Cheryl-Lynn Vidal to be confirmed
cheryl-lynn vidal
She has been in office for almost two years as Acting Director of Public Prosecutions but with the state of the judiciary under the microscope in respect of appointments and retirements, there is word that Government will be moving to confirm the appointment of the DPP. Already at odds with the Bar Association over the treatment of the Chief Justice on his retirement and the recent appointment of a Court of Appeal Justice on an ad hoc basis, government has agreed to press ahead to appoint Cheryl-Lynn Vidal as the substantive Director of Public Prosecutions. Vidal was appointed Acting DPP back in 2008 which means that she has been “acting” for a particularly lengthy period. Her original contract, we are told expired in June.
What a disaster for Belize. This woman is incompetent.
She never acted as DPP.She acted more as an extension to the criminal element in Belize.
this woman have done thing good. she has not earn a dollars. Chery-lynn should be locked up for all those criminals who are free because she is not doing her job. she is incompetent and should be should be jailed for allowing the criminals to go free and terrorizing the public. the government wants her there because they need a puppet as dpp.
it is so sad to meet a time waster a person who is obviously in conflict with the law herself and may be in need of rehabilitation.
She is in over her head… We all know that!!!
She should be given the post of Director of Nolle Prosequi….incompetent indeed. Get rid of her!
How many times has SHE DROPPED THE BALL??????????
same
I am not being facetious here, this sound like a very important appointment. Director Public Prosecutions, so what qualifications and experiences would a person need to have?
I have tried looking for the CVs of these people I continually see being appointed to these important positions and I can’t find them. Shouldn’t it be the case that we are able to review the CVs of these people and so be able to make an informed judgement on whether or not their appointment is appropriate? After all they are representing the public or not? It would also stop comments such as ‘She an incompetent woman’. I can assure you, I have meet more incompetent men in the workplace than I have women. Certainly, gender should not exclude her from this role.
If anyone knows of an URL where I can review the CVs of key members of the Belize’s higher echelons please kindly direct me to it. It would be useful, as mit might just inspire some of the younger ones.
I am prepared to be enlightened?
There are more competent Belizeans for that post, why not appoint a local. That lady is a waste of time and money.
Charlotte Yearwood Martin says:
Your comment is awaiting moderation.
June 23, 2010 at 10:30 amI am not being facetious here, this sound like a very important appointment. Director Public Prosecutions, so what qualifications and experiences would a person need to have?
I have tried looking for the CVs of these people I continually see being appointed to these important positions and I can’t find them. Shouldn’t it be the case that we are able to review the CVs of these people and so be able to make an informed judgement on whether or not their appointment is appropriate? After all they are representing the public or not? It would also stop comments such as ‘She an incompetent woman’. I can assure you, I have meet more incompetent men in the workplace than I have women. Certainly, gender should not exclude her from this role.
If anyone knows of an URL where I can review the CVs of key members of the Belize’s higher echelons please kindly direct me to it. It would be useful, as might just inspire some of the younger ones.
I am prepared to be enlightened?
Charlotte Yearwood Martin says:
Your comment is awaiting moderation.
June 23, 2010 at 10:30 amI am not being facetious here, this sound like a very important appointment. Director Public Prosecutions, so what qualifications and experiences would a person need to have?
I have tried looking for the CVs of these people I continually see being appointed to these important positions and I can’t find them. Shouldn’t it be the case that we are able to review the CVs of these people and so be able to make an informed judgement on whether or not their appointment is appropriate? After all they are representing the public or not? It would also stop comments such as ‘She an incompetent woman’. I can assure you, I have meet more incompetent men in the workplace than I have women. Certainly, gender should not exclude her from this role.
If anyone knows of an URL where I can review the CVs of key members of the Belize’s higher echelons please kindly direct me to it. It would be useful, as it might just inspire some of the younger ones.
I am prepared to be enlightened?
I am not being facetious here, this sound like a very important appointment. Director Public Prosecutions, so what qualifications and experiences would a person need to have?
I have tried looking for the CVs of these people I continually see being appointed to these important positions and I can’t find them. Shouldn’t it be the case that we are able to review the CVs of these people and so be able to make an informed judgement on whether or not their appointment is appropriate? After all they are representing the public or not? It would also stop comments such as ‘She an incompetent woman’. I can assure you, I have meet more incompetent men in the workplace than I have women. Certainly, gender should not exclude her from this role.
If anyone knows of an URL where I can review the CVs of key members of the Belize’s higher echelons please kindly direct me to it. It would be useful, as it might just inspire some of the younger ones.
I am prepared to be enlightened?
I agree the DPP is a waste of time and money. She is a qualified attorney but is unable to win her cases under her there has been too many nolle pros, I guess that is the way the government wants it. Persons in the position to fight the criminal elements are rewarded for incompetence.
Sorry, for the duplications in my previous posting. Trying to doing too many things at the same time. In any case I hope that you get the point.
hang the DPP
she’s incompetent. the burro administration is a disaster. they must GOOOOO!
isn’t she the brackertate person.. oh i guess she got married or divorce… either way she is still incompetent . Lawd barrow let me guess all the other qualified people who can do a good job at this post are not trust worthy either, like how yu wife is the only trust worthy lawyer in ur eyes… When well the nepotism stop. Please give me a break.. Too much nolle pros, i didn’t even know of this phrase until it stated to come on news and guess who name is always prosent with a nolle pros- cheryl-lynn vidal – i understand now why she drop the brackette (bad vibes) guess what its not the name is the person. Hang the Acting DPP..out with her.
Apart from all the political postings….I think the cases her office prosecutes has a lot to do with problems with the investigations. Until we fix that, her job will always be harder. I think she’s doing the best with what she has to work with.
I agree with Collin. The general public see a lot of non-favorable verdicts coming out of the court system but they do not understand the whole logistic behind each of these convictions. Any case that goes to court has the backbone work from a lot of other people. The Police, the prosecutor, the DPP are all separate entities working for the same cause. Cases fall apart not only because of the police or the prosecutor….they fall apart mostly because of the lack of proper investigation and the simple following of protocol in substanciating a case. Not to mention the fact that witnesses don’t want to go to court and testify. The criminals hire lawyers to find the loophole in our system and that is the problem.
To: Charlotte Yearwood Martin
For some background info on Vidal, read this article published in 2008: http://www.reporter.bz/index.php?mod=archive&act=view&article=2788
money thats all there is to say money makes every thing
She dropped the ball too many times to keep playing. We need someone NEW!!!
Just another blow to our justice system,she is very incompitent,like the rest of our government official.
Belizean lawyers win more cases than her in court, why does she lose many well she is not from Belize so how will she have learned the laws better than people who grew up in Belize. The other issue is that from the beginning she is a political appointee so no one believes her impartiality nor her judgement just as with the ‘firing’ of Abdullah Conteh, While Belizeans might seem asleep them still inteligent enough fu see thru that, Belizeans who had taken posts almost like hers a few months afterwards dropped it like a bomb, having personally know these people and they being red, they themselves are women who when gov’t says ‘jump’ them no ‘dance.’ When she starts showing genuine and valid impartiality in her cases then we will trust in her, but for now, independently of lawyers finding loopholes to win her, why do not they hire these Belizean lawyers who win most cases hmmm?
The DPP is not the only problem at that office, she has incompetent people working under her that cant make the right decisions. The DPP is being misled by her crown counsel’s who advise her about evidence in cases that are really not there in those case files. The DPP doesnt peruse all casefiles that are sent there by the police, she delegates a crown counsel to read them and then the crown counsel writes a memorandum signing on Ms. Vidal’s behalf. More than half of those cases she doesnt even have knowledge about. A particular crown counsel name …… doesnt know her … from her elbow when it comes to law. A senior investigator without a law degree knows more than her. She is green out of law school. DPP office needs more experienced attorneys as crown counsel’s. When they go to court to prosecute the cases there is no evidence to proceed, so what they do is nolle prosequi which simply means that the case is still open if the DPP office finds new evidence to proceed at a later date. I must also mention that the DPP and the Commissioner of Police doesnt see eye to eye and cant agree on anything but in the longer run the commissioner has to follow her instructions cause the DPP office knows how to abuse their powers. In the longer run the DPP office will run into problems because the general public will start to sue their … for abuse of powers when the know they dont have evidence against someone and they still proceed in doing so. DPP AND HER CROWN COUNSEL NEEDS TO GET THEIR ACT TOGETHER
Regrettably, Ms. Branker-Tate Vidal has demonstrated amply in the past 2 years that she does not possess the wherewithal to competently carry out this responsiblility. In plain English, she does not have the competence. Under her watch, not only has nolle prosequi become a term that all Belizeans are too painfully familiar with, but the attrition rate of crown counsel directly attributable to her management of her office, is unacceptably high. Belize deserves far better. This is reality, not politics. Restore the competence and credilbility in the DPP’s Office. Restore Belize’s faith in the criminal Justice system. Start by appointing a qualified DPP.
Spend some money to get a proper forensic lab. Train new crime scene investigators that have nothing to do with the police force. We can not depend on eye withnesses anymore.
Put more police check points on the road and like one person suggested, with cameras that run 24/7. Make the check points toll areas also in order to generate some income to pay for some of this and upkeep of highways. If the investigators are separate from the police, then even if someone is setup by corrupt cops, the investigators with proper equipment should be able to take care of this. Im sure there are many 1st world countries that would gladly train these people for us. Belize was the only peaceful country in that region and im sure big brother UK or USA would not like to see us fall away from that as it would not serve their agenda either.
It doesn’t matter how many Forensic Labs the Barrow Administration builds in Belize.At the end of the day if the person handling the evidence has no integrity then it’s pointless.The evidence is only as good as the handler.
I think it is a mistake to have this woman run the DPP office. First look at the case with the 5 men charge with murder in the cemetery. No case file she is not good for this country. Send her back and get someone better to do the job. Kick her out now before it too late.
Lisa Shoman; I have mixed feelings about your comments on the DPP. As was rightly pointed out by someone else the flood of nolle pros which seems to be the order of the day most certainly is attributed to such factors as the investigation, collection of evidence, the preservation and presentation of same etc, etc…. In your capacity as a trained Attorney I am positive that you are familiar with ,”due process”. Therefore the case is only as strong or as weak as it is handed to the DPP. You sure you not grinding an axe Lisa?
lol @ c….hang the dpp…haha…funny. Put some sense into it no?
Mr. Louisville, KY, lef Ms. Lisa lone. She is a highly trained lawyer and knows what she is talking about. I fully support your comment Ms. Shoman.
I agree with you Mrs.Lisa,thatz the rite thing u said, and the truth might hurt sometimes but we need to be realistic and accept what is going wrong with our justice system,and ALL a we Belizeans know that under the DPP of Ms.cheryl lynn “brankertait’ vidal we have seen so many nolli prosequis’ just in 2008 there were about 85 of them so I believe she is not capable to handle the DPP office and she should not accept that post ,or if she hasn’t shame she should resign,as well as the commisioner of police,”MURDERERS ARE GETTING out of jail like if nothing happened” while the DPP,COMISSIONER,GOB,POLICE, are asleep………
I agree with Colin. How can she win cases if investigations are not done properly. It doesn’t matter who you put there they will lose if the police don’t do a proper job and if people keep catching amnesia. One can’t stand up in court and win a case by hear-say. it needs the proof. So don’t blame the lady. She reviews a disclosure and if the facts don’t look straight she won’t go and look stupid in front of the court. The police have to get better training upon doing their investigations for her to do a good job.
I am now convince that both government do not want to see justice serve, how in the hell can they confirm her with a 7% conviction rate, what has she done so special for the politicians that none have the gutz to say no, and none want to speak the truth about her service, then when street justice reaches our home, we wonder why.