A New Jersey man waiting to stand trial on charges that he led one of the largest drug rings in Centre County history will have to wait for that trial, pending a ruling on a motion his attorney filed last week.
Taji Lee, 24, faces 38 drug-related counts and is accused of selling about $1.5 million worth of heroin and cocaine from late 2002 through late 2004.
Attorney Ronald McGlaughlin submitted a motion last Tuesday that, if granted, would allow Lee to leave prison until his trial date without posting any of the $1.5 million bail, McGlaughlin said.
Judge Charles Brown will hear arguments at 1 p.m. Wednesday in the Centre County Courthouse on the petition. If the motion is denied Wednesday, McGlaughlin added, he will appeal to the Middle District Superior Court.
A previous motion for nominal bail was denied Aug. 10 by Judge Thomas Kistler.
McGlaughlin said Lee qualifies for nominal bail because his constitutional right to a speedy trial was violated when he was not brought to trial within 180 days of his arraignment.
In an interview last week, Pennsylvania Senior Deputy Attorney General Mike Madeira said a continuance requested by McGlaughlin is the reason Lee's jail time has exceeded the 180-day period.
Madeira was not available for additional comment by press time yesterday.
McGlaughlin said the list of witnesses for Wednesday's hearing has not been finalized, but he will probably take the stand to testify.
"Very rarely do you see that, but it's because of the way it transpired with the scheduling of his preliminary hearing," he said.
Lee will also take the stand, he added.
McGlaughlin said that if Brown rules in Lee's favor, Lee will be released from Centre County Prison until his new trial date.
If it is denied, he said, Lee will spend additional time in prison awaiting the verdict on the motion. McGlaughlin said that if they had not appealed this issue before the verdict, Lee would lose his right to challenge it.
Lee will remain in Centre County Prison on $1.5 million bail until the final decision, he said.
"That's a heavy price for him to pay," McGlaughlin said. "But he is prepared to do so."
Lee was arrested Jan. 11 after he allegedly arranged a sale of 348 bags of heroin valued at $7,500 to an undercover police officer, according to court documents. When Lee approached the officer for the money, he was arrested outside a laundromat on 141 N. Barnard St.
He stands to serve at least 20 years in prison, Madeira said.
Brown denied last Thursday other motions to dismiss four counts of possession with intent to deliver and suppress certain phone conversations.
