Barbara Gayle, Staff Reporter

The large number of jurors who turned out on Monday at the Home Circuit Court expressed disgust that they came to court only to hear that the cases were being adjourned for various reasons.

The jurors' complaint came a day after Chief Justice Zaila McCalla made the call for the responsibility for serving summonses to potential jurors to be removed from the police. On Sunday, the Chief Justice pointed out that, last term, the Home Circuit Court was severely hampered by a persistent lack of jurors and an absence of witnesses.

Jurors were not the only ones complaining on Monday as Supreme Court judge Lloyd Hibbert, who was presiding in the Home Circuit Court, decried the practice where prisoners were never taken to court on time. The prisoners were more than 30 minutes late on Monday and court did not start until 10:45 a.m. as they had to be processed in the cell downstairs from the courtroom before they were taken in.

Senior Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Paula Llewellyn has promised to inform the relevant authority of the judge's concern about the late arrival.

Andem case delays

Reputed gang leader Joel Andem was visibly upset that his murder case had been dragging on for four years.

"I wonder if my case will ever be tried?" Andem asked Mr. Justice Hibbert.

In Andem's case, his two co-accused, Rupert Wallace and Rohan Masters, were not taken to court. The court was told that the driver for the prisoner truck said he did not have any police escort to take the prisoners from the St. Catherine District Prison.

Another reason for the case being put off was that a policeman who is a vital witness in the case has since retired and is living abroad.

Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Donald Bryan said the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions was seeking the assistance of high-ranking police officers to get the policeman. Mr. Bryan gave his assurance that, if the policeman was not located before the next trial date, then the Crown would seriously consider exercising another option.

Defence lawyer Christopher Townsend, one of the lawyers representing Andem, said that when the case came for trial in October last year, it was put off because the court was told that the Crown was trying to locate the policeman.

Andem's case has been put off for trial on April 7 and the judge assured him that the trial was set for priority on that date. He and his co-accused are charged with the murder of 48-year-old gas station operator Sylvia Edwards, who was fatally shot in July 2000.

Andem was on the police most wanted list until he was captured in May 2004.

Murder case set back

The murder case of Wayne Morris and Dean Reid, which has been on the court list since 2004, was on Monday put off until today because one of the lawyers was engaged in a case in the Gun Court.

Ms. Llewellyn emphasised the importance for the case, which has been in the system for eight years, to be disposed of.

The jurors were told near midday that they should return to court today.

"Expressing frustration, several jurors said it was a complete waste of their time.

A total of 60 jurors turned up on Monday and only seven were empanelled to try a wounding-with- intent case. Other cases were put off for various reasons.

barbara.gayle@gleanerjm.com