The Tribune

By LAMECH JOHNSON

Tribune Staff Reporter

ljohnson@tribunemedia.net

A JUDGE stayed his hand for another three days concerning the possibility that the court could take action against defence attorney Geoffrey Farquharson over his conduct during the Marco Archer murder trial.

Yesterday, Justice Bernard Turner was expected to hand down a decision he’d put off since last December. However, this did not happen as the judge was feeling under the weather and postponed the matter to Friday, February 7.

At the last court appearance, when Farquharson was asked by the judge to explain his behaviour while representing Kofhe Goodman, the attorney informed the court that he was unaware of the nature of the proceedings.

Mr Farquharson asked that the court stand the matter down for a time, as he was dealing with his client’s appeal. Justice Turner obliged the request and adjourned the proceedings to February 4, 2014.

Farquharson represented 39-year-old convicted child killer Kofhe Goodman between April 17 and August 2, 2013.

Goodman was found guilty of killing 11-year-old Marco Archer of Brougham Street and sentenced to death.

Farquharson and Justice Turner had many tense exchanges during the trial.

In one instance on July 18, Justice Turner told Farquharson that he was in contempt of court because of his conduct and choice of words.

The lawyer appeared to be angry over his missing notes and exclaimed that the Bahamian people were wondering what was going on in the trial. He said they needed to know what Bernard Turner was doing.

“You are in contempt of court!” Justice Turner told the lawyer.

“Very well, m’Lord, if that’s what the court believes, the court knows what to do!” the lawyer replied.

The judge, however, said the court would stay its hand at the time “in the interest of justice to your client”.

He gave Mr Farquharson 45 minutes to get the notes he needed to question forensic analyst Marisa Roe, who was to give evidence through live link video-conferencing.

Three weeks before this, Mr Farquharson applied for the judge to recuse himself from the case because of what the lawyer claimed was a conflict of interest.

The judge dismissed the application and the subsequent request for Mr Farquharson to be allowed to withdraw as Goodman’s attorney.

Goodman is appealing his conviction and death sentence.