Jasmine Hartin, she walked away from court yesterday in tears after making a guilty plea to manslaughter by negligence of Henry Jemmott. It's an unexpected and abrupt conclusion to what was expected to be a long drawn out legal battle.
But instead, all that's left is Hartin's May 31st sentencing.
And while we brought you all the highs and lows of yesterday's guilty plea, we wanted to hear from the man who Hartin said is really running the show, her Canadian attorney who's yet to be called to the bar in Belize, Seth Weinstein.
He spoke to Cherisse Halsall via Zoom this morning and provided what by his own admission is his limited understanding of yesterday's proceedings.
Cherisse Halsall:
"Sir, really the first thing I wanted to ask you is about the strategy going into yesterday's proceedings because we understand that it was merely slated for case management but then the legal team urges Hartin to plea."
Seth Weinstein, Attorney, Greenspan, Humphrey Weinstein, LLP
"I can't really comment on the strategy at this point because I wasn't there and certainly my understanding was that this was a case management meeting and, and with a, my understanding was that it was going to be for. A sentence indication in terms of what transpired from there, ugh, I wasn't involved so I can't really comment at this point."
Cherisse Halsall:
"Really, another question I have for you of course because I know that you have been attempting to be called to the Belizean bar, and I'm sure it was indicated to you that that should have been a simple process once a senior council had called you to the bar, how has that gone and why is it that that was not done before this court date?"
Seth Weinstein, Attorney, Greenspan, Humphrey Weinstein, LLP
"Again, I don't know, I certainly have been making efforts to get called, I've understood, and it's been explained by somebody that it was simple and by others that it wasn't so simple, so I don't know what prevented it from happening at this point,um, but I have not yet been called."
"Ms. Hartin has, her primary objective was not to put the Jemmott family through a trial and she recognizes their suffering and as a credit to her she did not want to have them suffering for her and then the other aspect of this is that it's very clear that the DPP has accepted her position, Jasmine's position from the beginning that this was an accident and that is what I do understand became clear yesterday and that the DPP acknowledged that on record but in terms of strategies I simply can't comment because I am not, I have not been briefed as yet."
