Image: FreeRoss.org
The judge in the Silk Road case has agreed to delay the sentencing of Ross Ulbricht, the man convicted of creating and running the dark web market, after his defense team requested it be adjourned earlier this week.Judge Katherine Forrest ordered the sentencing to be postponed from May 15 until May 29 at 1 PM. She also scheduled a separate hearing on May 22 to address some of the issues behind the delay.The defense team for Ulbricht had initially requested the sentencing be postponed so it could have more time to prepare a response to government allegations that six people died from overdosing on drugs purchased from Silk Road. According to a document filed April 17, the government also plans to have the parents of two of those individuals speak at the sentencing. Ulbricht faces a maximum of life in prison."What is enough for these people? Nothing short of a life sentence for non-violent offenses?" Lyn Ulbricht, Ross' mother wrote on her blog of the alleged overdose deaths. "Obviously the prosecution wants to make Ross an example and give him as high a sentence as possible."The judge's agreement to delay the sentencing comes less than a day after she denied Ulbricht's motion for a new trial, which his defense team filed due to corruption in a federal investigation relating to Silk Road.The May 22 hearing, called a Fatico hearing, will allow the judge to decide whether to take certain evidence (like the overdose deaths) into account in the sentencing hearing. Forrest said Ulbricht is required to state what evidence he plans to put forth, as well as a list of witnesses he plans to have, by May 15.Ulbricht has already said he plans to appeal his conviction. His mother said his defense fund is "buried in debt from the trial" and is soliciting donations on the website.
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