January 1, Suspect Makes Demands After Leaked Jailhouse Photos Spark Outrage

Lawyers for Nima Momeni, the Silicon Valley entrepreneur facing murder charges for allegedly stabbing Cash App founder Bob Lee, are seeking a change of venue after jailhouse photos of the 38-year-old were published in the San Francisco Standard.

The pictures show Momeni posing in his cell, fixing his hair, art on the wall, and a stack of books on a desk, topped by a biography of Napoleon by Andrew Roberts.

Momeni’s attorneys criticized the paper for paying for the photos, which were allegedly taken under false pretenses by a photographer who was supposed to be taking pictures of the solitary confinement area.

“He was instructed not to take pictures of individuals in those cells, yet he did it anyways,” said Brad Cohen, one of Momeni’s lawyers, outside the courtroom.

The defense team’s concerns “resonated” with Judge Rochelle Nice, who found the situation troubling.

“The article that was published by the San Francisco Standard is so inappropriate and next level ugly, is the best term that I can use, that we felt compelled that we have to expedite our motion to change venue,” said Momeni’s attorneys.

The photos were pulled from syndication after the hearing. Momeni’s mother watched from the back of the courtroom, while his sister, Khazar Momeni, who played a central role in the fight that ended in Lee’s stabbing, did not attend. She was arrested earlier in the week on DUI and hit-and-run charges.

Momeni’s lawyers filed a second motion last week over his vehicle, which was seized after his arrest and has not been returned. According to San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins’ office, Momeni led Lee out of his sister’s apartment building, drove him to a parking lot, and allegedly stabbed him while the Miami transplant was visiting on a business trip.

The alleged murder weapon, a knife police say was covered in both Lee’s blood and Nima Momeni’s DNA, came from Khazar Momeni’s kitchen, according to police. Court documents reveal investigators recovered text messages exchanged between Lee and Khazar Momeni.

In one conversation, she told Lee he “handled himself with class” after her brother allegedly “came wayyyyyy down hard” on him.

Momeni has pleaded not guilty and is due back in court on Jan. 25.

Why It Matters (op-ed)

The case of Nima Momeni, accused of murdering Cash App founder Bob Lee, has taken an alarming turn. The unauthorized release of jailhouse photos in the San Francisco Standard has prompted Momeni’s lawyers to seek a change of venue, and rightly so.

The underhanded tactics used by the photographer and the paper’s willingness to pay for the images are a blatant attack on Momeni’s right to a fair trial. The judge’s reaction to this breach of trust is justified, as it further highlights the liberal media’s disregard for the justice system.

This case is a stark reminder of the importance of upholding the rights of the accused, regardless of the crime. We must resist the corrupting influence of sensationalism in our pursuit of justice.

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