This morning saw the long-awaited indictment of Jasmine Hartin in the Supreme court of Belize. The indictment was handed down in the court of Judge Sandcroft who took care to lay down strict measures for the defence, the prosecution and the media in regard to the manner in which Hartin's trial will proceed.
Those measures included care for the selection of potential jurors who Sandcroft claims could be, quote: "tainted", as well as special instructions that this case should not be, quote "tried in the media."
And, in his opening statements, he guaranteed a fair trial for Hartin, saying, "No matter the gender, no matter the pigmentation, this matter will be conducted by law, and not by personal feelings." End quote.
Hartin was represented in court by attorney Richard Dickie Bradley as she entered a not guilty plea for the charge of manslaughter by negligence.
He spoke to Cherisse Halsall this morning:
Jasmine Hartin's long-awaited indictment in the case of Manslaughter By Negligence of Henry Jemmott finally took place at 9:00 AM this morning.
Dickie Bradley, Attorney-At-Law
"This morning was the procedure whereby in the supreme court, Ms. Hartin is in fact indicted meaning that the charges are formally read to her. She plead not guilty to the allegation of manslaughter by negligence and his lordship set in place a date agreed by both the director of public prosecutions and the defence that in September there will be the procedure for the case management."
In court Judge Sandcroft who is presiding over the case indicated that he'd be calling a meeting to advise the media as to the appropriate etiquette when reporting on this case. We asked the defence how he feels about that?
Dickie Bradley, Attorney-At-Law
"It is heartening that the court is concerned that we don't want an unfair trial because this is what the media does to people who turn against them, and every little thing they start to report on. So, that is a very good move by his lordship and it is welcomed by us in the legal profession."
We also had Bradley weigh in on the case's prosecutor and the challenges of the upcoming jury selection.
Cherisse Halsall:
"The DPP is prosecuting this case herself, were you surprised to hear that?"
Dickie Bradley, Attorney-At-Law
"No, I think in certain cases with her level of experience it is only fair that she in fact does not end up facing concerns that why leave a junior crown council."
Cherisse Halsall:
"It's not disputable that the Aschcrofts have a wide area of interests and in that case, where they employ so many people in this country is it going to be difficult to find one juror who is somehow not affiliated with them?"
Dickie Bradley, Attorney-At-Law
"That's an excellent question and you know at one point when this matter arose I thought that it would be difficult for Ms Hartin to get a fair trial. Mr Ashcroft is. big in the hotel business."
"He owns business down south, he owns business all over the place. He actually owns people you. know I would say something but… Yeah, he is a very influential person and you are correct that is an important point and it leads back to the concern of the judge in the trial and that is the reason why he doesn't want any kind of irresponsible reckless unfair statements coming from any quarters lawyers prosecutors, journalists anywhere because the jury pool are so small. We try to be fair to people so it's an interesting concern."
And back to that not guilty plea, it's an interesting one given the content of the international programs that Hartin has participated in.
Cherisse Halsall:
"In consultation with Miss Hartin how is it that you come to a not guilty plea?"
Dickie Bradley, Attorney-At-Law
"Well, the matter is going to go to court shortly I will. limit myself to saying to you that a person can kill another person, a person can deliberately kill another person and the. police don't want to hear anything the charge him for murder. He pleads not guilty and when you go to court the evidence comes that if I did not fire shots at that person he would have shot me the law makes allowance for that. So, I could easily tell you a million reasons but his lordship has asked us don't try the case in the media."
And as Bradley said, from there it's on to September 27th's case management and possibly a trial date.
Hartin's case is adjourned until September 27th for case management.
