“I think the word challenging might best surmise this assizes and it was challenging and I am sure that some might say sometimes frustrating in that we were unable to have that continuous flow that we certainly may have liked,” said Senior Crown Counsel Mr Valston Graham. Photo: Facebook

The September - December assizes of the High Court in the Virgin Islands closed yesterday December 11, 2014. Photo: Internet source

It was the closing of the December 2014 session of the assizes of the High Court of the Virgin Islands. Mr Graham’s statement was complemented also by the sitting Judge Nicole Byer. Graham noted that he was not going to ascribe blame to anyone in particular because there were a number of factors that contributed to the causes for the expressed scenarios.

During the assizes Mr Graham stated that the High Court was able to substantially complete five matters/cases, two of which were retrials and which took up a considerably amount of the court’s time.

He was high in praise of his colleagues especially Senior Crown Counsel Ms Leslie Ann Faulkner whom he described as his ‘right hand’, and those who stood in defense of prisoners especially Mr Stephen R. Daniels and Mr Patrick Thompson.

Others including the jurors, reporters for the court and the general media, the police officers and other court staff, were also thanked.

“I want to thank the jurors as well, it is a civic duty that they perform but it is a civic duty that at times no doubt comes [through] personal discomfort and personal sacrifices but it’s an important one and I dare say they are the good women and men of society,” said Mr Graham.

He added that as jurors continue to be good women and men of society they are likely to be called upon. “It’s one of the benefits and role of being good people.”

Given the opportunity to make brief remarks Mr Daniels rose to his feet and said, “Mr Graham said it all,” which lightened the moment of the day with some laugher by all present.

The Judge, Ms Byer in having the last word said to the jurors who served from September to December, “Thank you, thank you, thank you.” She alluded to her being away from the court for a short period of the session but noted that she was kept abreast with what transpired.

“As Mr Graham alluded, it didn’t necessarily run as we wished it to but you still came and you came when you were summoned and we thank you,” she told the jurors.

She affirmed what Mr Graham had said that it is a duty that can sometimes be very onerous. “Without you and without those like you certainly the criminal justice system would be nonexistent as we know it in a democratic society,” said Judge Byer.

She described Mr Graham and Ms Faulkner as the stalwarts of the DDP’s office for the assizes and sessions. She said that come 2015 there is no longer going to be an opening and closing of the assizes, “Its simply going to start running, jumping straight into trials as such your service is going to be even more taxing in some events because once we start a trial, finish a trial we fall back and we start a trial… and that is how we are going to be continuing for 2015.” She said all the resources of all involved are going to be stretched and as such she appealed to the jurors for their patience as they learn the new system and work with each other.