Philipsburg:--- The three suspects that are in custody for the murders of American citizens Micheal and Thelma King in their Cupe Coy condominium on September 19th, 2012 appeared in the Court of First Instance for their second Pro-forma hearing on Tuesday. Meyshane Kemar Johnson confessed to police that he killed the Kings during a robbery attempt at their home on the night of September 19th, 2012. The trio is also charged with robbing the Happy Star Chinese Restaurant that same night. The other two suspects, Jeremiah Chevon Mills (17) and Jamal Jefferson Woolford (20) also appeared for the hearing. The three suspects were dressed in their prison garments. Johnson sporting a low haircut wore a pair of a blue and white sneakers while Mills and Jefferson had their hair in plaits. Mills had on white sneakers while Woolford wore black high top booths. The three suspects who sat beside each other remained stoned face as the charges were read to them. Inside the courtroom were some friends of the Kings and two RST officers listening to the proceedings.
During Tuesday's hearing the lawyers representing Jeremiah Chevon Mills and Jamal Jefferson Woolford contested the psychiatrist's reports that were submitted to the court and the respective lawyers namely Attorney Shaira Bommel on behalf of Mills and Attorney Aernout Tnaageveld from Gibson Associates on behalf of Jamal Jefferson Woolford. The Prosecutor's Office had requested psychiatric and psychological reports on Mills and Jefferson to determine their mental state when they committed the brutal murders. Attorney Bommel told the judge that several questions in the report were left unanswered and she wanted a full report on her client "Mills." Bommel told the court that the psychiatrist through the court of guardianship only saw her client once for a period of 15 minutes and in her opinion that was not sufficient time to evaluate her client. Attorney Aernout Tnaageveld also expressed the same sentiments to the court on behalf of Woolford. Prosecutor Douna Benammar told the court that the psychiatrist had the entire file and in her view the reports were not only based on the meeting held with the suspects but also on the information they had in the two suspect's files. The psychiatrist in her assessment report stated that the two suspects Mills and Woolford are in their right minds and they can be tried normally for the crimes they committed on September 19th, 2012.
The judge then ordered the two lawyers to submit the additional questions they have for the psychiatrist to the judge of instruction by March 1st, 2013 so that the judge of instruction could make contact with the psychiatrist and get the answers for them. The case is now postponed to March 8th, 2013 at 2pm where the re-enactment will take place. The judge told the suspects that no one except for their lawyers can be present at that hearing because it will not be a public session. She also informed the three suspects that they will be transported separately to the scene which is at Rhine Road (Ocean Club) Cupe Coy. The judge also indicated to the suspects that the trial might last longer than the normal time which is 5pm. She also indicated to the three suspects that special arrangements have to be made so that the re-enactment could take place inside the Kings' apartment where the killings took place. When the judge asked the three suspects if they had anything to add Mills told the court he will use his right to remain silent while Johnson and Woolford said "No".
It should be noted that the relatives of the three suspects were not at the Court House on Tuesday.
More Mistakes in the Prosecution files on King Murders.
The Court of Appeals is expected to render its decision on February 20th, 2013 (Wednesday) on whether or not Johnson will remain in pre-trial detention since the Prosecutor's Office made a number of mistakes when they summoned him to appear for his first Proforma hearing last month. Attorney at Law Brenda Brooks appealed the decision made by the judge in the court of First Instance when she ruled that the first summons given to Meyshane Kemar Johnson was null and void. Even though the judge threw out the summons, she did not release Johnson from pre-trial detention due to the seriousness of the case. The Appeal hearing took place on January 30th, 2012. Brooks told the court that her client received three summons for the first hearing and each of them had mistakes on them. Attorney Brooks in her plea to the Appeals Court said that the case should not be based on emotions but on the law of Kingdom. She said the Prosecution had enough time to repair the mistake they made the first time but instead of correcting that mistake they made more mistakes which is what prompted her to appeal the verdict of the first summons.
One would think that persons preparing the files for the suspects who brutally murdered two innocent people would do their job diligently to ensure that the relatives of the Kings and the people of St. Maarten get justice, especially knowing that the main suspect can get away with murdering two people on technicalities. Even though Johnson confessed to killing the Kings, even if he is convicted by the Court of First Instance he stands a high chance of walking free in the Appeals Court because the three summons issued to Johnson will be deemed inadmissible when it reaches the Appeals Court for the second time.
It clear that something is wrong at the Prosecutor's Office, either the people working there are over worked or under qualified because again they made a mistake on the charge sheet of Jamal Jefferson Woolford. On that sheet, the Prosecutor's Office stated that Woolford was born December 9th, 1993 in Guyana. Woolford took sometime before responding to the judge but later told the judge when she asked him what is his date of birth that he was born on December 9th, 1991 in Guyana. While this mistake is a minor one that has no major consequences one would believe that the Prosecutor's Office would have taken time when preparing the files of these suspects to ensure that no more mistakes are made. After all there is only one double homicide case on St. Maarten right now.