Articles

Amidst public concern over the prolonged detention

of suspected criminals at the Monrovia Center Prison, Judge George S. Wiles of Criminal Court ‘D’ is urging state prosecutors to attend to their cases in order to reduce overcrowded court dockets.

Judge Wiles said judges are deeply concern over the arrest and detention of criminal suspects without indictment as well as those indicted without trial.

“The court dock is overcrowded and state prosecutors are needed in court to proceed with these trials so as to dispose of these cases from the dockets.

“Moreover, the defendants need to be heard as it relates to the crimes against them. If the state failed, we have no alternate but to dispose of these cases in keeping with law,” Judge Wiles threatened at the opening of the May Team of Court at the Temple of Justice.

He said state prosecutors must attach serious importance to their cases because reports of a thousand inmates held behind bars without trial was unhealthy for the justice system.

“The court dockets can only be reduced of cases when lawyers are attending to their cases. If the accused must have his day in court, the lawyers must help in disposing of their cases,” he stressed.

The Liberian government in 2011 admitted that it has indicted 200 people in pretrial detention but has done nothing to release or try them, that being a clear violation of the law.

Section 18. 2 of the criminal law say “Anyone that is accused of an indictable offense much be indicted and tried within two terms of court”.

During February team of court, Criminal Court “D” responsible to try armed robbery cases, restored freedom to 75 suspects armed robbers who had been detained at the central prison here beyond statutory limits without trial.

The Catholic Justice and Peace Commission had filed a motion to dismiss the charges against those suspected armed robbers in keeping with law.