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Lawyer for police 'looks to quash' Azario ruling

Wed, May 31st 2023, 08:39 AM
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NATIONAL Security Minister Wayne Munroe said yesterday that the lawyer of the police officers involved in the killing of Azario Major had asked the Supreme Court to quash the finding of a Coroner's Court inquest.

Jurors concluded last week that Major’s death resulted from homicide by manslaughter.
#Mr Munroe said officers want the ruling overturned, citing the pre-trial publicity of the case, particularly the publication of a nearly 20-minute video outlining the Major family’s version of what happened when Major was killed out-side Woody’s Bar on Fire Trail road on December 26, 2021. The video was shared more than 13,700 times and got over 20,000 reactions on Facebook.
#“When a matter is extant because you have the ability to affect jury pools, I don’t make comment,” Mr Munroe said before a Cabinet meeting.
#“The most that I can say is I’ve been advised that the officers’ attorneys are moving the Supreme Court to quash the inquest based on the pre-trial publications of the video.”
#“That’s a matter that will be before the court. The court will have to consider that. These things are to be tried in the court of law, and not the court of public opinion.
#“And so I don’t intend to be commenting on a matter that may go before a jury because I know that my comments would be said to be the minister of national security has said this or said that and the officers will do what they do –– instruct their lawyers and their lawyers will point to a case called Kofhe Goodman where one of my predecessors said some-thing that resulted in a conviction of Kofhe Goodman, the first conviction, being quashed.”
#Mr Munroe’s comments come as those involved in the case wait to see if Acting Director of Public Prosecutions Cordell Frazier will charge any officer with a crime now that the jurors have delivered their verdict.
#The lawyer for the officers in the case, Keevon Maynard, filed a constitutional motion to stop the inquest on May 10. It is unclear if that is the motion to which Mr Munroe referred yes-terday or whether the officers have officially appealed the ruling.

Jurors concluded last week that Major’s death resulted from homicide by manslaughter.

Mr Munroe said officers want the ruling overturned, citing the pre-trial publicity of the case, particularly the publication of a nearly 20-minute video outlining the Major family’s version of what happened when Major was killed out-side Woody’s Bar on Fire Trail road on December 26, 2021. The video was shared more than 13,700 times and got over 20,000 reactions on Facebook.

“When a matter is extant because you have the ability to affect jury pools, I don’t make comment,” Mr Munroe said before a Cabinet meeting.

“The most that I can say is I’ve been advised that the officers’ attorneys are moving the Supreme Court to quash the inquest based on the pre-trial publications of the video.”

“That’s a matter that will be before the court. The court will have to consider that. These things are to be tried in the court of law, and not the court of public opinion.

“And so I don’t intend to be commenting on a matter that may go before a jury because I know that my comments would be said to be the minister of national security has said this or said that and the officers will do what they do –– instruct their lawyers and their lawyers will point to a case called Kofhe Goodman where one of my predecessors said some-thing that resulted in a conviction of Kofhe Goodman, the first conviction, being quashed.”

Mr Munroe’s comments come as those involved in the case wait to see if Acting Director of Public Prosecutions Cordell Frazier will charge any officer with a crime now that the jurors have delivered their verdict.

The lawyer for the officers in the case, Keevon Maynard, filed a constitutional motion to stop the inquest on May 10. It is unclear if that is the motion to which Mr Munroe referred yes-terday or whether the officers have officially appealed the ruling.

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