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Supreme Court dismisses 2nd jury in soldier’s ammunition case

GeneralSupreme Court dismisses 2nd jury in soldier’s ammunition case
In the courtroom of Supreme Court Justice, Herbert Lord, the trial against BDF sergeant, Emmerson Michael, for possession of an unlicensed firearm, had to be rescheduled for the next session of the Supreme Court, which commences in April, 2012, due to the dismissal of the 9-panel jury by the judge.
  
Michael’s attorney, Richard “Dickie” Bradley, told Amandala at the end of the court session that last week a set of jurors had been dismissed by the judge after jurors informed the court that they knew witnesses from the list. 
  
It is customary for judges to dismiss jurors or the entire jury panel in such an event to avoid the appearance of bias for all parties involved in the trial process.
  
According to Bradley, there were originally two persons charged for the possession of unlicensed ammunition that amounted to 1,340 rounds of 5.56 ammunition.
  
Michael and BDF lance corporal Henry Williams were jointly charged. Bradley explained that, even though Williams has “jumped bail” (fleeing the country and leaving his co-defendant to face charges alone), Michael has maintained his innocence since the start.
  
Bradley told us, “This is a matter in which Sergeant Emmerson Michael, from December 19, 2008, along with Corporal Henry Williams, were jointly charged; both officers went to prison [originally, but both had since been granted bail]; since then, this matter has been languishing on, and finally it ended up in the Supreme Court. This is a matter that could have been tried in the Magistrate’s Court; in any event, the Crown [Council] saw it fit to bring it to the Supreme Court.
  
“Sergeant Michael has had his whole life turned upside down… He has been asking the judges in the Supreme Court, whenever his matter is called up, to kindly bring some finality to his case, and after all these years, from December of 2008, Judge Lord last year took a very strong stand and said that Mr. Michael will be tried.”
  
Michael also told us, “For the past three years I have been living in Orange Walk and every month, it was adjournments and back-and-forth and to-and-from Orange Walk.” 
  
Michael is currently still on suspension from the BDF, where he has served a total of 13 years; he was trained in the medical field, and he is a basic demolition expert, as well as a sharpshooter. Since he has been awaiting trial, Michael says he has had to seek employment elsewhere to maintain himself.
  
“Like Mr. Bradley mentioned, this entire thing just turned my life upside down, and it’s not finished as yet; actually, it hasn’t even started as yet. I have no idea why there is this back-and-forth,” Michael told us.
  
Nevertheless, Michael said that he will be anticipating the start of the trial in April 2012.
  
According to police information, this incident took place on December 19, 2008, at approximately 8:30 p.m. when Michael and Williams, who were both in a BDF Land Rover, were pulled over by police around the junction of Vista Del Mar and the Northern Highway. 
  
Police conducted a search inside the Land Rover, where the 1,340 live rounds of ammunition were discovered. Both men were arrested.   
  

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