‘Dudus’ gets his day in court; legal representation is another battle

Christopher Coke

Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke is in New York facing charges of Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine and Marijuana and Conspiracy to Illegally Traffic in Firearms. He was first arraigned last Friday and made a second court appearance on Monday. But the Jamaican strongman is having problems getting legal representation in the US. At the close of his last session in a Manhattan federal court, it was still uncertain whether Coke would have to be represented by a public defender or if he would be allowed to hire his own attorney. In order to obtain private representation, Coke must first prove that the money he will use to pay for an attorney is not the proceeds of criminal activity. In the meantime, Attorney Russel Neufeld has been appointed by the court to handle Coke’s case but Frank Doddato and his law team is on standby to takeover if Coke is allowed to retain them. If convicted, Coke’s sentence on the drug charges can range from the minimum of ten years in jail to life imprisonment. Coke returns to court on September seventh.