DESPITE THE huge backlog of cases facing the nation's courts, a shortage of jurors yesterday resulted in the adjournment of a murder case.
The trial of the three policemen charged with the murder of 15 year-old Jason Kemar Smith, of Spanish Town, St. Catherine was put off until Wednesday because only 52 jurors turned up to serve in the four criminal courts at the Home Circuit Court.
A police officer disclosed that more than 600 summonses were issued for jurors to attend court for the first three weeks of the term but some of those who were served failed to attend.
"A judge excused some of the jurors who were served (summonses) because they had valid reasons," a court official said yesterday.
Some defence lawyers expressed concerns yesterday that on the second day of the new term, a case had to be adjourned because of insufficient jurors. The lawyers explained that before jury selection could begin at least 60 jurors had to be present. They said in a murder case, an accused was entitled to challenge seven jurors and the Crown was entitled to the same number of challenges before the 12-member jury could be selected.
Justice Wesley James in opening the Michaelmas session of the Home Circuit Court last week Friday pleaded with jurors to attend court when summoned for jury duty. He pointed out that there were times when the number of excuses from jurors were almost equal to the number of jurors summoned.
MORE JURORS TO BE SUMMONED
Justice Mahadev Dukharan, who is presiding over the trial of the three policemen has put off the case until Wednesday when it is expected that more jurors will be summoned to attend court.
The policemen are constables Rudolph Rhoden, Dwight Roberts and Lyton Pasceo.
Smith was fatally shot in Spanish Town on the night of July 9, 2002.
