Employer courting contempt of court

THE employer of an empanelled member of a jury may face charges for contempt of court for making travel plans for the juror after being informed that the juror had been selected to serve during an attempted murder trial. Shortly after Madame Justice Alice Yorke Soo Hon entered the Port-of-Spain Second Court to begin the trial of two men on attempted murder charges, one of the jurors selected to serve at that trial forwarded a letter from his employer to the judge.

In the letter, the employer proceeded to “advise the learned trial judge” that the juror was scheduled to travel to the US on company business today. When asked if he had not informed his employer that he was selected to perform his civic duty, the juror said he had indicated this when he had returned to his workplace after he and the eight other jurors were empanelled on Monday. Despite this, he said, his employer went ahead and made travel plans, and at around 6.30 pm gave him (the juror) the letter to take to the judge when he got to court yesterday. “I don’t take too kindly to this at all,” Soo Hon said.

After assuring the juror that he was not at fault, the judge explained that the employer’s actions could amount to contempt of court. Soo Hon then told the juror that a letter would be sent to his employer “to advise” him that he was mandated to show up at the Port-of-Spain Assizes at 9 am today. She also “advised” that he be accompanied by an attorney. “He cannot treat the system with such discourtesy,” the judge said. However, Soo Hon expressed concern about the possibility of the accused men getting a fair trial in light of the situation. She pointed out that she did not want to run the risk of keeping the juror in the courtroom while his mind was on the business trip. The matter would be heard in-camera today in the judge’s chambers.