Fmr Speaker Griffith guilty

However, because of his age (71), health concerns and good character - having served as a minister of government and the Speaker of the House of Representatives - Griffith will not have a conviction recorded against him. In accordance with provisions of Sections 144 and 145 of the Summary Courts Act, Justices of Appeal Alice Yorke-Soo Hon and Mark Mohammed reversed the decision of former chief magistrate Marcia Ayers-Caesar in 2013, to dismiss a charge against Griffith. The Appeal Court also amended the original charge.

Griffith, who was also MP for Toco/Sangre Grande, was charged with using insulting language to the annoyance of persons on March 8, 2012, at Dock Road, Wrightson Road, Port of Spain.

This charge was amended by the appellate court judges to read that he used insulting language with intent to or which might tend to provoke another, to commit a breach of the peace.

In January 2013, Ayers-Caesar dismissed the charge of using insulting language to the annoyance of persons saying such a charge did not exist in law. The State appealed this ruling. Griffith was accused of using insulting language toward PC Larry Joefield while the officer was in the process of issuing a traffic ticket to the Minister’s driver for breaching a red light. Griffith, according to evidence given in court, told the officers he was a minister and would speak to the Commissioner of Police to, “make an example of him (PC McKenzie).” PC Joefield intervened and asked Griffith to allow his colleague to do his job. Griffith shouted to Joefield, “You is a stupid police...allyuh is a set ah stupid police. I doh know how all yuh get in the service.

Somebody must be help all yuh to get in the service, all yuh too stupid.” Griffith was charged by way of summons. He was represented by Senior Counsel Israel Khan.