Extradited drug smuggler Melvin Maycock Sr. waived his right to a speedy trial when he made his initial appearance before a judge last week, court documents reveal. Maycock, otherwise known as "Big Mel", was among eight men that the Bahamian government surrendered to the United States on December 14 to face drug trafficking charges. Maycock's arraignment has been deferred until January 5.
Meanwhile, the other seven men: Torrey Lockhart, Wilfred "Junior" Ferguson, Carl Culmer, brothers Bryan Deal and Lynden Deal, Gordon "Hog" Newbold, and Sheldon "White Boy" Moore all pleaded not guilty to the charges at their arraignment on December 23. They will be detained pending trial. Their extradition was the first since March 2013 when Kayashawnde Charlton was surrendered to face trial in Florida for attempted murder and armed robbery.
The recent extradition ended an 11-year legal battle for the men, who delayed the extradition proceedings by filing a series of constitutional motions challenging the lawfulness of the Extradition Act and the Listening Devices Act to the Privy Council.
Trevor "Rebel" Roberts, Devroy Moss and Shanto Curry, who were indicted along with Maycock and others, are still being held at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services.They have a pending constitutional motion challenging the composition of the appellate court that upheld the orders for their extradition. That motion is set to be heard next month.
After years of inactivity, the habeas corpus application of Austin "Ozzie' Knowles Jr., Edson Watson, Nathaniel Knowles, Ian Bethel and Shawn Saunders-Bruey, whose extradition has been requested since 2003, will also be heard next month.
The matter was called up after a meeting involving the U.S. charge d'affaires, the attorney general and chief justice.
Lawyers for the men claimed that they were unable to proceeded because they did not have the transcripts of the proceedings at the hearing before the magistrate. The transcripts were produced after they were requested by the court.
The 2015 International Narcotics Strategy Control Report said, "Improved procedures to expedite extraditions would bring drug crime offenders to trial more quickly and serve as a more credible deterrent for traffickers. Currently, defendants can appeal a magistrate's decision and then continue appeals up to the Privy Council in London, a process that can add years to extradition proceedings".
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