The court is of the opinion that as things now stand, the professional independence of petitioner is not sufficiently guaranteed and the fear is justified that admittance to the bar will dishonor the court.
On September 8, 2010 a request for admission was received. The attorney general as well as the supervisory board gave positive advises, even though the board noted that petioner had a love relationship with a prisoner on St. Maarten.
During the hearing on December 17, 2010, the attorney general further advised the court negatively. On January 27, 2011 petitioner was again heard by the court and the attorney general persisted in denying admission.
It turned out that the lover of petitioner had been arrested in 2008 in St. Maarten for robberies committed in 2005, and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. She had met him in Holland in 2007. In 2008, after his arrest, she traveled to St. Maarten.
On April 10, 2008, police found the petioner at a house where they conducted a raid to arrest a murder suspect. That person was subsequently sentenced to 30 years. On the day in question, the petioner was found to be staying at the house with the murder suspect; she was also found smoking marijuana. Police seized a gun and a marijuana plant during the raid.
The court along with the attorney general were therefore of the opinion, based on the above that petitioner was not fit to be admitted to the bar, as it was feared that she would bring dishonor to the legal profession.
Click here for the Dutch version of the decision.
