Rape Accusation Will Change Lives of Accused and Accuser

Richard ‘Dickie’ Bradley

From a legal perspective, Magistrate Rodriguez has retained the services of attorney Herbert Panton who will represent the accused when he is brought before the Chief Magistrate on Wednesday.  According to Senior Counsel Richard ‘Dickie’ Bradley, while Rodriguez enjoys protection from legal challenges in his capacity as a sitting magistrate, he is not insulated from criminal charges for infractions that may occur outside of his official role.

Richard ‘Dickie’ Bradley, Attorney at Law

“Magistrates are in fact protected in terms of the security of their job in their job.  Clearly it doesn’t mean that you protect someone who goes on the outside of the job.  He enjoys security of tenure as a magistrate.  The law is that you are interdicted when you are charged for a very serious, when you are charged for a criminal offense, and then he would have to be on half pay until the matter is finalized or the complainant withdraws.  In fact, with all the lot of media and all the hoopla over this matter, the person has not yet been charged.  So there is a possibility that the complainant may say and, in fact, we know from what the complainant has said, that they had a relationship previously.  It’s not a stranger, it’s not someone jumping out in the dark with a weapon and so on.  So who know what will happen with it.  It is a sad situation, it’s a tragic situation and if interviews have been given to the media by the complainant, I mean I know you are going to go on the air shortly but it is advisable to be circumspect with what is going to be said by a complainant in a delicate, sensitive matter which will involve a jury.  A lawyer is going to jump on what she says so she would want to be very careful with what she is saying in the matter.”

News Five will have more on this developing story in Wednesday’s newscast.