Zuberi opts to represent himself for federal court sentencing, asks to extend deadline

    MEDFORD, Oregon (KDRV) -- A Klamath Falls man convicted of federal kidnapping, sex and weapon charges says today he needs more time to file motions in his defense.

30-year-old Negasi Zuberi, now signing his court documents as Sakima Zuberi, filed a federal court motion in Medford today. He's asking the court to extend a deadline it set for tomorrow for Zuberi's motions in his defense.

Chief United States District Judge Michael J. McShane set the deadline last month, when he also granted Zuberi's requested waiver of counsel, leaving Zuberi to represent himself as his own legal counsel for sentencing this month.

Zuberi has sentencing January 17, 2025, in federal court in Medford for his October conviction there for kidnapping two women in a case with testimony that outlined rape, impersonation of police, and usage of a handgun, taser, handcuffs, leg irons, threats and a home-made cinder block captivity cell to subdue the women in the Klamath Falls home he rented from the mayor.

Court notes show Judge McShane's held a Faretta hearing for Zuberi last month, which is a hearing to ensure a defendant understands implications of self-representation and to ensure a defendant makes an informed, voluntary choice to move forward with a case without legal counsel.

Zuberi's mother told NewsWatch 12 during the October trial that Zuberi had doubts about his legal representation, a sentiment that appears in U.S. District Court notes about his case.

A court order by Judge McShane issued December 18, 2024, wrote, "Mr. Zuberi has not, in his current motions ... shown a need for the court to order the government to produce the type of discovery he requests prior to his sentencing on 1/17/2025. His broad request for discovery seems aimed at establishing ineffective assistance of counsel, although nothing in these motions would lead the court to reconsider the verdict. As the court explained to Mr. Zuberi when he chose to represent himself, he will have to wait until after a judgement is entered in this case to seek post-conviction relief for any purported ineffective assistance of counsel."

The Court is providing the trial transcript to Zuberi "to refresh his memory about the facts of the case prior to sentencing." His chief counsel during his trial, Medford lawyer Michael Berthoff, told NewsWatch 12 in October he expected an appeal of the verdict, noting he'd challenged some testimony against Zuberi as inconsistent with case evidence.

Zuberi appears to now give himself a voice in federal court as his own legal representation after he refused to testify on his behalf during testimony, then tried to testify too late in the trial process when he insisted he should get to testify after both defense and prosecution attorneys had rested their cases after closing arguments.

The federal court has appointed an investigator to assist Zuberi gather and review evidence, and the Court noted government (prosecution) "may choose to provide Mr. Zuberi certain documents or video evidence prior to sentencing, but the court is not ordering them to do so at this time."

Zuberi has filed a motion to delay his sentencing which McShane denied.

McShane granted Zuberi's Waiver of Counsel and ordered Zuberi's motions due by January 7, 2025, for which Zuberi filed a motion for a continuance, or extension, today.