The Tribune

By LAMECH JOHNSON

Tribune Staff Reporter

ljohnson@tribunemedia.net

A QUEEN’S Counsel has been given a week to prepare his case as to why he should not be found in contempt of court and punished for his recent actions in the Court of Appeal.

Maurice Glinton, who was arrested on Friday and held for four days at the Cable Beach police station, appeared in the Court of Appeal for expected contempt proceedings stemming from his refusal to continue representing three men fighting extradition to the United States while a judge who has met the age of retirement is presiding over the matter.

The issues of contention before Justices Anita Allen, Abdulai Conteh and Neville Adderley are Mr Glinton’s actions of disrobing himself before the court and his failure to appear on a summons for a hearing on October 9.

Wayne Munroe, a fellow QC, and one of many lawyers representing Mr Glinton, requested time to research authority cases to support the submissions he intended to rely on for the proceedings.

There was no objection to the request and the contempt hearing was adjourned to October 19 at 10am in the Charlotte Street, Claughton House courtroom.

Mr Glinton, who was appointed a Queen’s Concillor in January of this year, was cited for contempt last week after he disrobed in front of the court, refusing to proceed with the appeals of Shanto Curry, Trevor Roberts and Devroy Moss because Justice Conteh, who had reached the mandatory constitutional age of retirement when he celebrated his 70th birthday on August 5, was on the panel.

Mr Glinton was of the view that the panel was not properly constituted with Justice Conteh there and would not proceed with his representation for the men who are wanted in Florida on a 2004 extradition request that alleges they belonged to a multinational smuggling gang.

Along with Mr Munroe, Mr Glinton is represented by Alfred Sears, QC, Charles McQuay, Raynard Rigby, Paul Moss and Veron Roberts.

Garvin Gaskin and Franklyn Williams, director and deputy director of public prosecutions respectively, appeared for the Crown with Loren Klein.

A justice of the Court of Appeal can be permitted to continue in office until he has reached the age of 70 “or for such a period after attaining that age as may be necessary to enable him to deliver judgment or do any thing in relation to proceedings that were started” before reaching the retirement age.