Federal judge in NYC closes piracy suspect’s hearing to public because he may be a juvenile

Fed judge in NYC closes piracy suspect’s hearing

NEW YORK — A federal judge in New York has determined that the sole survivor of a pirate attack on an American cargo ship off the Somali coast is an adult. On Tuesday, prosecutors and defense attorneys argued in a New York courtroom over whether Abdiwali Abdiqadir Muse is a juvenile or an adult. Muse’s age has been reported to be 15 or 18.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Andrew Peck closed the hearing for a time for fear that Muse is a juvenile. He later allowed reporters back in and told them he had decided Muse wasn’t under 18.