Magistrate Michael Laudat has accepted a $50,000.00 payment offer made by a Grand Bay man to the court following his guilty plea to trafficking $73,000.00 worth of cannabis.
Bernard Fevrier of La Lay Grand Bay appeared before the Roseau Magistrate court charged with trafficking 33,142 grams of cannabis on September 23, 2022, in Mahaut.
According to the facts of the case presented to the court by police prosecutor, Inspector Francis Laville, on the aforementioned date, Police Constable Laurent was on duty at the Drug Squad office when he received certain information.
As a result, he and other members of the Drug Squad unit proceeded on duty to Mahaut via two two police vehicles.
On arrival at a certain area on the E.O. Leblanc Highway in Mahaut, Constable Laurent noticed a gray bus registration number HE451 stuck in traffic.
He stopped the vehicle and asked the driver to switch off his engine. The officer then informed Fevrier that he had reason to believe that he was in possession of illegal drugs and asked to carry out a search of the vehicle which Fevrier agreed to.
While searching the bus, the officer saw that the back seat was folded and there were three bags.
When questioned about the content within the bags Fevrier responded, “Weed that there. I was bringing it Portsmouth to sell.”
He was then arrested on suspicion of drug trafficking and transported to the Police Headquarters. There, the cannabis was weighed and amounted to 33,142 grams. Samples of the finding were then sent to the government analysis for testing which later returned positive for cannabis.
Subsequently the charge of drug trafficking was preferred against the Grand Bay man.
At the court hearing, Magistrate Laudat informed Fevrier that the offense for which he was charged carries a penalty of a fine three times the street value of the drugs or $150,000 – whichever is greater. He said the law also makes provision for a custodial sentence of seven to fifteen years.
“You are not a first time offender and you have been charged in the past for drug trafficking so tell me why I should not send you to jail or charge you $150,000.00.”
Unrepresented and lost for words, Fevrier told the court, “I think I have to pay the money…give me time to pay.”
When questioned by the Magistrate on a suitable fine, the Grand Bay man first offered a payment of $100,000.00to the court then decreased the amount to $50,000.00.
“I can pay $50,000.00 by December,” he stated.
The Magistrate accepted the amount offered but granted the defendant just over a year to make the full payment.
“Because you cooperated with the police and you pleaded guilty at the first opportunity and not wasted the court’s time, you are fined $50,000.00. The first payment of $15,000.00 is due on or before December 31, 2022; the second payment of another $15,000.00 is due by June 30, 2023 and the final payment of $20,000.00 should be paid to the court on or before October 31, 2023,” Magistrate Laudat ordered.
In default of any payment, Fevrier will be imprisoned for six months.
The drug was forfeited to the State.
I don’t see the deterent value in these sentences. If I am a drug dealer, I would set aside $100K to paid these fines and treat it as a cost of doing business.
Don’t most businessmen do that tho, some using insurance companies indirectly to CYA?
collateral damage.
The phrase ‘Banana Republic’ springs to mind. What happened to my wonderful country in the last 20 years? Not law and constitution rule the place now but a gathering of shameless and greedy thugs.
This has nothing to do with the last twenty years. You all make everything political. Where were you when I was growing up in Dominica in the 80s and 90s when boating and dumper loads of drugs used to be seized? These unwarranted attacks on the government are not a good move. I keep telling you all and you persist with nothing to show.
They doe tired make joke in that country?
And a man serving time in jail over some oranges?
I can only assume the magistrate getting a little cash too papa
This Nature Farce. Dispensaries for the “legal” buying and selling of the herb for medicinal and recreational use is inevitable and will soon be as ubiquitous as rum shops in Dominica .
It begins with education not only in schools but in Government offices.
In this “Nature” Island, we are still allowed to use Gramoxone aka Paraquat which continues to decimate the insect, animal and human population (yes many Dominicans have died of cancer from spraying bananas a few decades ago).
I guess hand pollination is always an option after we have killed off the birds and bees with chemicals, while we criminalise a “Natural” herb. What a country!!
Papamet! So that is how it works with the court? Where else in de world would a man be caught with drugs and doh face a solid jail time?
Stop lying about Bernard Fevrier’s name. De man name is El Chapo!
No wonder a Labourite from St. Joe is the “pal” Rep for Grand Bay!
This is the same magistrate who was trying to send message play tough and send a man to 6 months in jail for picking $52 worth of oranges from state house compound. I am puzzled by the level of stupidity making decisions in this place.
I read this and had to laugh. Laudat should just give the guy his weed back and send him on his merry way. It is clear from reading this we are not trying to solve the drug trafficking problem. While the guy did not waste the courts time i think the court wasted the people’s time and the guys time. They could have called him on the phone make that same arrangement. He even get a discount. Offered to pay 100k magistrate say no. Pay 50K. A comedy skit that there.
This is what I called corruption beyond compare!
The court is as corrupt; there is a metaphor ” the up-holder is worst than the thief,” in this case the court: Magistrate is worst than the drudge dealer.
When and if a criminal defendant offer to pay to the court a certain amount of money not imposed on the defendant by the court, that is considered bribery; or buying his/her way out of the consequences for the related crime!
The minuet he offered to buy the court, his sentence according to the laws of the land should be immediately executed; he should be sent to jail, along with paying a fine specified in the laws of the land.
He walks, as a mighty drudge dealer above the law; but what happens when a petty drudge dealer without that amount of money to buy the the magistrate, and courts comes along; that same so called magistrate will smile when he condemns the poor to prison.
Only in Dominica can a criminal in daylight bribe a court to gain freedom!
That’s a dirty shame.
The dude selects his fine from a range of 0 – 150K. He obviously selects the sum that he feels he can afford to lose. He must have calculated that he can recover his loss in X number of months without breaking a sweat, maybe.
So where is the punishment, which should be meant to inflict so much pain that it would be a deterrent?
This offender will sell more weed to pay the money.
1. “Police Constable Laurent was on duty at the Drug Squad office when he received certain information.”
I smell a rat!
2. “He stopped the vehicle and asked the driver to switch off his engine. The officer then informed Fevrier that he had reason to believe that he was in possession of illegal drugs and asked to carry out a search of the vehicle which Fevrier agreed to.”
Why did he agree to be searched for?! INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY! Refuse refuse refuse! Say “No officer, you can NOT search my possessions”, stick your middle finger up & drive off
3. “When questioned about the content within the bags Fevrier responded, “Weed that there. I was bringing it Portsmouth to sell.”. Why admit what it is & that you intend to sell it?! Why even let them in the vehicle?! WHY DID YOU LET THEM SEARCH THE BAG?! Why tell them what’s in it before they even opened it?!?
If you’re gonna be a criminal, at least do it right. Stay silent & call your lawyer…
4. ““You are not a first time offender and you have been charged in the past for drug trafficking so tell me why I should not send you to jail or charge you $150,000.00.””
And mister said “I can pay $100,000….erm, did I say 100? I meant 50!” and even set his own deadline. Hahahahaha only in Dominica
How do they know its not drug money hes using to pay the fine?
Are we serious about controlling the scourge of drug use and trafficking? Is the court system working in tandem with law enforcement? It is very clear that the offender can pay much more than what he offered to pay. This precedence, where the offender is setting his own fine, seemingly on his own terms and conditions will most certainly come back to hunt us – no little. This action by the court is certainly no effective deterrent for existing and would be drug traffickers.
I truly hope we prepare for what comes next.
Where he getting it and his children suffering
Just legalize cannabis!
Cut the collaboration with the racist American klan that made it illegal in the 1st place, only to boost their ability to imprison Black people who were not known users hard drugs such as meth, morphine, heroine, coke etc. How did we get to be automatically persecuting cannabis users to fulfill their master plan ourselves?
Thats a good vibes. The court is willing to accept a deal in payment in exchange for jail time. Why? because if put in jail, the state has to spend money to house you at the hotel in stockfarm.
Like the comment of not, this is how it works in real life. You are able to reduce or forego jail time by paying the court. So next time you are about to be sentenced, ask the judge if a payment can be made to the court to forego or reduce jail time.
Very interesting …. this is a repeat offender who offered to pay the money much sooner, yet the magistrate gives him until October 2023? Wow Mr. Laudat! Very impressive work!