From jail cell to Miami condo

Former student Moskovits released on supervised bail Former Wharton student and convicted drug trafficker Alexander Moskovits was released on bail Thursday, pending a new trial. Following his release from the federal courthouse in Philadelphia after over six years in prison, Moskovits flew to Miami late Thursday afternoon. There he awaits a new trial under house arrest in his mother's condominium. "The view of the ocean from here is a lot nicer than the one the other day [from prison]," Moskovits said in a telephone interview Friday. Moskovits won release from U.S. District Judge Louis Pollak on November 12, but because of the time required to process the necessary paperwork, Pollak did not sign the release order until last Tuesday and Moskovits was not freed until Thursday. And even after he left federal court, Moskovits' release hit a snag. He was scheduled on a 1 p.m. flight to Miami on American Airlines, but due to a flight attendants strike, he spent several hours stuck in Philadelphia International Airport before being able to board another airline's flight. Moskovits posted a $300,000 bail bond secured by two Florida properties owned by his relatives. While under house arrest, he will wear an electronic monitoring device and will have to report in person to federal court in Miami seven days a week. These conditions are not meant to be punitive, but were necessary to satisfy Pollak that Moskovits would not flee the country or be a danger to the community, Moskovits' Miami-based lawyer Scott Srebnick said Friday. The government had opposed Moskovits' release on any condition, but decided not to appeal Pollak's decision to free him. Moskovits, who was convicted in 1988 on 18 federal drug counts for trafficking 50 kilograms of cocaine, won a new trial from Pollak this summer after attorneys proved he received ineffective counsel from his original trial attorney Robert Simone. While under house arrest Moskovits said he will spend part of his time working on an independent study project on judicial ethics for Criminology Professor Marvin Wolfgang. Once this project is finished, Moskovits will have earned all the credits necessary to obtain his undergraduate Wharton degree.