answer questions by this week as to whether
particular evidence was allegedly withheld prior to convening for a 2016
grand jury in the case against a former New York City mayoral aide’s
son.
In
a Monday hearing, Judge Christopher Kazlau asked Bergen County
Assistant Prosecutor Danielle Grootenboer questions about why
manslaughter charges were dismissed against Khari Noerdlinger in
September. Kazlau also wanted to know whether prior knowledge of
statements made by witnesses and authorities was known to the
prosecution before the case was brought before a grand jury.
“Judge,
quite frankly, at this point, I don’t think it’s appropriate for me to
say anything else on this point,” Grootenboer said during the
questioning.
The
response left Assistant Prosecutor Martin Delaney, who said he was new
to the case, to explain to Kazlau more time was needed to answer
questions about the handling of the case against Noerdlinger. The
Edgewater native is the son of Rachel Noerdlinger, the former chief of
staff to New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s wife, Chirlane McCray.
Kazlau ordered responses from the prosecution prior to the next hearing on Friday.
Noerdlinger
was arrested on Feb. 1, 2016 on charges that he allegedly stabbed
16-year-old Savion Lewallen over a drug dispute, authorities said. Since
he was indicted for manslaughter, weapons and hindering an
investigation charges in April 2016, the manslaughter charges were
dismissed in September.
Surveillance video provided to The Record and NorthJersey.com in
September showed three men who carried weapons stomping Noerdlinger to
the ground, defense attorney Jeffrey Lichtman said. He said the charge
was dismissed due to lack of evidence, including pictures of a knife and
bruises sustained by Noerdlinger were not presented to a grand jury.
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