It is not often that judges’ names are bandied about in the public forum, largely because they are considered sacrosanct. Speaking on the conduct of those judges is a walk on hallowed and dangerous ground. But Justice Awich seems to be in the news a lot lately, and today he was the subject of an […]
Twenty-seven year old Ladyville fisherman, Leroy Samuel Ruiz is in plenty trouble with the law; this morning he pleaded guilty to fishing in the Glovers Reef Marine Reserve without a license. The repeat offender is hoping that the magistrate will fine, but not confine him for the offense. Ruiz appeared before Magistrate Herbert Panton and […]
In November of 2010, a plane famously landed on the Southern Highway, and nearby authorities found over twenty-nine thousand kilos of suspected cocaine with a street value of close to a hundred and seventy million Belize dollars. Six persons, police officers Corporal Renel Grant, Corporal Nelson Middleton, Sergeant Lawrence Humes, and Sergeant Jacinto Roches; former […]
The Pickwoad family, along with attorney Audrey Matura-Shepherd, was back in court today, where a land dispute involving a parcel situated at the corners of Chetumal Street and Albert Hoy Avenue will be heard before Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin. In December 2013, it was discovered that the property belonging to Bernadette Pickwoad has been assigned […]
A few months ago, nineteen year-old George “Junie Balls” McKenzie was accused of pulling the trigger on a man who was shot on Victoria Street. But just when he was about to be arraigned on a murder charge before Senior Magistrate Sharon Fraser, the arraignment was halted and McKenzie Junior was held in police […]
This morning, attorneys for the Cotton Tree Village Council and the government of Belize met in Supreme Court for case management. The dispute is over two hundred and fifty-four lots which were acquired by government and subdivided. The lots were then issued to eight U.D.P. area representatives in Belize City for distribution to their supporters. […]
Marshalleck is also the attorney on record for the Valley of Peace Farmers’ Association, currently in dispute with agricultural giant Green Tropics. So-called peaceful negotiations broke down more than a week ago when farmers were handed an eviction notice by the company. The matter started with a claim by farmers that Green Tropics had damaged […]
At around three this afternoon, the Court of Appeal struck out an application by attorneys for the government of Belize. In 2010, young Benjamin and Onelia Rash went missing in Toledo, and residents of their home village San Marcos were convinced that the disappearance of the children had something to do with the crocodile research […]
Twenty-seven-year-old Marlon Foreman, who was initially accused of murder and three counts of attempted murder, gained his freedom today. Foreman was behind bars since January 2009 for the shooting death of Barney Cunningham who succumbed on January sixth. Foreman had also been charged with the attempted murder of Edmund Castillo, Enrique Alvarez, and Glenford Myers. He […]
A nineteen year old woman alleges that bail bondsman Adil Abdullah raped her on June thirteenth in an area off Mile eight on the George Price Highway. She has provided specific details to the police saying among other things that the sexual abuse happened when he was to take her to an apartment and […]
A murder conviction against Lavern “Anti-Christ’’ Longsworth was reduced to manslaughter by the Court of Appeal today. Longsworth was convicted of the murder of her common-law husband, David White, back on November first, 2012. She was sentenced to life in prison for dousing White with kerosene and setting him on fire at their Castle Street […]
The alleged master-mind in an immigration scam, Marleny Elizabeth Castellanos and her common-law-husband, Alfredo Marcos, were both granted bail around twelve o’clock despite strong objections from the office of D.P.P. on the basis that the couple is considered a flight risk. Justice Troadio Gonzalez granted bail in the sum of twenty thousand dollars to […]
In November 2011, then-Supreme Court Justice Minnet Hafiz Bertram awarded over ninety-three thousand dollars in general damages and a further twenty-three thousand dollars in costs to three Belize City men who sued for false imprisonment and malicious prosecution after being wrongfully accused of involvement in a murder in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye. Micah Thompson, […]
It was a busy day in court….Interdicted Police Constable, Jesus Marroquin, was today granted Supreme Court bail in the sum of eight thousand dollars. Around eleven this morning, Justice Troadio Gonzalez granted Marroquin bail for the offense of attempted murder. Gonzalez is one of four cops that were charged in connection with the shooting of […]
For days police have been investigating an allegation of rape made by a nineteen year old woman against a well-known bail bondsman. Well tonight, sixty-five year old Adil Abdullah, who is also known as Errol Bishop, has been charged with a single count of rape. Abdullah was arrested on Wednesday and arraigned this morning before […]
A Lord’s Bank man, who was facing prison time for allegedly beating up a man while on a local bus then damaging his shirt, was today reprimand and freed of the offenses of wounding and damage to property. Fifty-two year-old Kenrick Robert Major appeared before the Chief Magistrate, Anne Marie Smith today for allegations of […]
Turning to the courts…today, a well groomed and smiling Felicia Chen arrived at court extremely jovial but left crying after her case for murder was traversed to the next session of the Supreme Court which is set to commence in October. Chen is charged with the murder of three of her four children. This […]
A Caye Caulker businessman, who was accused of sexually assaulting a thirteen year-old student on the island more than a year ago, was today freed of the sexual offense of aggravated assault of an indecent nature. Forty-two year old Jerod Dawson was accused by the minor of placing a “hickey” on her neck on May […]
Businessman Luke Espat is personally liable to the Belize Bank to the tune of twenty-nine point four million dollars. That’s the ruling which was handed down this afternoon by the Court of Appeal. Espat was before the court with his attorney, Said Musa, seeking leave to appeal a decision handed down by Justice Courtney Abel […]
At his press conference last week, Prime Minister Dean Barrow confirmed that the contract of Justice of Appeal Samuel Awich has been renewed and extended until he is seventy-five. The decision by the PM comes despite a resolution from the Bar Association withholding support for the Justice’s appointment. It is not the first time that […]
And then Courtenay really got doing, calling Prime Minister Dean Barrow a liar…not only that…but a Penner-loving, Castro-hugging liar. Eamon Courtenay, President, Bar Association “So for the Prime Minister to say that I am sweating fever for the Ashcroft Group because we lost the case in which Justice Awich is involved is a comprehensive […]
On Friday, the Supreme Court did away with G.O.B.’s injunction against BGYEA prohibiting that association from planting corn on sixty acres of land in Harmonyville which they say is a buffer zone. It was seen as a victory for the grassroots organization pending the hearing of the substantive matter. This morning government issued a press […]
Today, the Supreme Court heard an application from SATIIM et al for an injunction against the government of Belize and US Capital Energy. It’s was actually a post-judgment injunction, since a decision and a perfected order have both been delivered. SATIIM et al claims that the government is not following the orders of the court, […]
The case against US Capital and the Government of Belize, at its inception, was brought by SATIIM and five buffer communities. Still, at his press conference on Wednesday Prime Minister Dean Barrow made it exceptionally clear that while he is quite happy to host discussions, SATIIM will not be invited to the table. Attorney Eamon […]
The Ministry of Natural Resources has also been taken to court over the acquisition and distribution of two hundred and fifty-four lots in Cotton Tree. The allegation is that those lots have been split between the eight U.D.P. Area Representatives in Belize City, to be handed over to political supporters in their respective constituencies. The […]
