Janelle Christie
On Monday October 10, the St Ann Circuit Court opened with 101 cases to be tried. Of the 101 cases, 58 were circuit court matters, and the other 43 were gun court matters.
Despite all the challenges of the justice system outlined to high court judge Justice Viviene Harris by defense attorney, Linton Gordon in his welcome, it was expected that at least a few cases would be tried.
However, the expressed expectation of Justice Harris to try at least ten cases per week did not materialize in the first week
Although the circuit will be having only a four-week sitting that will run from October 10 to November 4, no case was tried up to Friday October 14. In anticipation of trial, the jurors were attending court until Thursday morning when they were dismissed. “The jurors have been coming here since Monday, and I can’t understand what’s going on here!” Justice Harris said in court on Thursday in response to the situation.
At least one case was stood down as a result of a resource challenge. The court did not have a photocopying machine which is needed to prepare documents vital for trial and only recently, one was bought. In other matters, crown witnesses, complainants or the accused involved in the matters did not turn up. In some instances, it was said that they are not being warned by the persons who are authorized to do so and something has to be done about the attitudes of the persons with these responsibilities. On the other hand, some of the complainants and accused have cases of emergency, while others have not settled their legal representation.
Some of the cases which were stood down include:
Ranwan Mandyal, Indian national charged with manslaughter; Kimonette Johnson for obtaining property by false pretense; Kevin Peterkin for murder;
Rickland James for murder and Michael Thompson for illegal possession of firearm and assault.
The witnesses in a gun related matter for which Oshane Francis was charged, did not appear before the court for trial on Tuesday. This was not the first trial date they have missed and as a result he was offered the formal verdict of not guilty.
Circuit is set to resume on Tuesday October 18 with at least one case that is ready for trial.
