“Junie Balls” appeals, tries to make bail

The announcement in today’s “Amandala” may have been premature. No, George “Junie Balls” McKenzie was not released on ten thousand dollars bail Thursday night, pending appeal of his conviction on prohibited weapon charges. The point is, however, that he could be. With bail set at twenty thousand, comprising half for McKenzie and half to be provided by a surety, the well known former gang leader could be free while his appeal is processed in the supreme court. And how long might that be? According to Attorney General Godfrey Smith, he will push to have the appeal fast-tracked and decided within a week. Smith, the man who hired private attorney Simeon Sampson to successfully prosecute McKenzie, believes that there were no errors of law in the case and its appeal will be quickly rejected. To underscore his impatience he added: “I am not going to let a notorious criminal abuse the system.” George “Junie Balls” McKenzie and Eugene “Jackie” Neal were each sentenced to four and a half years in prison by Chief Magistrate Herbert Lord, for possession of a prohibited “Tec 9” machine gun and thirty-three rounds of ammunition. At news time, McKenzie had yet to meet his twenty thousand-dollar requirement and will therefore be spending the weekend at least…in Hattieville.