BUCHANAN, Grand Bassa – The trial of defendant Vitus Michael, a Nigerian national accused of statutory rape in Buchanan, has been delayed due to his non-compliance with court proceedings.
Michael was indicted in January after allegedly forcing a 15-year-old minor into sexual intercourse in her anus. The trial was set to begin on Thursday, May 23, at the Second Judicial Circuit Court in Buchanan. However, the defendant’s attorney filed a motion to postpone the case, citing Michael’s increased blood pressure and mental instability due to news of his mother’s death in Nigeria.
Absent a death certificate, Resident Circuit Judge Joe S. Barkon denied the motion to postpone the case and ordered that the defendant be taken to the Liberian Government Hospital for a medical check-up and a two-hour bed rest to stabilize his blood pressure and return to the court for the start of the proceedings.
The prosecutor, Atty. Emmek Kaye, argued that the defense’s motion was bogus and lacked evidence and requested that the court dismiss it.
The hospital Officer in Charge, Physician Joseph Zondo, who accompanied the defendant back to the court, testified that his blood pressure was at 170 when he arrived but stabilized to 130 after a 25-minute bedrest. He declared the defendant fit to continue the trial.
Following reading the indictment, the defendant pleaded not guilty, and the court was adjourned to resume on Friday, May 24.
On Friday, a second defense attorney, Aaron Kartee, who was not present during the beginning of the trial, petitioned the court for another postponement, citing the same reasons as the first attorney. Kartee’s motion angered the judge, resulting in a US$100 fine against the defense.
“I [am] fin[ing] you that money because the same kind of motion was filed yesterday by your colleague who was in court,” the judge said. “By including the same things in your motion, it means a clever attempt to delay the trial, and I won’t accept that.”
Kartee, a public defender, claimed that his client was not complying with his attorneys to allow the trial to continue.
Judge Barkon asked the defendant if he had been non-compliant with his defense lawyers, and he responded in the affirmative, adding that the lawyers were ignoring his claim that he was not of the right mind to testify.
The judge ordered further proceedings into the case postponed until Tuesday, May 28. He also ordered the Upper Buchanan Prison facility to ensure that the defendant gets better treatment and is brought to court the next day of the proceedings.
He also advised the defendant on his right to a new legal counsel if he is unsatisfied moving forward with the public defenders in the case.
Featured photo by Alexander Musa, Jr.
