Night Court? Chief Justice hears arguments about Mark King

Denys Barrow

The People’s United Party went to the Supreme Court today for the second time this week in respect of election petitions. On Monday the court granted leave for an election petition against Herman Longsworth who failed to disclose a contract for the construction of the perimeter fence at the Marion Jones Stadium. Today, Martin Galvez was in court hoping to have Mark King disqualified and removed from the House of Representatives as the Area Rep for Lake Independence. Attorneys for King and Galvez sat in the courtroom of Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin from three this afternoon until six-thirty this evening. They heard passionate arguments from Senior Counsels Denys Barrow and Lisa Shoman on whether or not King’s Brint’s Security services has a contract to provide twenty-four hour security for the Charles Bartlett Hyde building and the sales tax office in San Ignacio. Chief Justice Benjamin reserved his judgment for two o’ clock on Wednesday. News Five spoke to Denys Barrow as he exited the courtroom a few minutes ago.

Denys Barrow, Attorney for Mark King

“Two arguments on our side; that the application is entirely misconceived—that the qualifying affidavit needed to support this application is hopeless; it violates all sorts of rules.”

Marion Ali, Love News

“It appears as if though your arguments were based more on procedural law than the contents of the petition…”

Denys Barrow

“Oh at this stage, it is not a question of the content of the petition because as you will gather, one does not go into it at this stage at all. So on the leave application, you treat everything which is said as if though it were correct and decide whether if everything said was correct does that still entitle them to get leave.”

Jose Sanchez

Lisa Shoman

“What were your points about Marlon Clarke?”

Denys Barrow

“Marlon Clarke swore an affidavit on the twenty-seventh of March and deposed, he swore to what took place on the twenty-eight of march, the day after.”

Jose Sanchez

“Specifically what Mr. Marlon Clarke was charged to do on behalf of your team?”

Lisa Shoman, Attorney for Martin Galvez

“Mister Clarke was asked to do a company search—I believe that there was an error on the face of it. But be that as it may, these things do occur and in a trial this is the kind of thing where you call the witness and say look, “What is this? Is this date correct?” And the witness would say, “I made a mistake as to the date; it was a typing error—that type of thing.” But he conducted a search at the companies’ registry.”