(LINA) – The Presiding Judge of Criminal Court “A”, Roosevelt Z. Willie, has denied a motion to admit a bail filed by defense lawyers in the murder case involving defendant Papie Vinton who allegedly killed his friend over a face cap.
The twelve-man jury came down with a hung verdict in the case.
Out of the twelve, seven brought a guilty verdict, while five went for not guilty, leaving a hung verdict, indicating that there was not sufficient evidence adduced during the trial, thus making the case to go back on the docket for a new trial
It was from this backdrop that the defense lawyers filed the motion to admit the defendant to bail.
According to the motion, there was insufficient evidence during the trial, leading the jurors to come down with a hung verdict.
The defense lawyers also asked the Court to grant the motion they filed to set free the defendant because there is no evidence to prove his guilt.
But prosecution lawyer Atty. Wesseh A. Wesseh argued that under Liberian law and in this jurisdiction, murder is a capital offence and inasmuch as the defendant was tried during this term of court and the trial jury did not return a unanimous verdict does not mean that there is no evidence or that the presumption is not great.
Atty. Wesseh further stated that the hung verdict that was returned by the jury does not mean that prosecution failed to prove its case, adding that when the jury came in open court there was inconsistency on the part of the jurors.
It can be recalled that Defendant Papie Vinton was on May 5, 2015 arrested by the Police based upon information that he was involved in the alleged killing of the victim during a fight over a face cap.
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