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Thursday, March 28, 2024

World Down Syndrome Day

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Trial without jury begins!

GeneralTrial without jury begins!
Akeem Thurton, 20, charged with the attempted murder of attorney Rodwell Williams, sat unrepresented and alone in the dock when he appeared this morning in the courtroom of Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin
  
The case has drawn public attention for many reasons. It is the first case of trial without jury, whereby a jury is absent and the verdict is left to the judge, after having heard the evidence presented in court.
  
Only five days short of the commencement of his trial, Ricky Valencia, 28, who had been jointly charged with Thurton, died after he was shot multiple times on Queen Charlotte Street, while he was driving a car heading towards the Port.
   
With Valencia dead, Thurton alone faces trial in the Supreme Court.
           
Throughout the trial, the prosecution intends on calling 15 witnesses to the stand, three of whom testified today.
           
The victim and main witness, Williams, SC, the law partner of Prime Minister Dean Barrow, recounted what had happened on the night in question, and very emotionally detailed every single event leading from the time he left his law firm until he found himself seriously wounded and in the hands of the doctors, who tried valiantly to save his life.
           
He also testified about when he had been flown out of the country for medical attention.
           
Williams was not allowed in court to identify the person who had allegedly shot him, because dock identification was not allowed, since Thurton is unrepresented.
  
Another witness for the prosecution also testified, but disagreed with some of the statements she had signed her named unto.
           
A third witness gave testimony regarding a bicycle that his neighbor, also a witness in the case, had loaned to one of the accused men.
  
After 1:30 p.m., court resumed, but only to be adjourned until March 5, 2012.
           
On May 31, 2010, at around 7:30 p.m., Williams was reportedly leaving his law firm on Albert Street and heading towards the parking lot when two men on separate bicycles came, and one of the shot Williams.
  
Police later detained two men, Akeem Thurton and Ricky Valencia. The two were jointly charged with attempted murder. They were both remanded to prison and later released on bail of $8,000 each.

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