A federal judge today ordered the case of Frank James to continue in connection with his alleged involvement in a subway attack in New York City. The defendant is being held without bail as the proceedings move toward a short trial in which he has pleaded not guilty.
James is represented by court-appointed counsel, Mia Eisner-Grynberg. Reports indicate that the defense agreed James would remain in federal custody without bail, with the possibility of seeking bail later from the court, a step often taken to allow the defendant to navigate pretrial conditions.
During the hearing in federal court in Brooklyn, James was described as wearing the cream-colored federal prison uniform. Given his prior history, he is slated for a psychiatric evaluation to assess his mental health as part of the judicial process.
The prosecution told the court that the incident on the subway was premeditated, noting that the suspect wore a construction worker helmet and jacket as a disguise before removing them to avoid recognition. The court heard that the attack occurred on a crowded train around 8:30 in the morning, frightening commuters and disrupting a routine city commute that has not seen such a level of violence in years.
According to the prosecutors, two smoke devices were deployed and shots were fired indiscriminately at passengers on the N line in Brooklyn. Authorities reported multiple injuries, with ten gunshot wounds confirmed and additional victims treated for related injuries or exposure to harmful substances during the chaos.
The defense described the act as planned and orchestrated, while officials warned that the defendant poses a serious danger to the community if released. They urged that James be kept in custody pending trial to prevent further risk to the public.
The timeline of events places James being apprehended roughly 30 hours after the shooting, following his reported location to authorities near a popular fast-food establishment in Manhattan. Prosecutors also argued that James had access to firearms and other weapon-related tools and that such materials were stored in a warehouse, suggesting the potential for additional attacks had he not been stopped.
Evidence presented indicated that the day before the assault, the defendant rented a U-Haul truck in Philadelphia and then crossed into Brooklyn via the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge in the early hours of the morning. The prosecution asserted that James arrived in Brooklyn with weapons and the necessary equipment to carry out a large-scale attack, including a pistol, a can of gasoline, a torch, and fireworks consistent with the alleged plan.
Brooklyn’s federal prosecutors stated that the 62-year-old defendant did not resist arrest and is expected to face a life sentence if convicted on charges related to a terrorist-type attack on a public transportation vehicle. The proceedings continue as the court weighs the evidence and the appropriate pretrial conditions in a case that has drawn national attention for its severity and implications for urban safety.