McNicolls on note-taking

McNicolls informed lawyers yesterday that there was an amendment to the Indictable Offences (Preliminary Inquiry) Act which allows him to take this course.

The Chief Magistrate said he would be using the court’s audio digital recording system. He said there will be no taking of notes in long hand, neither would there be any re-reading of the notes for witnesses to sign.

The audio digital recording system was used in the Basdeo Panday integrity trial which flowed at a great pace and concluded yesterday in record time. McNicolls, seeing the success with the Panday trial, informed the lawyers that he would be adopting this course in the Maharaj case. Three soldiers and six civilians appeared in the Port-of-Spain Eighth Magistrates’ Court charged with Maharaj’s murder. Maharaj, 62, was kidnapped outside the Samaan Tree Bar in Aranjuez on April 5, 2005. His remains were found in Santa Cruz on January 9.

Before the court were Doreen Alexander-Durity, 40; Zion Clarke, 27; Anderson Straker, 32; soldiers Ricardo De Four, Leon Nurse and Ricardo Stevenson; Kevin Nixon and brothers Wayne and Kenneth Pierre.

The case was adjourned to April 3.