History was not made in the cramped confines of courtroom number one this morning as Chief Magistrate Herbert Lord denied bail to the Brown brothers. In prefacing his ruling, Lord maintained that even though the case gets more difficult everyday and there is no end in sight, his decision today is based strictly on the […]
There has been yet another change in direction in the legal wrangling over control of B.T.L., but depending on who you talk to, Monday’s ruling by the Belize Court of Appeal changes everything… or nothing at all. The Court of Appeal has set aside three of four declarations made by the Supreme Court Chief Justice […]
A Belize City man accused of burglarizing his common-law wife?s home was additionally charged with suppression of evidence. The charge arose when Jacqueline Welch appeared before Magistrate Margaret McKenzie on Friday, and told the court she wished to drop the burglary charges against Gregory Williams. When questioned as to whether she was doing so of […]
Any hopes of Andrew and Floyd Brown being released before the weekend evaporated this afternoon when Chief Magistrate Herbert Lord announced that he will not deliver his decision regarding bail for the brothers until ten a.m. on Tuesday. During arguments for bail today, defence attorney Dickie Bradley presented Lord with a sixteen point list of […]
In court news, a twenty-two year old Belize City man has been convicted of robbery. Anthony Crawford of Rasta Street was found guilty by Magistrate Margaret McKenzie. The defendant’s problem was that he made the mistake of trying to grab the chain of a woman who knew him well. The victim, Darlene Martinez, told the […]
The fifty-five page verdict began transmitting from the chambers of U.S. District Judge Ursula Ungaro-Benages shortly after one o’clock this afternoon, Miami time. And by the time the fax machine stopped, it was apparent that contrary to her earlier rulings and attitude, the judge had delivered an unequivocal vindication of the actions of the Government […]
Judge Ursula Ungaro-Benages was not the only legal mind making news today. On Bishop Street Chief Magistrate Herbert Lord was making waves of his own when he ruled on an important matter in the extradition hearing of Andrew “Papa” Brown. In his sixth such decision since Brown’s case began on July eighteenth, this morning Lord […]
Extradition proceedings against Andrew and Floyd Brown were delayed today in Belize City Magistrate’s Court as Chief Magistrate Herbert Lord continues to deliberate on requests from the prosecution to seek guidance from the Belize Supreme Court. Lord is now expected to make his ruling tomorrow. In previous proceedings, Lord had deemed tape recorded evidence submitted […]
In court news, a young man often charged but seldom convicted has finally become the subject of a negative verdict. Today eighteen-year-old Francis Petillo pleaded guilty to one of three outstanding charges of robbery and was fined five thousand dollars or in default five years in jail. Petillo’s victim, Theodora Andrews, told police that he […]
Prosecutors were not so lucky in the case of Darren Banks, who today walked away from a prohibited firearm charge when a police witness failed to show up in court. Banks was accused of carrying a three-five-seven magnum handgun, one of a number of prohibited weapons that rate a mandatory three-year prison sentence. But when […]
Extradition proceedings against Belize City brothers Andrew and Floyd Brown continued today in the Chief Magistrate’s court, with defence counsel taking strong offence to a motion put forward by the prosecution for the matter to be turned over to the Supreme Court. Referred to as “case stated”, counsel appearing on behalf of the governments of […]
The Director of Public Prosecutions, Kirk Anderson, today issued a memo ordering the withdrawal of a kidnapping charge against an eleven-year-old girl, substituting the crime of abetment to kidnapping. The case will now be heard in Family Court instead of Magistrate’s Court. The kidnapping charge against a thirteen-year-old girl in connection with the same incident, […]
Following a series of fatal and near fatal accidents at sea, the Belize Ports Authority promised to become more aggressive in its enforcement of the nation’s maritime regulations. And that attitude was manifested today in Belize City Magistrate’s Court when the Authority brought criminal action against a number of boat owners accused of operating outside […]
Chief Magistrate Herbert Lord today put a stumbling block in the path of the U.S. Government’s efforts to extradite accused drug dealer Andrew “Papa” Brown when he refused to allow a tape recording to be admitted as evidence. In making the ruling, Lord noted that no person was introduced who was present when the tapes […]
The extradition case against Andrew and Floyd Brown, wanted in the U.S. on drug related charges, continued today in the court of Chief Magistrate Herbert Lord. The latest development involves the revelation by the prosecutor, Solicitor General Elson Kaseke, that the only witness scheduled to testify to the court, Head of C.I.B., Assistant Superintendent of […]
The Brown brothers, Andrew and Floyd, experienced a pair of setbacks today in Magistrate’s Court that places them that much closer to extradition to the United States. Today the pair appeared in the court of Chief Magistrate Herbert Lord, where their lead attorney, Dean Barrow, dropped something of a bombshell when he conceded that Floyd […]
His company just signed a hundred million dollar deal with Carnival Corporation and it appears that Luke Espat is still on a roll. This morning Magistrate Earl Jones ruled that the developer had no case to answer with regard to legal action taken against him by the Department of the Environment. The charges against Espat’s […]
He had been missing in action for many months and more than one courtroom pundit was betting that Hassan El Sayed had flown the coop permanently. Not so. With his right hand still in a bandage–presumably the result of a traffic accident sustained in Lebanon–El Sayed appeared in the Supreme Court today along with fellow […]
On Last night’s newscast we reported that Brenton Lewis, on trial in connection with the 2003 killing of Marlon Budd, had been acquitted on the murder charge, but the jury was still deliberating on the reduced charge of manslaughter. It turns out that after a few more hours of deliberation the jury concluded that he […]
And while one defendant walked, two others had their day in court postponed. Brothers Andrew and Floyd Brown, although scheduled to appear today before Chief Magistrate Herbert Lord in connection with the U.S. Government’s request for extradition, never did leave the confines of Hattieville Prison. The official reason for the postponement was illness on the […]
After deliberating only two hours, this evening the twelve-member jury in the Brenton Lewis trial found Lewis not guilty of the murder of Marlon Budd in 2003. Supreme Court Justice Michelle Arana, however, instructed them to consider a lesser charge of manslaughter and they retired to deliberate again. At this hour they are still sequestered […]
A man appearing in the Supreme Court today under police guard became enraged when he was informed there would be a second hearing of his arson charges after the first trial ended in a hung jury. Emerson Elijio was before Justice Michelle Arana when the prosecutor, Cheryl-Lynn Branker-Taitt, informed the court of the D.P.P.?s decision. […]
Speaking of Belize Ports Limited, the prime mover behind that company, Luke Espat, is having a busy week. In addition to salvaging the Carnival deal, Espat has had to defend an action brought by the Department of the Environment in Magistrate’s Court. The case involves another of the businessman’s companies, Belize Crocodile and Reptile Dealers […]
Criminal charges were dropped this week against a fisherman accused of causing the death of a swimmer in Caye Caulker. Chief Magistrate Herbert Lord freed Walter August, after the Director of Public Prosecutions submitted that there was insufficient evidence to support the manslaughter charge against him. That charge arose from an incident in November of […]
A robber who lured his victim to a location by ordering a pizza has been convicted. Chief Magistrate Herbert Lord gave twenty-five year old Rommel Middleton five years in prison for his part in the hold up of Kenrick Ferguson back in 2002. On the night of December fourteenth, Ferguson went to Brighton Beach to […]
