Judge aborts taxi driver murder trial

The judge made the decision when he ruled that certain statements in the presentation of the case by the State to the jury prejudiced one of the accused.

Thomas and De Leon are alleged to have murdered Jaskaran while he plied the Marabella/San Fernando route in December 1992. They allegedly dumped his body at the Usine Ste Madeleine pond.

The start of the trial before Justice Rampersad saw attorneys engaged in legal arguments regarding the admissibility of statements into evidence and the editing of certain documentary evidence. These arguments, which included a voir dire (trial within a trial), were done in the absence of the jury and three alternates selected to adjudicate in the trial.

On Monday, Senior State attorney Narissa Ramsundar finally opened the case to the jury and the three alternatives. attorneys Learie Alleyne-Forte and Margaret Rose, representing Thomas and de Leon, objected to Ramsundar’s reference to certain alleged statements made by one accused about the actions of the other in the alleged committal of the murder. Both Thomas and de Leon, the jury heard, had boarded Jaskaran’s taxi in San Fernando.

Justice Rampersad, who put the jury out of court and hearing, heard legal arguments on the objections. Yesterday, he continued hearing submissions.

The judge then recalled the jury and, in delivering a ruling, said that an error was inadvertently committed. Having considered the objections by defence attorneys and the State’s reply, Rampersad said he was left with only one option — to abort the trial.

As much as he regretted to do so, Rampersad told the jury, justice must not only be done, but appear to be done.

He ordered that the case be placed back on the June 28 Cause List for new trial date to be fixed.