The Tribune

By PAVEL BAILEY

Tribune Staff Reporter

pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A SUPREME Court judge granted officers in the Azario Major killing leave to appeal the Coroner Court’s homicide by manslaughter ruling.  

The officers sought to appeal the ruling even as they await Justice Franklyn Williams’ ruling on a motion questioning the constitutionality of the coroner’s inquest.

Justice Williams had previously said the officers’ lawyer was doing a “disservice” to his clients by insisting the inquest finding should be quashed because the coroner did not consider his constitutional motion claiming that pretrial publicity prevented a fair inquiry.

In February, a five-person jury ruled against two officers after the killing of Azario Major outside Woody’s Bar on Fire Trial Road on December 26, 2021.

 Acting Director of Public Prosecutions Cordell Frazier has not decided whether to charge the officers with a crime because she is awaiting the conclusion of the various appeal processes.

 Azario’s relatives have said they are not satisfied with the inquest finding and want the officers to face more severe repercussions through a criminal trial.

 Ms Frazier recently told The Tribune she had not decided on other matters that resulted in adverse findings against police this year, including the May 27, 2018 killing of Deangelo Evans. That killing was also ruled a homicide by manslaughter.

 Justice Williams agreed to hear an appeal of the Coroner’s Court finding in Azario’s case in February of next year.

 At the start of the inquest, Keevon Maynard, the lawyer for the officers who shot Azario, filed a constitutional motion to stop the inquiry because of the pretrial publicity. He argued that Acting Coroner Kara Turnquest-Deveaux had no right to refuse that constitutional motion and should have been compelled to refer the matter to the Supreme Court.

 Justice Williams said the acting coroner was within her right not to refer his initial constitutional motion to the Supreme Court because the inquest was underway.

 He indicated in August that his decision on the motion would be revealed on October 30, but the ruling has not been released.