“Faked Death Fugitive Nicholas Rossi Could Be Forced to Attend Court on Rape Charges, Judge Rules”

1. Fugitive faking death
2. Forced to court for faking death.

Accident – death – Obituary News : Man Extradited from Scotland to US After Faking death to Avoid Rape Charges Faces Court Appearance

A judge has ruled that Nicholas Rossi, a man who was extradited from Scotland to the United States after faking his death to avoid rape charges, could be forced to attend court. Rossi has now refused to appear at two separate court hearings in Utah on rape charges. The 36-year-old spent over two years fighting the case, claiming to be an Irish orphan named Arthur Knight.

During a hearing on Friday, Judge Barry Lawrence of Utah’s Third District Court was informed that Rossi had refused to appear via video link from prison. The hearing was regarding an allegation of rape in Salt Lake County. Rossi’s lawyer, Sam Duggan, stated that she was unaware of the reason behind his refusal to appear but mentioned that he suffers from various serious medical issues.

Representatives from the state requested the judge to issue an order allowing reasonable force to ensure Rossi’s attendance. The judge agreed to the request but stated that the order could be revoked if Rossi’s lawyer provides a valid reason for its removal.

In a separate hearing on Monday, Judge Derek Pullan of Utah’s Fourth District Court was informed that Rossi would not appear via video link from prison. A new date of 6 February has been set for his appearance, and Judge Pullan stated that if Rossi was not ill, he would authorize reasonable force to compel his attendance.

Rossi was arrested in December 2021 under an international arrest warrant after being admitted to a hospital in Glasgow with Covid-19. He claimed to be the victim of mistaken identity and insisted that his name was Arthur Knight. However, in November 2022, a sheriff in Edinburgh ruled that he was indeed Nicholas Rossi after confirming that his tattoos and fingerprints matched.

Rossi’s final appeal against extradition was rejected in December last year. Prosecutors in Utah have charged him with raping a 21-year-old woman in 2008. He remained unidentified as a suspect until approximately a decade later due to a backlog of DNA test kits at the state’s crime lab.

During a previous hearing, Rossi denied being Nicholas Rossi and instead claimed that his name was Arthur Knight Brown.

The next court appearance for Rossi is scheduled for 8 March in Utah’s Third District Court, while the appearance for the rape allegation in Utah County has been set for 6 February. The judges have granted orders to use reasonable force to ensure Rossi’s attendance, pending any valid reasons provided by his lawyer.

It remains to be seen how this legal battle will unfold as Rossi continues to maintain his alternate identity while facing serious charges..

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– Fugitive who faked death legal proceedings.