The Privy Council judges who are trying to legislate from the bench, and Bahamian judges who are too lenient are responsible for the drastic increase in murder in The Bahamas.
The Nassau Guardian, which is fast eclipsing the Tribune in terms of the quality of journalism, reports that eleven murder convicts who had been condemned to death have been freed as a consequence of the Privy Council decision that declared the mandatory death penalty unconstitutional.
Before that foolish and fateful decision, murder convicts were automatically condemned to death regardless if there were any extenuating circumstances in the crime.
The eleven killers mentioned by the Guardian had to be resentenced after the Privy Council ruling invalidated their death sentences. They were all given light sentences by lenient Bahamian judges, a mere slap on the wrist for their crimes.
Just last month, the Bahamas Court of Appeal upheld the release of Quincy Todd, who back in 1996 was convicted of the murder of Venette Bellizaire.
Senior Justice Jon Isaacs, who some consider a danger to society, ordered Todd’s release during a resentencing hearing in April 2010. 10 other murderers were also released.
Garnet Jones and two other men raped and killed a 19-year-old girl near the Sea Breeze Canal. The men shot the young woman nine times after they raped her.
These men are now free to rape and kill again.
The Court of Appeal also ordered the release of Jeronimo Bowleg, who was convicted of the murder of Dieuseul Almanor, because the same “dangerous” judge had already allowed the release of Bowleg’s co-defendant, Schroeter.
The Court of Appeal judges felt that since one of the murdererous men had been released, well, both had to be released. They wanted to be “fair”.
James Dean was convicted on August 19, 1988 for as murder that occurred in the course of an armed robbery. He is now free to rob and kill again.
Michelle Woodside murdered Sister Clare Haas, with whom she worked as a secretary at Our Lady’s Catholic Church. Woodside smashed in the nun’s head with a cement block and slashed her throat with a knife to conceal the theft of $6000. She was convicted in 1991. She has since been released after serving a few years in prison and a few years on parole.
And one wonders why the murder rate inh The Bahamas is skyrocketing?
