Bahamas Court News

NASSAU-A packed courtroom watched in horror as a drug suspect died from an epileptic seizure Monday morning.
According to witnesses, court staff and police were in a panic as 26-year-old Jermaine Adderley convulsed uncontrollably.
The tragic incident calls into question whether police have adequate training to deal with medical emergencies.
Adderley, according to his lawyer Keith Seymour, did not request his medication while in custody despite a history of seizures.
A coroner’s inquest will be held to investigate the circumstances surrounding Adderley’s death.
Adderley was arrested with Michael Newland, 39, and Tristan Johnson, 18, on January 10.
Police allege they had 7.8 ounces of marijuana, 187 ecstasy pills, 21 grams of ecstasy powder, which they intended to supply. They were also charged with possession of one gram of cocaine.
Seymour said his client who had a pending trial on charges of peddling narcotics and prescription drugs was a victim of circumstances.
Seymour said he was “simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
Deputy Chief Magistrate Andrew Forbes suspended court for the day because his staff was reportedly traumatized by the incident.
The arraignment of Adderley’s co-accused took place in another court.
Newland and Johnson were arraigned on the drug charges before Magistrate Jeanine Weech-Gomez.
They denied the charges and were denied bail.
Copyright © Bahamas Court News 2020. All rights reserved.

NASSAU- An American tourist who admitted to masturbating in front of woman hotel work received no punishment for his actions.

Matthew Brown, 32, flashed the woman and began playing with himself in his room at the Grand Hyatt on January 5.

The housekeeper reported the matter to police and Brown was arrested and charged.

Brown, who was vacationing with his girlfriend, received an absolute discharge.

He was also ordered to apologize to his victim in writing.

In asking for leniency, Brown’s lawyer Lisa Bostwick-Dean said that a conviction of any sort would jeopardize his job in the financial sector.

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NASSAU-The judiciary plans to expand the use of digital recording systems although past glitches have led to lost testimony in the lower courts.
In her annual report, Chief Magistrate Joyann Ferguson-Pratt said, “Last year a digital system was put in place, but, sadly, I have observed that it is not fully functional in terms of transcriptions, and in some courts the recording facility of the machine is compromised.”
Stenographers were removed from the Magistrates’ Courts in 2014, forcing magistrates to record testimony by hand.
The recording system was intended to take the record in place of the stenographers.
However, because of of malfunctions, human reporters are still provided in high-profile Magistrates’ Court cases.

Although Chief Justice Brian Moree admitted that the digital system “did not achieve its objectives”, he intends to expand the system to all courts.
Speaking at a ceremony to mark the opening of the legal year, Moree said, “Digital recording systems will be installed in all courts in New Providence and Freeport.
“Transcription will be carried out as a back office service by voice writers after cross training.”
This move, Moree said, would speed up appeals since fewer transcripts would be required, once the recordings become the official record.
It’s unclear how this will plan affect the the 31 reporters in the court reporting unit.
Copyright © Bahamas Court News 2020. All rights reserved.