Topic: Grand Court
Unlimited police bail could face legal challenge
Criminal suspects kept on police bail, with significant restrictions on their freedom for extended periods of time, could seek judicial review or a declaration of wrongful imprisonment, according to two senior attorneys.
Witness: Jewelry store robber tied her up, threatened her with a gun
An employee at Mitzi’s Fine Jewelry store described in Grand Court how she was tied up with duct tape and threatened with a gun during a robbery at the shop in November 2015.
Child porn charges sent to Grand Court
Former University College of the Cayman Islands lecturer Pierre Michel Pavlov Rameau had child pornography charges against him committed to Grand Court, where he was directed to appear on Friday, March 23.
Privy Council: Judge should have disclosed potential conflict
From November 2011 to September 2014, former Grand Court Justice Peter Cresswell presided over the liquidation of the the BTU Power Company, a Cayman-registered company whose shareholders included several Qatari government entities.
Government hiring fight could go to court
A long-brewing battle over hiring for a high-profile Ministry of Education job could end up in the Grand Court, Deputy Governor Franz Manderson said Tuesday.
Grand Court jury notice
All Grand Court jurors who are in the January 2018 session are advised the report date of Wednesday, Feb. 28, has been changed. The new date to report for jury duty is Monday, March 5, at 9:45 a.m.
Woman’s plea to manslaughter accepted
Brianna Michelle Watler, 25, appeared in Grand Court on Friday, when she was asked to plead to the charge of murdering Azzan Sherieff on Sept. 17, 2017, in North Side.
Jury duty
Grand Court jurors in the January session are advised the report date of Monday, Feb. 26, has been changed.
Court halts planned feral cat cull
Two animal welfare groups have obtained an injunction from the Grand Court to halt a planned cull of feral cats believed to pose a threat to native wildlife on the Sister Islands.
13 years given for rape
Marlon Ricardo Porter, 37, was sentenced on Tuesday to 13 years’ imprisonment for rape after a Grand Court jury found him guilty in October.
Stabbing case goes to Grand Court
Amil Regina Cotes-Incinosa appeared in Summary Court on Monday charged with three offenses after a reported stabbing in West Bay in the early hours of Friday, Feb. 16.
Grand Court rejects U.S. lawsuit against BDO Cayman
On Tuesday, Grand Court Justice Raj Parker granted BDO Cayman’s request for an anti-suit injunction against Argyle, restraining Argyle from continuing the proceedings against BDO Cayman in the U.S.
Jury notice
All Grand Court jurors who are in the January 2018 session are advised that their next reporting date has been changed.
Loaded gun recovered from man’s hotel room
James Harris Winton Jr., 37, appeared in Summary Court on Monday facing charges of possession of an unlicensed firearm and six rounds of ammunition.
Sentencing for Estella’s murder adjourned again
Sentencing was adjourned on Friday for the two men who received life sentences after their conviction for murdering rights activist Estella Scott-Roberts in 2008.
Premier weighs in on track coach deportation
Premier Alden McLaughlin on Wednesday sought to address the controversy over the legal status of a track coach who was convicted and sentenced last year for convincing a 14-year-old girl to send the coach topless pictures of herself.
Cabinet declines to deport track coach Stephens
Ato Modibo Stephens will be allowed to remain in the Cayman Islands despite a court’s recommendation that he be deported following his conviction last year for convincing a 14-year-old girl to send him topless photos of herself.
Cuban migrants step up appeals, despite barriers
A Cuban asylum seeker detained in George Town for more than a year will take his case to the Grand Court, contesting what he believes to be a legally flawed rejection of refugee status by the Immigration Appeals Tribunal.
Sentence adjourned in driving death
Anastasia Watson appeared in Grand Court on Thursday for sentencing on a charge of causing death by careless driving.
Law Society criticizes lack of consultation on anti-money laundering regulations
Alasdair Robertson, the president of the Law Society, has criticized a lack of consultation of the organization on the anti-money laundering regulations and the...
Man pleads guilty to rape, burglary
Okeno Nicholas Solomon, 24, pleaded guilty in Grand Court Friday to charges of rape, aggravated burglary and theft. All offenses occurred on Sept. 13, 2017 at a George Town residence.
Woman charged with $1.9 million deception
A woman accused of obtaining $1.9 million by deception appeared in Grand Court on Friday, when she denied the single charge against her.
Trial date set for Christmas Eve cocaine robbery
Two men charged in connection with the robbery of cocaine that washed up on an East End beach on Christmas Eve appeared in Grand Court Friday, when they pleaded not guilty and had their trial set for June 4.
Jury notice
All Grand Court jurors who are in the January 2018 session are advised that the report date of Monday, Jan. 29, has been changed and they are now to report for jury duty on Monday, Feb. 5 at 9:45 a.m.
Judge: Watson and others ‘benefited’ US$6.8M from CarePay
Cayman Islands businessman Canover Watson and others “jointly benefited” from the CarePay public hospital fraud scheme to the tune of US$6.79 million, a Grand Court judge found Thursday.
Crown wants cocaine conspiracy charges in Grand Court
Crown Counsel Eleanor Fargin told Magistrate Valdis Foldats on Tuesday that the Crown wants cocaine conspiracy charges against Fred Ollen McLaughlin to be tried in Grand Court.
Lawsuit challenges Speaker’s ruling
A judicial review application filed at the Grand Court earlier this month seeks to overturn a long-standing law that prohibits records from the Legislative Assembly from being used as evidence in court without the permission of the Speaker of the House.
Caymanian completes long road to Bar call
Cayman’s newest lawyer ran a long road before being called to the Bar in Grand Court by Justice Richard Williams’s courtroom Thursday morning.
Jury notice
All Grand Court jurors who are in the January 2018 session are advised that the next report date has been changed to Monday, Jan. 29 at 9:45 a.m. There is no need to report on Tuesday, Jan. 23.
Law association chiefs call for new Legal Practitioners Law
Attorneys Alasdair Robertson and Stephen Watler between them made a comprehensive case for Cayman’s legislature to pass a new Legal Practitioners Law this year.
Jury duty: When the court calls
On Wednesday, Jan. 10, exactly 111 men and women between the ages of 18 and 69 began an experience they will remember the rest of their lives.
Chief Justice: Urgent need for more courtrooms
With 674 Summary Court cases carried over into this year from 2017, and a Grand Court civil case in which the parties paid to rent a hotel conference room to serve as a courtroom, the need for more court space is more urgent than ever, Chief Justice Anthony Smellie said on Wednesday at the opening of the Grand Court for 2018.
Defendant elects Grand Court for child pornography charges
A former University College of the Cayman Islands lecturer charged with possession of child pornography has elected to have his matter heard in Grand Court.
Man admits Bodden Town store robbery
Gerado George Conolly pleaded guilty in Grand Court last week to charges including robbery, theft, possession of an unlicensed firearm and damage to property, all arising from the same incident.
Jury notice
All Grand Court jurors who are in the January 2018 session are reminded that the report date of Jan. 15 has been changed. They are now to report for jury duty on Tuesday, Jan. 23 at 9:45 a.m.
Cocaine washes ashore at East End resort
This was not the kind of “white Christmas” that Bing Crosby was singing about. A resort security guard was confronted by a masked man wielding a machete after tourists found several bricks of cocaine washed up on an East End beach.
Judge grants bail in lecturer’s child porn case
After being refused bail in Summary Court, a man charged with possession of child pornography successfully appealed to Grand Court on Friday.
Repeat offender gets first Sexual Harm Prevention Order
Grand Court Justice Marva McDonald-Bishop issued Cayman’s first Sexual Harm Prevention Order on Friday when she sentenced Ronnie Rodney Ebanks, 49, to six years imprisonment for indecent assault.
Jury notice
All Grand Court Jurors who are in the October – December session are advised that the report date of Monday, Dec. 18 has been changed and they are no longer required to attend court for the remainder of the session.
‘Claw-back’ case headed back to Grand Court
Liquidators of a hedge fund that collapsed in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis scored a major victory last month, when the London-based Judicial Committee of the Privy Council ruled that payments the fund made to investors after it was already insolvent were unlawful.
Two men charged with rape
Two men have been charged with rape following an incident that allegedly occurred aboard on boat on the night of Tuesday, Nov. 21. One man, age 44, was arrested on Friday, Nov. 24, and appeared in Summary Court late that afternoon.
Request to imprison local blogger ‘stayed’
Attempts to have local blogger Sandra Hill (formerly Sandra Catron) imprisoned over an online post a former Cabinet minister said was in contempt of court have been “stayed” for the time being.
Jury hears interviews in assault/shooting trial
A Grand Court jury heard interviews on Friday given by a husband and wife days after two men were assaulted and shots were fired outside a West Bay Road nightclub in the early hours of Feb. 4 this year.
Man threw 3.9 pounds of ganja over prison fence
A man previously given a chance with two suspended sentences literally threw that chance away when he threw ganja over the fence at Her Majesty’s Prison in Northward.
Jury notice
All Grand Court jurors who are in the Oct. 4 – Dec. 29 session are advised that the report date of Tuesday, Nov. 14 has been changed.
Split verdicts in cocaine conspiracy trial
Three men facing various charges of conspiracy to supply controlled drugs were found guilty of one or more charges after a Grand Court jury deliberated on Wednesday afternoon and Thursday morning.
Errington Webster’s sentencing put off
Errington Webster, convicted by a jury in June of indecent assault and gross indecency, had his sentencing adjourned again when he appeared before Justice Charles Quin on Thursday.
Grand Court trial dates set
Three men facing separate charges had those charges put to them in Grand Court on Friday, when they entered pleas of not guilty and their trial dates were confirmed.
Cocaine conspiracy trial begins
Three men who have pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy to supply controlled drugs appeared in Grand Court last week.
American’s firearms trial set for April
An American citizen building a retirement home in Cayman Brac appeared in Grand Court on Friday when his trial for firearms charges was scheduled for April.
Inmate in Cayman to be returned to Jamaica to face murder charge
A man wanted in Jamaica in connection with a December 2016 killing is to be escorted from the Cayman Islands after his current prison sentences expire on Oct. 11.
Second murderer challenges removal to UK
Justin D’Angelo Ramoon, 26, is the second former Northward Prison inmate to challenge his removal from the Cayman prison earlier this year to the United Kingdom, alleging that the action taken by the Cayman Islands government was unlawful.
Denied PR applicants start filing appeals
At least five people who were denied permanent resident status within the past two months have filed appeals against those decisions, the Cayman Compass can reveal.
West Bay couple seeks review of election bankruptcy
Gordon Hewitt and Velma Powery-Hewitt of West Bay will appear in Grand Court in November, seeking judicial review of a 2015 decision that left the couple bankrupt after their failed challenge to the 2013 election of MLA Tara Rivers.
Prisoner challenges ‘unlawful’ transfer to UK
A Caymanian prisoner is challenging a decision to transfer him to the U.K. for “national security” reasons, claiming the decision impacts his right to a family life.
Man in court on Prospect rape charges
A man charged with two counts of rape was remanded in custody after appearing in Summary Court on Monday. Okeno Nicholas Solomon, 24, had five charges against him transmitted to Grand Court, where he is scheduled to appear on Friday, Oct. 6.
Jamaica murder suspect fights deportation, cites ‘right to life’
A Jamaican man accused of killing another man in his home country last December is seeking to prevent deportation from the Cayman Islands because he contends his “right to life” may be in danger.
Jury notice
All Grand Court jurors who are in the July–October session are advised that the report date of Monday, Sept. 18, has been changed. Jurors are now to report for duty on Tuesday, Sept. 19. at 9:45 a.m.
Hammer attack defendant appears in court
A man accused of striking another man with a hammer at a Savannah shopping center on Friday appeared in Summary Court on Tuesday.
BREAKING: Grand Court judge arrested
A judge of the Cayman Islands Grand Court was arrested Monday night on suspicion of drunken driving following a crash on West Bay Road.
Marco Archer sues website for defamation
Former Cayman Islands Finance Minister Marco Archer has won a temporary injunction against the publication of a website blog post that he alleged was defamatory, in a writ filed Monday with the Grand Court.
Grand Court: Madoff-invested fund’s administrator and custodian negligent but not liable
Two service providers to Primeo, a fund that invested all of its money with Ponzi scheme fraudster Bernard Madoff, were negligent in their duties as administrator and custodian, according to the Cayman Islands Grand Court.
Man pleads guilty to causing death by careless driving
Anthony W. Scott Jr. pleaded guilty in Grand Court on Friday to causing death by careless driving on June 30, 2016. His passenger, Thomas Rupert Hubbell, died on June 12, 2017, from injuries sustained in that crash.
Trials to be joined for guns, cash and drugs
Two men charged with firearm, drug and criminal property offenses will have their matters joined in a single trial later this year. Ralston Benjamin Ebanks, 41, appeared in Grand Court on Friday, when he pleaded guilty to three firearm offenses.
Defendant’s DNA not on firearm, jury hears
Jurors in a Grand Court firearms trial this week have heard that DNA found on an unlicensed revolver did not match the DNA profile of defendant Jay Calvert Ebanks. Instead, the DNA profile on the .38 Smith & Wesson was consistent with that of a man who was in Ebanks’s residence when it was raided by police last August.
Woman pleads guilty to causing road fatality
Anastasia Watson, 24, pleaded guilty Monday in Grand Court to causing death by careless driving. The deceased, Kimberly Bush, 23, was a passenger in the BMW driven by Watson in the early hours of April 15, 2015, along Rum Point Road in North Side.
Stepfather charged with rape of 15-year-old
A man charged with the rape of his stepdaughter was remanded in custody on Friday afternoon after Magistrate Angelyn Hernandez rejected an application for bail made on his behalf. Crown counsel Neil Kumar said he was objecting to bail.
Candidate: ‘Drop residency requirements’ for voters, politicians
Alric Lindsay has lived in Cayman since he was a child and was adopted by a Caymanian man. His business is here, as is his home, as is pretty much his entire life. However, Mr. Lindsay found himself facing a legal challenge to his ability to run for political office earlier this year.
Court denies bail in attempted murder case
Randon Odell Davis was remanded in custody Monday after appearing in Summary Court on charges of attempted murder and wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. The charges relate to an incident on Friday, Aug. 11, in the Watler’s Road area of George Town.
West Bay man denies firearm charges, except air guns
Chadwick Cameron Ebanks appeared in Grand Court on Friday when he entered pleas to an eight-count indictment that included seven charges for unlicensed firearms. Ebanks, 40, pleaded not guilty to being in possession of unlicensed items at his West Bay residence on July 6.
Court eases election disqualification rules
A Grand Court ruling issued this week will likely make it easier for political candidates who are born outside the Cayman Islands to stand for election, regardless of the number of days they have been absent from the jurisdiction before candidate nomination day.
First Legal Aid director appointed
The Judicial Administration on Thursday announced the appointment of Cayman’s first Legal Aid director, Stacy Parke.
