Jackie Dennis Reports
Criminal Court “A” Judge Roosevelt Willie has denied a motion to bail former chief Justice Gloria Musu Scott, Getrude Newton, Alice Johnson and Rebecca Youdeh Wisner.
Judge Willies ruled following a heated argument between the defense and prosecution lawyers on Tuesday July 4 2023, on the motion admit to bail the defendants who are charged with murder, criminal conspiracy and providing false report to law enforcement officers, in the death of Charloe Musu.
He said the motion to bail is “denied and prove beyond all reasonable doubts as required by law, will be shown when the case is assigned where the Prosecution will be ordered to prove beyond all reasonable doubt the guilt of the Defendants”.
After the ruling the defense lawyers notified the court that it excepts and it will take advantage of the statute controlling.
He noted that the defense team filed a motion to bail and in that motion the defense counsel stated that Musu-Scott should be placed on personal recognizance because she is a former Chief justice, former Senator and who has held many positions in this Country He said defendants relied upon several laws cited.
In their resistance to the defense motion, prosecution noted that the motion for bail as filed by the defendants be denied by the court, basing their reason on Article 21(dy) of the constitution which says that while it is true that all crimes should be billable, there is a prepositional clause which says that “unless the crime being charged against the defendant or the accuse is grave or Capital” then that accuse personal should not be bail;
The Judge said while it is true that when the indictment has been presented to the defendants to prove that is on
the defendants, all prosecution can do here is to debunk that statement and
therefore the proper time will come for prosecution to prove beyond all reasonable doubt how these defendants committed the crime of Murder.
Judge Willie also granted the defense motion of discovery filed by defense team.He said when the indictment were served on the defendant the defense counsel filed a motion of discovery on the prosection to provide all of the evidence
The prosecution resisted and called on the court to deny the motion on grounds that it is premature and further stated that the judge is out of term.
It is however clear that the defense team will take a further step in securing a bail for the defendants, by filing another motion during the August term of court.
Today’s appearance of the defendants, saw a full court room and a cracked defense team which included three former members of the Supreme Court, Cllr. Francis Johnson Morris, Cllr. Michael W. Wright and Cllr. Kabineh Ja’neh, as defendant Cllr. Gloria Musu Scott joined her defense team at some point to argue the motion.
The defendants who were all wearing prison jackets, were following their appearance taking back to the Monrovia Central Prison.
