A judge says that Suffolk County District Attorney Tim Sini can continue the prosecution of the woman charged with killing anti-gang activist Evelyn Rodriguez last year.
The defense asked for the appointment of a special prosecutor due to Sini’s close relationship with Rodriguez.
The judge ruled there is no indication that the relationship has unfairly affected the prosecution.
Rodriguez’s daughter Kayla Cuevas was murdered by members of the MS-13 gang in September 2016. Rodriguez and Sini had worked on anti-gang programs.
Rodriguez was killed on the second anniversary of Kayla’s death when she was struck by a car driven by Annemarie Drago at a memorial at the site of her daughter’s murder.
The defense says Drago perceived Rodriguez as a threat when she approached Drago’s car.