Insane killers block assessment tribunal
A High Court judge granted an injunction on Tuesday to prevent a tribunal from sitting on Wednesday to assess the mental condition of two insane killers who were sentenced several years ago at the President’s Pleasure (now known as the Court’s Pleasure). The injunction was granted by Justice David Myers to killers Edmund Fonrose and George Noriega, whose ex-parte applications were argued by attorneys Mark Seepersad and Gerald Ramdeen. Among the declarations being sought by the killers is an order from the court stating that they are entitled to make representation before the tribunal. In 2004, Justice Humphrey Stollmeyer ruled that the State had violated Fonrose and Noriega’s rights by failing to issue a presidential order for the assessment of their mental condition. In May 2005, the two men again went to court, this time bringing contempt proceedings against the Attorney General for failing to comply with Stollmeyer’s order. Early this week they were informed by the Solicitor General’s Department that the tribunal was set up and was to meet last Wednesday (September 7) to deal with their assessment matter. On Tuesday, their attorneys went before Justice Myers and got the injunction. They claimed they were not given the names of the members of the tribunal and, additionally, they were not given enough notice to prepare their cases before the tribunal. Their attorneys also argued that their clients were not given any report or documents that were going to be used by the tribunal. Fonrose was convicted of murdering two persons in Tableland in 1981, while Noriega was found guilty of murdering his wife Allison Garcia Noriega in 1983. Both men were found to be insane.
Comments
"Insane killers block assessment tribunal"