The sole survivor of a pirate attack on an American ship cried in a lower Manhattan courtroom today as a dispute erupted over whether or not he is a juvenile.Aww, the poor baby.
The issue over the suspect's age - later determined to be 18 - will ensure that the case will be open to the public.
Manhattan Federal Court Judge Andrew Peck - over objections from reporters crowded into the small courtroom - ordered the hearing closed to the public.
During the hour-long hearing, the judge decided that Abduwali Abdukhadir Muse, whose age has been reported to be as young as 15, to be an adult after the teen's father testified by phone about his son's date of birth.
Before the courtroom was closed, Muse was asked if he understood that two lawyers were being assigned to his case because he reported having no financial resources.
Through an interpreter, Muse replied, "I understand. I don't have any money." He then cried when his lawyers mentioned contacting his family in Somalia.
Maybe Kuby can adopt him.
Muse - his scrawny 5-foot-2 frame so slight that his prison clothes draped loosely on his body - put his head in his uninjured hand in despair as his lawyers made their case.That's actually better than a doomed existence in Somalia.
Muse is charged with piracy, conspiracy to sieze a ship by force and other charges. If convicted, he faces life in prison.
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