Extradition proceedings for Lebanese businessman Khalid Jamil El Turk to be handed over to U.S. authorities continued this morning in the courtroom of Chief Magistrate Anne Marie Smith. El Turk, who is wanted for his role in conspiring to import pseudo-ephedrine, is being represented by senior counsel Edwin Flowers and attorney Anthony Sylvester. In his […]
At about seven-thirty on Wednesday night, a jury of seven women and two men concluded deliberations in the manslaughter trial of twenty-six year old Leshawn Lino. When they emerged after deliberating for about two hours and half, the verdict went in favor of Lino, the mother of three. The jury found her not guilty of […]
Also in court, the trial of Dean Bennett for a charge of attempted carnal knowledge and aggravated assault of an indecent nature was interrupted today by Judge Troadio Gonzalez. Bennett is accused of sexually abusing a ten year old girl. The trial was suddenly halted by the judge when Bennett displayed peculiar behavior, a mental […]
Charges of illegal entry were formally read to eleven Indian nationals, who appeared in the San Ignacio Magistrate’s Court today, after being detained by police on Tuesday for entering Belize unlawfully. Arraigned were thirty-six year old Ghanshyamkumar Patel, nineteen year old Ronakbhai Patel, thirty-one year old Davinder Singh, twenty-two year old Dalbir Singh, thirty-three year […]
There are growing reports of sexual abuse against minors. Forty-eight year old Honduran national, Jose Aquino, is the latest person to be remanded to prison following an allegation that he molested a nine year old girl. Aquino is being accused of touching the underage girl inappropriately in her private parts. On Tuesday, he appeared before […]
Twenty-two year old Felicia Chen, the mother who killed her three children, has been ordered back to a mental facility. She reappeared in court this morning for the April twenty-seventh triple homicide of her children. Dressed in full black and looking frightened and scared, Chen was assigned before Chief Magistrate Anne Marie Smith, who was […]
In court this morning, twenty-six year old Kareem Hamilton pleaded guilty to sodomizing a fifteen year old mentally challenged minor in April of 2011. Hamilton’s trial began with the selection of jury and he soon changed his plea from not guilty to guilty in the court of Justice Troadio Gonzalez. Hamilton showed no remorse and […]
A dispute between two women over how to talk to a two year has ended up in court with charges and counter charges. The incident occurred on Monday when thirty-six year old Stefanie Vargas and twenty-eight year old Chanique Robinson became embroiled in fight. Today, they appeared before the Belize City Magistrate’s Court to answer […]
Arguments in the case of Caleb Orozco versus the Attorney General of Belize wrapped up today in the chambers of Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin. The trial started on Tuesday and a total of fifteen lawyers—local, regional and international—argued the case in which Orozco is challenging the constitutionality of section fifty-three of the criminal code which […]
But even as the case wraps up, there is still confusion in many quarters on what exactly the claimant wants done to section fifty-three which penalizes persons who engage in carnal knowledge against the order of nature with a ten year prison term. According to propaganda and ads from the churches and other groups, Orozco […]
It might appear that national matters have come to a standstill as all eyes and ears focused this week on Caleb Orozco versus the Attorney-General. But the wheels of state are still turning, and so are the wheels of those with grievances against the state. A very significant appeal case is currently before the Caribbean […]
Eighteen year old Jonathan Gideon, accused of breaking into a residence on Victoria Street, appeared in court today, where he was charged with burglary. Reports are that on March twenty-third, Gideon, an unemployed of a Hensley Street address, entered the home of Elsworth Staine and stole a laptop and a personal computer, at a combined […]
Twenty-three year old Victor Seaman, a mechanic of McKay Boulevard in Belize City, appeared unrepresented before Senior Magistrate Sharon Frazer on Thursday evening, where he was arraigned on two drug-related charges stemming from a GSU raid on his home. On Wednesday, GSU personnel visited Seaman’s residence, where a search led to the discovery of separate […]
While the case of Caleb Orozco was being argued all week in court, across the border, the courts in Guatemala were also hearing the case against Efrain Rios Montt, the former president who was being tried for genocide and crimes against humanity. This afternoon, the tribunal found the eighty-six year old Rios Montt guilty and […]
Day three started much the same with the procession of attorneys for the claimant, the state and interested parties and observers from both sides of the legal battle heading into the court to take their seats. Today was set aside for arguments from the defendant and from the fourth to sixth interested parties, the churches. […]
On Wednesday, Day two of the trial, Queen’s Counsel Lord Peter Goldsmith made his submission to the Court. Goldsmith is representing the foreign interested parties in the case, namely the Human Dignity Trust, the International Commission of Jurists and the Commonwealth Lawyers Association, renowned international legal bodies with a focus on human rights who have […]
There were two guilty verdicts today in the Supreme Court sitting of the Northern District in Orange Walk Town. Justice Herbert Lord delivered his verdict in the case of Kenroy Foreman who stood trial by judge alone. Foreman was tried for the attempted murder of his former common-law law back in April of 2009 in […]
Twenty-three year old Belize City resident, Anthony Lewis, who was on trial for the December 2010 murder of eighteen year old Leon Ebanks, today walked from court a free man. The case concluded in a nolle prosequi when police could not locate the main witness to testify against him. Within twenty minutes of walking into […]
As the case of Caleb Orozco versus the Attorney General of Belize continued in the Supreme Court, in the lower court a man was arraigned for sodomizing a fourteen year old girl. Edwin Coye, a resident of Apollo Street of the Belama Phase four area of Belize City appeared unrepresented before Senior Magistrate Sharon Frazer […]
Day two of Caleb Orozco versus the Attorney-General of Belize wrapped up after four this afternoon before Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin. Orozco is challenging the constitutionality of the section fifty-three of the Criminal Code. Lead counsel for Orozco, Christopher Hamel Smith closed arguments while Lord Peter Goldsmith, made submissions on behalf of three foreign interested […]
And while that was the case submitted by Orozco’s lead counsel in a nutshell, Christopher Hamel-Smith spent quite a bit of time dealing with the fourth to sixth interested parties in the trial, the Churches. He spoke on the diversity of views allowed and supported by the Constitution of Belize, and likened that to the […]
In a release from the Belize Council of Churches issued on May sixth, they reiterate their intention to stand against, “Any and all changes in the Constitution of Belize that will not promote the sanctity of human sexual relations as established by God.” But in that same release, the churches condemn any act of violence, […]
A cop was arraigned in courtroom of Chief Magistrate Anne Marie Smith this morning for Wounding a teacher. The incident happened in Hattieville on April twenty fifth when family and friends were holding a repast for the late Mark McKoy, one of three men who were fatally injured in a traffic accident at Mile Six […]
Thirty-one year old Mark Faber, an unemployed resident of Biscayne Village, was today sentenced to seven and a half years in prison after being found guilty of Burglary for stealing from the cookie jar. On the night of January second, Faber was caught red-handed by a pair of officers as he was stealing from inside […]
The church is threatening fire and brimstone, calling homosexuality an abomination and is praying for the protection of section fifty-three of the Criminal Code. But notwithstanding all that, Caleb Orozco is having his day in court, or in this case, a week in which Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin will hear arguments from attorneys representing Orozco, […]
