Since 2019, Hilaire Sears has been fighting for his freedom. That's after his release on parole was revoked by the Prison. He was initially convicted of murder for the killing of Rodwell Neal in 2001, but that charge was eventually downgraded to manslaughter.
Sears has gone to both the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal to reverse the decision of the prison to revoke his parole, because he violated one of those conditions. We are informed that his urine sample tested positive for marijuana use. Sears is convinced that he was treated unjustly with the way his freedom was taken away, and he has appealed that outcome all the way to the Caribbean Court of Justice.
He is being represented by attorneys Leslie Mendez and Hector Guerra, and yesterday, a panel of CCJ judges heard the appeal case to completion. Here's an excerpt of their interaction with Mendez on some of the issues being raised:
Later on in the appeal hearing, the panel of CCJ judges had a few tough questions for Assistant Solicitor General Samantha Matute-Tucker on the way Sears' parole was revoked. Here's a snippet of that discussion:
The court has reserved judgment to a date to be announced. Sears is asking the court to not only release him from prison but to award him damages for "inhumane" treatment inside the prison.
