Reports from River Gee County say many persons charged for alleged crimes are escaping prosecution due to the lack of court facilities in the county.
The 15th Judicial Circuit Court in River Gee which was established in conformity with the Judiciary Law, formerly the Liberian Code of Law title 17, to provide jurisdiction in court matters, is said to be currently operated from the residence of the assigned judge, Wesseh A. Wesseh.
Section 3.2. of the Judicial Law of Liberia provides that the Circuit Court shall exercise original general jurisdiction, including jurisdiction in admiralty cases, and overall cases as to which another court is not expressly given exclusive original jurisdiction by constitutional or statutory provision.
However, the 15th Judicial Circuit Court has not been able to adequately live up to the objective for which it was established.
The lack of a circuit court facility is not the only challenge to the judicial system, but also to persons who seek legal business with the court.
The Wesseh-home run court also lacks manpower and human resources to function as a quasi-circuit court in the county and these challenges, among others have given rise to many alleged criminals to escape trial.
Defendant Thomas Karpeh Collins, indicted for Statutory Rape on September 20, 2021, escaped on June 1, 2023 when he was being arraigned before the Court presided over by Judge Wesseh.
Defendant Collins absconded justice when the jurors into his trial were being selected.
According to our River Gee County reporter, the escapee told the prison officers that he wanted to attend nature and since the court is housed in a private property, he was taken to a nearby community in handcuff to ease himself at which time he escaped.
Meanwhile, Judge Wesseh has threatened to prosecute the officer involved for negligence if the defendant is not found.
Judge Wesseh said the lack of a proper court facility to house the 15th Judicial Circuit and adequate staffing of the court is not only humiliating to his office by a threat to justice in the county.
He said there are two bailiffs, with one acting as a sheriff since the Ministry of Justice retired the county sheriff noting, “It makes it difficult for the court to serve court’s precepts.”
Meanwhile, the trial has been suspended indefinitely pending the rearrest of defendant Thomas Collins.
“If the court was well structured, the unfortunate situation of criminals escaping trial would not have occurred,” Judge Wesseh said.
