.png)
‘We are confused; Justice System in disarray’ – Residents
The group included to a greater extent senior students of the Elmore Stoutt High School (ESHS), some H. Lavity Stoutt Community College (HLSCC) first year students and others from various sectors of society. The group said that they usually meet informally as friends and discuss things that are positive and negatively affecting their lives.
“We never really thought about going to the news people with these things but we saw you passing (VINO reporter) and immediately we thought that we could share our concerns with you because we think VINO have the guts to be candid and everybody reads VINO if they like y’all or not they read VINO,” one person from the group declared.
They pleaded not to be named as most of them said that some of the situations they are referring to involved even some of their family members. “We love our people, right is right and wrong is wrong but we feel that we need to understand why and how certain things happen,” one said.
According one of the youths they became very concerned recently about the way they have been observing justice being dispensed especially in the Magistrate’s Court and they called the names of Senior Magistrate Ms Tamia Richards and Magistrates Dr Velon L. John and Ayana Baptiste-DaBreo.
“To a greater extent I seem to be thinking that Magistrate Ayana is doing most things fairly but there are some questions. I don’t know what to say about Ms Richards and Dr John is a force to be reckoned with,” said one young woman.
They all had particular issues primarily with the cases of Shawn Williams who was fined $2k and a two year suspended sentence after being found guilty of firearm, Keon Leonard and Kai DeCastro who were found guilty for the offense of carrying an unlicensed firearm among other offenses and were both fined $2k each payable immediately and a suspended sentence of two years imprisonment for the firearm offense.
The other was of two interdicted police officers Wendell Anthony and Marvin Robinson who were found guilty on October 8, 2014 by Magistrate Dr. Velon L. John for beating 18 year old Brandon George back in 2012 and were each fined $2k.
They then compared to the case of Edmond Colaire 33 years old who was sentenced to 15 months behind bars when he appeared before Magistrate Ayana Baptise-DaBreo at the Magistrate's Court on October 29, 2014 despite his begging for mercy.
“The others had nothing to say before sentencing and in our judgment the other cases were much more daring and they got a chance. We are so confused and we would love to see the Minister for Education and even the Premier, Hon [Julian Fraser RA], Hon [Andrew A. Fahie], we want them to help us find a forum where we can get better understanding of what’s going on,” said one on behalf of the group.
“We got serious political questions for them too that’s not related to court. Something like Follow the Movement forum will work,” one said.
_(2)1.png)
.png)
_-_Made_with_PosterMyWall.jpg)
_(2)_02.png)
_02.png)
Follow Us On
30 Responses to “‘We are confused; Justice System in disarray’ – Residents”
Colaire sentencing and talking about it.
It sickens me to the core to know that a man LITERALLY BEGGED for mercy and got thrown behind bars for 15 months for an old shot gun (no ammunition) and, to the very place where it is alleged that another man resides for making an attempt on the individual’s life. If the magistrate court is sending a message, it is sending a message of dysfunction. There seems to be a power struggle in there. I wonder what the MESSAGE (to the BVI masses) will be in reference to the recent matter on guns and ammunition found in the home down west side.
Something needs to be done with regards to standing by the Laws of our Land.!!!!!!!!!!
After reading that article it almost brought tears to my eyes. This young man begged for mercy! Mercy (our justice system) said no! Yet that same justice system of ours find it so easy to pat others on the shoulder with a small fine and suspended sentence and send them on their way. I love my country and that's why I speak!
Thanks VINO for the great work!