UPDATE: Attorney found guilty of contempt of court

Henry Shillingford
Shillingford appeared in court on Wednesday. File photo

 
Dominican attorney Henry Shillingford has been found guilty of contempt in the face of the court and fined 1,000 to be paid by April 2nd 2016 or in default spend 14 days in jail.

Shillingford was cited for contempt in the face of the court by Justice Errol Thomas after he made certain comments while the Baliff was about to adjourn court earlier this week.

According to court records, he said, among other things, that justice had come to a crawl and the court was not motivated by justice. He was also loud during the court session.

His lawyer, Cara Shillingford, apologized for his comments and said that he never intended to be disrespectful to the court and is just an overly passionate person.

Shillingford also apologized, saying that he has the greatest respect for the Judge and the court. He accepted he was accepting his wrong and said he was contrite.

In his decision Justice Thomas said that the court does not accept the reasons for his behavior and his apology was a mere mitigation.

 

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45 Comments

  1. dady b
    March 17, 2016

    rasta have no right to be in barbilorn sistem

    • Face the Facts
      March 20, 2016

      Henry was not a Rasta. He was born of decent, Catholic parents. Very nice people. His mother was a teacher at the Convent High School. She was a wonderful lady/teacher. His parents have since passed on. They must be rolling in their graves to see what he has become, aside from being an attorney. They ensured that he had a career for his future.
      Henry chose to renounce his Catholic faith and become a Rasta. Some people take the easy and short path out.
      Our Lord Jesus Christ warned us of taking short-cuts as a thief that jumps the gate to get into the house.
      Henry, a baptized Catholic will be one until he dies, to eternity. God will not rescind His blessing on him when he was baptized in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
      Henry made a grave error to renounce his faith. This means he renounced Our Lord Jesus Christ, his teachings and that of the Church.
      I hope God will bless and grace Henry when he will be in dire need of Him.

  2. Papa Dom
    March 17, 2016

    Dear mr justice Thomas, I know you are reading this. Can you tell me what mr shillingford said that is not the truth? In recent days an accused has sort judicial review to prevent charges being read to him, is that justice? I must note and i’m sure you are aware that this is not the first time and there are other cases stuck in the system for the same reason for example the case of the former chief magistrate. There are lawyers asking the court to strike out people’s defences and not to mention the numerous instances of those lawyers asking the court to throw out cases for very minor procedural errors and you and your court allow that. So where is the justices? Where is the justice when after more than 10 years the Chief Justice cannot put rules in place as they relate to the conduct of elections which he knows and admit is his job to do? If mr shillingford or anyone else disrespects the court it is because the court has not shown itself to be worthy of the respect that it demands.

  3. Dante Jones
    March 17, 2016

    The court system, government, church etc are all just charades imposed on us to make us feel like there is a sense of order in society when the reality is everything is f#$#d up. The people in these positions get away with heinous crimes that ordinary people would be hanged 10 times over for. The collective flock of sheep that makes up the electorate of most of these states worship and bow down to these systems without even questioning them for once, even more so they lash out at any one who does just that.

    • Face the Facts
      March 18, 2016

      Imagine if they were non-existent what type of society there would be. They all serve a purpose, for good reasons; not for criticisms.
      In order to obtain eternal salvation you must also obey earthly authorities.
      God recognizes earthly authorities. He will be the judge of all; not you. You are not exempt from obedience. A society functions well and is at peace when its nationals are obedient to authority.
      Note what occurs when they are not obedient as in the case of crimes/murders, etc. People live in fear. This is not happiness. Surely you have enough sense to know that.
      St. Paul said: Obey authority. How conversant are you with Holy Scripture?

      • March 18, 2016

        Thank goodness for humankind that not everyone agrees with you that we must all be obedient to whatever governmental institutions other human beings subject us.

        Paul also said, “Tell slaves to be submissive to their masters and to give satisfaction in every respect; they are not to talk back, not to pilfer, but to show complete and perfect fidelity, so that in everything they may be an ornament to the doctrine of God our Saviour.”

        Conversely, Jesus spoke the truth freely to Pilate without fear of the consequences. That’s the example to follow.

  4. March 17, 2016

    The people working in the court in Dominica are simply motivated to make the most money as possible,,While criminality is on the high rise in this land,murderers ,rapists,theft ,sexual assaults,il-treament to the weak and elderly …are on the rise ,even the politicians are turning a blind eye..

  5. Jah Guide
    March 17, 2016

    THERE IS SOMEONE HIGHER THAN Justice Errol Thomas!!!!!!!!!!

  6. Anansi
    March 17, 2016

    For once, I agree with Henry. The truth burns and those in control can’t stand it.

  7. Phillip
    March 17, 2016

    Everybody wants Peace but nobody wants Justice…..

  8. UDOHREADYET
    March 16, 2016

    there is no such thing as guilty of contempt of court! either the judge says you’re in contempt or not… its a judges ruling not a trial.

  9. just being objective
    March 16, 2016

    truth must prevail

  10. mine
    March 16, 2016

    People must know to respect,

  11. Mee
    March 16, 2016

    Well the judicial system in Dominica leaves a lot to be desired .

  12. Yes sah!
    March 16, 2016

    While I don’t condone Mr Shillingford’s behavior I can’t help but notice he spoke truth. Truth does create offense.

    • Dominican
      March 17, 2016

      Truth comes with manners and proper behavior. It does not matter how much truth he speaks he has NO RIGHT to keep disrespecting the court like its his house of nayabingay

    • Face the Facts
      March 18, 2016

      Henry is a radical.

  13. JUSTICE4ALL
    March 16, 2016

    Many share his view that ‘justice has come to a crawl’ and that ‘the court is not motivated by justice’. But I know of very few who would go misbehaving in the Judges court. But he is a lawyer and would have been aware of the consequences.

  14. March 16, 2016

    My amen is in agreement with Mr Shillingford

  15. March 16, 2016

    Amen

  16. Innocent
    March 16, 2016

    Am on his side the man knows justice Yes ras a conscious man keep it real talk the truth don’t let them silence the people JUSTICE I say no disrespect step aside now

  17. In the land of the lisis,, the Irish man becomes king
    March 16, 2016

    The case was called and settled within the said week, were as the GON case has been languishing in the courts for years. Come on Judge, are you for real? There are a lot of important things in the legal system, that you need to put in order; yet you turn your back. Oh what a day.

  18. Dredde21
    March 16, 2016

    But wait nuh how comes Lawyers have other Lawyers represent them in proceedings when they are fully aware of the rules of Court as they too also represent others,,,

    Questions like that should be asked, as these events unfold, seeing the Pirates and Privateers go at each other as their associations are in disarray,,,

  19. Face the Facts
    March 16, 2016

    What goes around comes around. Some people do and say things and after say they are sorry; they did not mean it. How contrite are they?
    You can’t go to Court and act as though you are superior to the Judge. Common Henry. Get with it. Remember the discipline you learned from your parents and also the high school you attended?
    Hope from now on you will conduct yourself properly and will not get into any more such trouble. The next time you will not get off so easily.
    This is $1,000 dollars out of your pocket. May you learn to curb your quick temper. You need to learn humility and respect I believe you had when you were younger. It appears you lost it along the way.

    • Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
      March 17, 2016

      Facts, this man Shillingford is not a child, and just because he is a raster-man does not mean anybody has to discriminate, against him!

      I do not have the complete details of the matter as to what transpired in court, however; I might be almost correct that the judge acted with prejudice against that man. Shillingford should now demand that the judge recuse himself/herself; from the case he is dealing with; since it is obvious the judge is operating in a prejudicial and bias manner against him!

      You always pick the wrong side to support. I think you made the claim that he will be disbarred eventually. Lawyers are only disbarred when they are found to be unethical: such as involvement in criminal activity, such as thievery of their client money.

      A Lawyer thief twelve thousand dollars from me he obtained in a settlement from an accident, I could have caused him to be disbarred, but because he did some work for me one time when I was broke, that touched my heart, and I…

      • Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
        March 17, 2016

        I could have caused him to be disbarred, but because he did some work for me one time when I was broke, that touched my heart, and I simply called him a damn thief to face and let him slide! You are shocked that all the judge could have done is imposed a sanction of a meager thousand dollars!

  20. MIA
    March 16, 2016

    He should be taken to jail the same day, these are the examples to have in our system……. same on you

  21. Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
    March 16, 2016

    Madam smart Facts; I need to ask you a question. what did I kid Francisco the man you said is a bad man said about it in reference to where you made the claim that Shillingford will be disbarred?

    How knows the more law, and the procedures of such matters?

    The Facts Machines, Real Facts, Kid on Block:

    Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah; and all your other names. If you did not copy my comments, perhaps you should read me again copy the knowledge I disseminated, and try to store it in the dungeons of your mind!

    Even if they decided to send him to jail it could not be for more than between three, and five days, and would not prevent him from practicing law anyway!

    • Face the Facts
      March 18, 2016

      You are a bad man. You love throwing words at others, divulging personal matters, throwing maypwee. Do you know that word? You cannot write without insulting people. You never have anything good to say; no words of encouragement; no compliments. What type of person are you? Is that what residing in the US, in California did to you or were you always that type of miserable person?

      • Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
        March 18, 2016

        I know who you want me to complement you know, I know who you want me say good things about, but as long as he continue to damage Dominica, and cause our nation people to exists in a state of poverty and pain!

        You will never live long enough to hear me complement nor praise your little god Roosevelt Skerrit, that Mountain Chicken Crapo (Carpaud) Mentality half balled boy!

        Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah!

        That goes for Elizabeth too. Last night she try to humiliate me by saying I wrote something in another forum to her, turn out those were her nasty words written me. I reproduced her own words so that everybody could see, since then she ran and hide, I have not heard from her yet; she is caught in her own lie oui!

  22. stinky poo pants
    March 16, 2016

    Is that really BREAKING NEWS DNO?

    Open this Link to see what I consider to be BREAKING NEWS: http://news.yahoo.com/suspended-u-n-diplomat-pleads-guilty-u-bribery-172851456–finance.html

    This part here is very disturbing and should have many very afraid: “Those bribes, Lorenzo admitted, were paid to Ashe to seek U.N. support of a U.N.-sponsored conference center in Macau. Lorenzo, who prosecutors said received bribes himself from Ng, said payments were also made to other unnamed foreign officials”

    I really wonder who are the other unnamed foreign officials Lorenzo said he also paid bribes to?

    Well no need to panic if you are a Dominican because we know for a fact that NO ONE from Dominica knows this Lorenzo person and there is no chance a Dominican could be implicated in this. So we safe man; we free; We just need to keep cleaning the airport man

    • Peter Potter
      March 17, 2016

      I have a good idea.

  23. March 16, 2016

    Just using this forum to ask Carlisle Jno Baptiste to update his so called journalistic skills. From here you got a Thumb Down

  24. March 16, 2016

    let’s hope that this lawyer learn to behave and to control his temper. he had a narrow escape.

  25. %
    March 16, 2016

    Stuppessssssssssssssssssss!!!Corrupt and polluted country!!!! We need a court system to address the abuse of our children by grown people.

  26. dissident
    March 16, 2016

    I’m not sure what message you trying to send with that kinda sentence!

  27. Lead singer
    March 16, 2016

    That was lighting quick boy! Only Monday he was cited and by Wednesday before 2pm, case already called with a guilty plea?

    That leads me to wonder why when our minors are being molested ir takes 3-6 years ? It also has me to wonder why a fellow attorney in 2010, was accused of 42 counts of theft by his business partner and up to this day, they cannot be read to him?

    In DA today a crime is only a crime based on who commits it

  28. Critical thinker
    March 16, 2016

    When it suit them they act speedily. Some are getting away with murder. An unfair system like this is really not sending any serious message to our youth, we are just too bias with the law, justice for one should be justice for all, we are all Dominicans. All of a sudden Dominica belong to some more than others. Let us deal with the child molestation and stop acting according to emotions and punish those you do not like.

    A las papa

  29. AAGabriel
    March 16, 2016

    Because he is not a member of the corrupt ‘fraternity’ he gets punished. Would not have happened to one of the regime supporters.

  30. Blogg
    March 16, 2016

    That man is firery… Bless up Bro. No need to change your style and passion for you job but be more professional and measured in your utterances in the court room as well as on the radio.

  31. LAWfool ??
    March 16, 2016

    steupes —– weakling

  32. Wondering Mind
    March 16, 2016

    He is lucky. He got off lightly.

    • Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
      March 16, 2016

      What nonsense are you talking; lucky he gets off lightly what, the of the judge is limited to a mediocre sanction, some of you should simply shut up when you do not understand what you are commenting on!

      Sot!

      • Face the Facts
        March 18, 2016

        Wesley people as you could not talk patois – creole. Where did you learn it? On DNO? Now you are using it to insult people?

      • Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
        March 18, 2016

        Maybe Elizabeth taught me that one patios word oui!

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