The Nassau Guardian reports that the poor quality of police investigations has caused the dismissals of three murder cases in a 10-day span.
Sloppy police work may have contributed to the fact that, despite hundreds of murders, only three murder convictions were obtained during the period 2005-2009.
“Police Commissioner Ellison Greenslade has often said that police do their part by arresting and charging suspects, but the matter is out of their hands once the case goes to court.
However, The Nassau Guardian reveals that the judges who directed these acquittals had concerns about the methods used by the police to gather evidence.
In one case, Justice Vera Watkins expressed concern regarding the way an identification line-up was handled.
Watkins recently directed the acquittal of Richard McKinney who was accused of the February 5, 2010 murders of Lashon Davis and Omar Smith.
“The evidence indicates that the defendant surrendered to the police and that he denied any involvement in the incident of February 5, 2010 when questioned by Sgt. Greenslade. Prior to the [identification] parade there is no evidence that implicated the defendant in the shooting. Why is it then that on February 8, 2010 Inspector Demeritte selected men whose physical appearances were similar to that of the defendant?
“It would have been more prudent for the officer to select men who fitted the description of the person who was seen discharging the firearm on February, 5, 2010. This person was wearing a mask or shades and something on his head. None of the persons on the parade wore anything oh their heads and none of them wore masks or shades. Further, none of the witnesses indicated that the gunman had a beard. Yet, according to Sgt. Demeritte, all of the participants in the parade had beards.”
In another recent case, Senior justice Jon Isaacs refused to allow the confession by Hilfrant Joseph who was on trial for the June 2007 murders of Denise Neely-Clarke and Felix Johnson.
Justice Isaacs ruled that the interview at the Carmichael Road Police Station was inadmissible because police did not givethe suspect food or drink prior to the interview.
“The court notes the defendant’s question at the end of the [videotaped] interview about receiving food and an officer’s response in the affirmative. It suggests an earlier promise to supply the accused man with food.”
Also, justice Roy Jones dismised the case against Quincy Johnson in his second trial for the August 23, 2000 murder of Denise Walker.
Justice Jones deemed Jones’ confession inadmissible after learning that police did not tell Johnson of his right to have an attorney during the interview.
As in the Joseph case, the prosecution’s case was based almost entirely on the alleged confession.
