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Accused Brooklyn Subway Shooter Had To Be Retrieved From Cell By U.S. Marshals After Refusing To Show For Court Date

Frank James shot 10 people in April.

The man accused of opening fire on a New York City subway in April, Frank James, attempted to skip his court date.

According to AmNY, he did not appear for a scheduled court appearance on the afternoon of Wednesday (Oct. 12). James was reportedly a no-show because of an undisclosed health issue; therefore, he would not leave his cell. Judge William Kuntz ordered U.S. Marshals to use “all necessary force” to retrieve him.

Judge Kuntz said, “This is a question of a defendant who willfully refused to appear. I’m not tolerating that. This is not a dress rehearsal, this is real life.” U.S. Marshals retrieved him, but force was not needed. James eventually arrived two hours late and apologized to the court.

James’ lawyers requested to postpone his trial, scheduled for Feb. 27, 2023. They wanted to see how the man accused of setting off at a bomb at the Times Square subway station in 2017 would be sentenced to determine sentencing guidelines. The judge refused the request and the trial will continue as scheduled.

RELATED: BREAKING: New York Police Arrest Frank James A Day After Mass Shooting On Brooklyn Subway

Prosecutors say James boarded a subway train in Brooklyn on Apr. 12, put on a gas mask, and ignited two smoke bombs as the train moved with passengers aboard. As the train pulled into a station, he pulled out a gun and fired 33 shots, hitting ten people. His gun jammed and he was unable to fire more shots. No one died in the attack. The police arrested James the next day in Manhattan’s East Village.

Authorities did not identify a motive for the attack, WPIX reported at the time. However, James reportedly posted videos on YouTube where he unleashed bigoted rants about people of various backgrounds.

The 62-year-old is charged with one count of a terrorist attack, violence on a mass transit system, and one count of discharging a firearm during a violent crime. He faces a maximum life sentence in prison for each count if convicted.

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