A federal judge has authorized U.S. Marshals to use force if necessary to bring Eugene “Big U” Henley Jr. to court.
According to a September 19 report from Complex, U.S. District Judge Fernando L. Aenlle-Rocha issued the order after authorities said Henley refused to leave his cell for a September 17 hearing.
The hearing involved an emergency request from Henley’s attorneys to withdraw from the case.
The order allows marshals to use “reasonable force and restraints” to produce Henley in court, according to the report. Before force is used, he must be read the order and given another opportunity to cooperate.
The order also says officers must account for any medical condition that could make forced removal unsafe.
Henley is fighting a federal criminal case and has not been convicted on the allegations at issue in that prosecution. The court order concerns whether he appears for proceedings; it is not a ruling on the underlying charges.
Complex reported that the order can apply to future proceedings as the case continues toward trial.
Because this is an active federal case, the distinction matters: an order governing courtroom attendance should not be read as evidence about guilt or innocence in the larger prosecution.
